The Mayor Of Simpleton Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21893570 At Gloucester City, we probably only have a maximum of five to eight Asian fans, but we don't see this as a really big problem. Most Asian children in Gloucester are more interested in playing cricket than football (some do go to rugby games at Kingsholm too), and those Asian children who are football fans seem more interested in Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. If Asian fans were excluded from games, then yes that would be a big problem, but could it simply be a fact that the Asians simply aren't interested in attending games at certain clubs? No point in coercing them if they aren't interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 I don't think we have any and its not a problem. They don't seem to be interested plus we don't have a substantial Asian community locally,nearest is about 6 miles away in goodmayes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missunderstood Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 A massive potential fan base being lost because no-one has bothered to market research their requirements IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Why should they? Clubs are open to everyone of all races/nationality etc.The message on leaflets in papers etc is for more people to watch their local team.Adam hits the nail on the head,most Asian youngsters are interested like most white youngsters in the premier league,if we was in an area with a large Asian population then we would invite them in with open arms but as part of the community not as an individual race or colour.Surely by opening up to a specific race is merely just adding to the problem by singling them out rather than just accepting that they are the same as us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garden City Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 It's the same as most clubs, wherever you go the are very few Asian fans. I believe this is largely down to the atmosphere in grounds. There is still an under current of racism everywhere. A few years back I was at a Luton V Bristol Rovers game, Div 1 at the time, and I was ashamed of the chants that went up from the Rovers fans, my home town club. This still goes on to a varying degree, look at the fuss with John Terry, did you hear the chants at West Ham the other day? Now, if you were a father would you take your 8 year old to that? For all of us footy fans we know the sport at a local level is struggling because of the distortion caused by the stupid money and ownership of Premier League clubs, yet something like 20% of the population are not comfortable attending games. A massive loss for local football clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 While I agree it may be part of the problem,I believe it's a very small part.Most people simply don't attend because they support a bigger premier league club etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garden City Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 While I agree it may be part of the problem,I believe it's a very small part.Most people simply don't attend because they support a bigger premier league club etc Yeah, of course that's an issue given the omnipresent TV coverage. But my experience of Asion families, for example, is that they are close knit and the father and son / daughter experience on a Saturday afternoon just does not happen. We cannot all get into a Premier League ground and a hefty proportion of us cannot afford it in any event. I am getting on now, 61, but I will never forget the first time I was taken to football ground as a kid. How many youngsters these days get that experience? I still enjoy the game in the same way and to be honest am enjoying non league football more than I ever thought I would. But I find it incredibly sad that the small gates are not reflective, in the main, of the community the clubs are named after. Sad for the clubs, sad for the population and the kids that are missing out, sad that a real community asset is not being utilised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missunderstood Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 IMO non league football in general makes very little effort to attract woman, let alone ethnic minorities, and instead seem to take pride in their "take us as you find us" attitude. My wife and daughter used to attend matches but was turned off by some disgusting toilet facilities in some grounds, the bad language, and lack of healthy eating options. I have a Thai daughter in law who was shocked at how few woman and children attend games in this country, because in Thailand sport is something the whole family enjoy together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Clapton would not be in such a bad way if they welcomed Asian fans. It is my view that Eastside Urchin represents whats wrong with many football fans/directors/managers with a stereotypical attitude also illustrated by Mayor of Simpleton. Asian clubs have been set up playing in the Essex Senior League. Why? It is my view that it is because there are not welcomed at many senior clubs. Does Hornchurch draw its players from an area less than 6 miles from the ground - of course it doesn't so why should it expect that its fans should only be restricted to this area? Where are the adverts or match reports in The Voice or The Nation. Do they advertise on Punjabi Radio or Sunrise Radio. No because "Most Asian children ........... are more interested in playing cricket than football". All of "our communities" are muti-ethnic to a greater or lesser degree and, it is my view, that they will become more multi-ethnic with time. Unless we reach out to the minorities in our communities then we leave the door open to racism and later facism. As for toilet facilities - these were locked before kick off at Concord yesterday. But then they are a "family club" who don't wee as it is disgusting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manontheinside Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Seem plenty of Asian fans at premier league grounds. The monst well know Sikh must be the geezer who sits in the seats behind Fergie, he's been there for years!! Maybe send him an invite to watch Sporting Bengal or Apsa. The attendances at these clubs indicate that the fabs are not interested in a sub standard level of football and prefer to watch professional football so leave the clubs to their own devices and there zero supporters. They obviously believe a clkub with poredominantly asian players and asian coaches can succeed but the evidence so far from their performances do not substantiate this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garden City Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I completely agree with Steph and Misunderstood. Non league, indeed lower league, football clubs are missing out by not making an attempt to attract all sections of their communities to their clubs, both as players and as customers. I also believe that their is an underlying theme of racism inherent in this commercial malpractice. But, as fans what are we to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 If anything I think its society in general that stops Asians from attending lower league football and to an extent higher league football. But lets not forget that a lot of Asian countries,while they play football,don't actually have it as a top sport,the likes of china and Japan,yes it's growing but in India/Pakistan etc its not big at all,yes some watch it on tv but not many,so we shouldn't be surprised that they don't watch it too much here. Cricket on the other hand has no such problems,simply because they love the game. Think people are reading too much into this. As for women,we have 3 on our supporters club Comittee and others have been on there before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mayor Of Simpleton Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 If anything I have mentioned is stereotypical, or racist, then apologies. However, in Gloucester, a lot of Asian children participate in Cricket (the Qwik Cricket leagues here have a healthy abundance of Asian children playing). So if that is what they are interested in, then it's what they are interested in. All clubs in Gloucestershire welcome absolutely anybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big J R Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Suggest some of you look at this site:- http://www.asianfootballnetwork.org.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garden City Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Suggest some of you look at this site:- http://www.asianfootballnetwork.org.uk/ Thanks for the link. I wonder why that is not more widely publicized Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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