So is the diversity within the squad
Obayed Hussain, right, has loved football since he was a child (Photo: Obayed Hussain)Three days on from our loss and there’s an inevitable post mortem taking place in every corner of the country.
canada goose clearance sale Why didn’t canada goose parka outlet uk we win? What if Kane had scored in the first half? Why was Sterling taken off so early? canada goose clearance sale
While 2018 may not mark the end of 52 years of expectation, hope and hurt, the 2018 World Cup can and should be remembered for so many other reasons beyond the pitch.
Once the dust has settled, and the mandatory mourning period is laid to rest, we can take even more canada goose outlet london uk pride in England’s Russia 2018 campaign.
This year’s World Cup has, after all, been marked by a powerful spirit of togetherness and Englishness something missing from recent tournaments. Gareth Southgate captured the mood of many perfectly when, a few days ago, he said: ‚We are a team, with our diversity and youth, that represents modern England.’
The squad was exceptionally young; the average age is 26 the joint second youngest in the entire tournament as well as being, of all squads who have taken part this summer, the least experienced on the international stage.
canadian goose jacket The squad was also drawn from 11 different clubs, while seven out of 11 of Southgate’s preferred starting line up hail from ‚up north’. canadian goose jacket
However, it is another aspect that, as an imam and equality officer for the Birmingham FA, has stood out for me especially: this was the most canada goose outlet store calgary ethnically diverse squad England canada goose outlet online reviews has ever taken to a World Cup. Eleven of the squad of 23 are black or of mixed ethnicity.
To canada goose outlet shop put this into context, just six BAME players made the ill fated trip to Brazil in 2014.
Now, that may sound like just another statistic, but for fans from minority backgrounds, I can’t emphasise enough the significance of this.
Canada Goose Outlet This isn’t about diversity for the sake of diversity, it’s about having the best squad and regardless of their faith, background or skin colour these players have all earned their call up. Canada Goose Outlet
I love football and I’m proud to be able to work for the Birmingham FA, doing the job I dreamed of since the day I came to the realisation I was never going to be the next Pel.
But I am also a Muslim and I’m proud canada goose parka outlet of my https://www.canadagooseoutlete.com faith. Some people find it hard to believe that it’s possible to be a football obsessed Muslim, but it is.
cheap canada goose uk Growing up, watching football games, there were no players who ‚looked like me’. So I know there are lots of young people who are inspired by the fact there are more football players who they can relate to. cheap canada goose uk
Canada Goose Parka This also includes Muslim players like the Egyptian Mo Salah, who has taken the Premier League by storm this year and captured the imagination of Muslims globally. Canada Goose Parka
There’s still a noticeable lack of British Asians in professional football, but it’s unlikely to stay like this for long. Easah Suliman has become the first Asian to captain an England football team, while, come August, Danny Batth should become the first player of south Asian origin to captain a side in the Premier League, having majestically steered Wolves to the Championship title last season.
There’s still a way to go.
That’s why this summer, alongside the Birmingham FA, I and others helped set up the Ramadan Midnight League for Muslims and non Muslims alike who wanted to get together for a kickabout during the fasting period.
It represents people coming together and having fun just as football should be.
England hasbeen, and will, continue to canada goose outlet online store review be a place where people from all backgroundsare welcomed. For that reason, I am glad that the England football team reflects that richness of diversity, and it can only help continue to counter the stereotypes that might exist.
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Canada Goose Online I want more people to see that it’s possible to be both an England fan, and proud of your faith or heritage. Canada Goose Online
Canada Goose sale When the whistle sounds on Saturday afternoon against Belgium, and ‚Football’s coming home’ is belted out in chorus and canada goose outlet out of tune across my city of Birmingham, football fans of all colours, faiths and backgrounds will come together to cheer on England for one final time at this World Cup. Canada Goose sale
Canada Goose Jackets Just as the motto for the London 2012 Olympics was ‚inspire a generation’ helping to create a legacy and culture of success that was later realised in Rio in 2016 let’s hope that England’s trailblazing spirit at the 2018 World Cup will lead to similar future successes. Canada Goose Jackets
While football might not be ‚coming home’ in the sense that Baddiel and Skinner meant it when that anthem first graced our terraces in 1996, what is coming home is far more important: a renewed hope and cause for pride in our national team.
MORE: England canada goose outlet near me players donate all their World Cup wages to charity here’s where the money goes
MORE: Football isn’t coming home (yet), but England’s World Cup heroics have started something special.