Related Articles
The growing number of Muslim players – especially Egyptian and Algerian players – in the English premiership league is starting to have a significant cultural impact on football in the UK, attracting increased numbers of Muslim spectators and in many cases transforming the relationship between football clubs and local communities.
There are now 25 Muslim players registered with teams in the English premier league – the most watched professional sport league in the world. The last few years have seen the globalisation of the English premier league so much so that almost every West Midlands major club is now owned by Chinese or Thai billionaires and it is not uncommon to see an English professional football team take to the pitch without a single English player on the pitch.
But Islam and the cash-driven English premiership come from very different traditions – which has meant teams have had to adapt to the requirements of their Muslim players and the growing number of Muslim local supporters who are passing through the turnstiles.
Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Everton, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have built multi-faith prayer facilities for Muslim fans and other clubs have set aside special rooms for supporters, staff, players and visitors – or made arrangements with the local mosque to allow spectators to leave the match, pray and return to the game. “Man of the match” champagne awards have been replaced with trophies – in deference to Muslim players. Muslim players have their own halal food and their own prayer facilities. They have the option to shower separately.
Issues remain. Many Muslim players are uncomfortable that club sponsors may be betting or pay-day loan companies charging very heavy levels of interest. Fasting during Ramadan can be an issue for upsetting training and match-day routines, although this is less of a problem than before. There remain pockets of supporters who are racist, homophobic and anti-Islamist. But most commentators say these pockets are becoming smaller, more isolated and being pushed into the shadows by a newer, younger, more tolerant fan base who look up to their sporting idols from Egypt, Algeria and other parts of Africa.
One reason for this is the success of “Kick it out”, (http://www.kickitout.org/) an organisation which tackles all forms of discrimination in the game and over the past year has launched a campaign targeting Islamophobia in the game. “It’s vital that football plays a role in challenging this hatred,” said Jeff Arnold of Tell Mama, a multi-faith inclusion organisation. “It can happen anywhere and that is the same for the football environment and it is up to the authorities to take some ownership, like it has done on racism. They can’t necessarily control people’s prejudices but they can control what is allowed and acceptable within football grounds.”
But the evidence points to more Muslims going to football matches, more Muslims supporting the English national team and increasing numbers being attracted to the premiership.
So how are the Egyptian players doing?
Mohamed Elneny has played for only short bursts for Arsenal since his return from the African Cup. He did not play in March and came on as a substitute in the team’s 2-0 win over Hull City in February. Ahmed Elmohamady is playing a vital defensive role in Hull City’s battle to stay up in the premiership and the next few weeks will be a crucial time for the team. Ramadan Sobhi is starting to shine for Stoke. After a slow start he is now a regular player in the team and his pace on the wing is gaining him an increasing number of supporters.
