“You never played the game so what do you know?”: An exploration of the lived experiences of British South Asians in management and governance positions in English football

Figures & data

Table 1. Research sample.

Interviewee number	Role	Years in the football industry	Ethnicity (self-ascribed)	Gender
1	EDI professional and former professional player	25	British Asian, Bangladeshi, mixed heritage	M
2	Governance, professional football club	37	Indian Punjabi	F
3	EDI professional, County FA	13	Indian Punjabi Sikh	M
4	EDI professional, PFA	12	Pakistani Muslim	M
5	EDI professional, The FA	25+	Muslim South Asian	M
6	EDI professional, The FA	7	Mixed race	M
7	EDI professional, The FA	5	Sikh Indian British	M
8	FA employee	18	British Indian	F
9	EDI consultant	27	British Asian Indian Sikh	M
10	EDI professional, professional football club	18	Asian British	M
11	Sports lawyer	13	Indian Punjabi Sikh	M
12	Leader of football charity and professional football club Board member	9	Indian	F
13	EDI professional and board member, professional football club	5	British Asian	F
14	Professional football club Board member	6	British Indian	M
15	Leader of equalities sport charity	14	Sikh British	M
16	EDI advisor, The FA	18	British Indian Muslim	M
17	EDI professional for football charity	20	South Asian	M
18	FA Board member	5	Asian	F
19	EDI professional, equalities organisation	3	British Asian	M
20	Medical professional, professional football club	7	Indian Punjabi Sikh	M
21	EDI professional, professional football club	25+	Asian British	M