Untapped talent? Young Asian shows off his control
Hundreds of thousands of young Asians are playing and watching the game around the country every weekend.
But there is a massive under representation of the Asian community in the professional game.
The facts speak for themselves.
There are only seven British Asian players in professional football and a Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) survey into professional football in 2004 revealed that in total there were only 10 Asian players at Premier League club academies.
Within the Asian community there continues to be a feeling that Asian players have been marginalised by the game for far too long.
Popular myths
Popular myths such as Asians are only interested in Cricket and Hockey, that Asians aren't strong enough to play the game professionally and that cultural differences will prevent Asian players footballing development are just a few of the common falsehoods that have hampered Asian players' break through.
In response, a number of groups have organised themselves to ensure they are providing young talented players from the Asian community with the chance to improve and progress.
Teams such as London APSA and Sporting Bengal became the first Asian clubs to play in the FA Cup in 2005. Albion Sports Club from Bradford, perhaps Britain's most successful local Asian Football Club, have reached the nationwide FA Sunday Cup Final twice, and the London Asian Football League continues to grow, attracting teams from all backgrounds. These are just a few examples of how Asians are climbing the football ladder.
Trailblazers
While frustrations remain, the love for the game drives on talented young Asians in striving to achieve the goal of joining trailblazers Rehman, Chopra, Singh and Ahmed in the professional game.
Under representation in other areas of the game is also beginning to be challenged with the successes of Football League referees, Jarnail Singh and Mo Matadar.
The game recognised the need to ensure that the Asian community is no longer excluded from the game following the launch of the Asians Can Play football report in 2005.
Football family commitment
Simon Johnson, The Football Association's Director of Corporate Affairs, said on behalf of the football family,
"We want to create more and better coaches from the Asian communities. We want to create clear pathways for the most talented to progress. We want to ensure that, when the Clubs are scouting for players, they are doing so in such a way that they can find the very best talent from the Asian communities.
"Each of the bodies has a role to play in making all this happen. We know that, and we are taking the necessary action. We also want to see the active fan base at our clubs adapt to reflect the diversity of the communities in which they play."
