The official Arsenal Women’s team photo was released earlier this month, and has caused quite the furore amongst the Gunners fans, and the wider footballing community in general. After the release of the 27-strong squad photo, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the lack of diversity and players of colour in their latest squad.
How many nationalities are represented in the Arsenal women‘s team. Around 12? Isn’t this diversity, or is it only colour that denotes this?
In a statement issued by Arsenal, the club stated:
“We acknowledge our current women’s first-team squad does not reflect the diversity that exists across the club and the communities we represent,”
“Increasing participation among young women and girls from diverse backgrounds is a key priority for us at academy level, with specific measures in place to improve pathways and accessibility.
“Across all our teams, including our men’s and women’s academies, we’re proud of our players from diverse backgrounds who have contributed to our history, success and culture.”
“It’s a priority for the club to continue to drive greater diversity and inclusion and create a sense of belonging for everyone connected to the club.”
The Lionesses faced similar criticism last year, after winning Euro 2022. Arsenal’s summer recruit and Lioness striker, Alessia Russo, had this to say yesterday, in an interview with BBC 5 Live Sport recently:
“We would never want to miss out on future talent because people can’t access a team.” 🗣
Alessia Russo says increasing diversity in women’s football is a ‘huge priority’ at both Arsenal and England.#BBCFootball #Lionesses pic.twitter.com/2ciKRkiRB8
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) October 26, 2023
What do you think Gooners? Is it a problem for you? Are Arsenal doing enough in your opinion?
Michelle Maxwell
Follow JustArsenal’s Gooner Women on Just Gooner Women on Twitter for regular updates on the Arsenal Womens Team!
Do you want to read more about the Arsenal Women’s Team? Click here….
The first requirement should be their talent and not their skin colour. And i say this as a Kenyan. If they happen to be black and can play get them. This whole thing is a whole lot of nothing
I agree but I’m pretty that there is a lot of players from diverse ethnic backgrounds,good enough to play for the Arsenal women team.
I don’t think it bothers anyone that Arsenal is tone deaf. There are way too many serious problems in the world to worry about private choices.
It obviously doesn’t bother management and ownership. Would it bother anyone if England teams were all white?
I guess you missed the backlash the club received after posting their “all white” team photo on social media.
To answer your question,yes it would bother a lot of people if the England men’s team were all white,the same way the team was all black.as a Frenchman,I can tell this has been an issue for many years,even politicians got involved.i remember when we won the WC in 1998 and 2000 Euros.several studies proved that it had a huge positive impact on French society(even if was for few years).the team made up of White,North African descent, Blacks but also from French overseas territories like Martinique….it promoted France as an inclusive country.on the other hand when we won won the 2018 WC,the far right claimed that an African team won it and not France.
I hadn’t given it a thought until the recent Twitter mob making it an issue.
The last black player I remember at Arsenal was Nikita Parris a couple of season ago, and that didn’t work out too well for her, although she’s back to her best with Man U. Before that there was Alex Scott & Rachel Yankey and some I’ve probably forgotten, but I don’t think we have a policy regarding recruitment, other than to recruit the best players available regardless.
What about Michelle Agbeyang. She played a few times last season and now out on loan….
Let’s hope that when she comes back she cheers the Twitter (X) mob up a bit.
Are you telling me that there no players from diverse ethnic backgrounds good enough to play for Arsenal?
How do you think it makes those little girls growing up in and around London playing football feel when looking at the team’s photo??
Im wondering if it is the manager in charge of recruitment?
Lastly,I have to admit that I do not know much about our girls’ academies but I hope the teams are more diverse.Let’s not forget that on September 28, 2002, Arsene Wenger handed in his team sheet, he created a moment of English footballing history.Nine of the 11 starters were black, which was the first time this had happened in an English top-flight match and securing a 4-1 win.
Frankly I couldn’t care less what the ethnic make up of our women’s team is and never think on it. I’ve seen black, Japanese and other players from around the world in the squad and don’t give it a thought other than that I’m sometimes surprised that they come here to play by choice.
OMG!!
This is so sad. Are you telling me that the club could not even find a few players of colour good enough to play for the club. Im really saddened!
In my country SA we have legislation for companies and sport bodies to represent the diversity of our population. Anything other will be perceived as discrimination.
And to think i used to support Arsenal Women. Not anymore untill this blatant injustice is rectified.
WORLD PEACE INSTEAD OF WORLD DOMINATION!!!
Bang Bang, South Africa’s legislative approach has certainly not worked out well in cricket, where white South Africans have had to seek their futures in the UK and elsewhere because of quotas. A change from under apartheid when players such as Basil D’Olivera (a “Cape coloured”) was forced to pursue his career in England, because he was banned in South Africa. Rugby is a shining positive where coloured players are being selected on merit.
Surely Arsenal having 12 nationalities in its female football squad shows diversity. The lack of coloured players is an aberration, due to no players being available of required ability currently. As TruGoon states all Arsenal teams should be selected on merit only.
That’s exactly what I thought/said.surely,there has to be at least one black player good enough to play for Arsenal women’s team!!
What a load of rubbish, let’s not feed the constant victim narrative!
Does anyone really think that a quality, affordable woman wouldn’t get into the team just because she was black?
Yawn….Getting old now really!
The truth is that women’s football in the UK is a middle class sport,fact!also, it’s more about making it more accessible to those from different backgrounds.remenber, we’re talking about Arsenal which pride itself being very inclusive,a family and their ties &work in their community.i don’t know about you but that’s not how it looks like.as the saying goes “actions are louder than words”.
I dont agree that it is middle class. What I think you may be trying to say is that as yet, nowhere near enough ethic women are attracted to academies among women. But things are moving fast in th right direction.
I would not define middle class in the way you have.
TBH, I dislike the whole foolishness of class distinction, which decades ago, in Britain, when I was VERY young, was far more harmful ,rigid and sadly, far more prevalent than nowadays. As EVERY PERSON in every land is a human being and all are of equal importance, the sooner class distinction disappears altogether, the better.
Roll on that day, say I
It would have been nice to have a more diverse looking outfit as their Male counterpart,
Yes, Gunsmoke Arsenal should select its players based on quotas within society, not ability. I think not!
Looking at “One Club Arsenal” across all teams and club employees I would guess that the percentage of non-white people is higher than in the wider population.
As far as our women are concerned the lack of coloured representation in the first team is more reflective of women’s football generally rather than a specific Arsenal issue. Although its not at the same level as the boys the girl’s academy has at least 5 black prospects who could well appear in next year’s squad photo.
Unless, which I refuse to believe, Michelle is seriously trying to suggest that racismis a factor in the choosing of our womenssquad team then, frankly, this piece is not worth a serious comment from evolved fans.
I find its “suggestion” that racism may be a factor, seriously intellectuallly depressing to read.
Therefore I consider this piece a lot of hot air about nothing, TBH!
Not due to racism but more about how less/not as accessible to white middle class girls,compared to those from diverse,low incomes areas.i’d like to know if the manager has the final say on signings.lastly,Arsenal posted a communiqué, admitting/recognizing that fact.also promising to make changes and to work harder.
Whoich is surely agood thing and a aprogresive step! REALITY defines that the best available are picked. If all are white then so be it. Equally too, if all were black, Chinese, Indian, etc etc.
Who cares, PROVIDED ALL are good enough. The best available should always play , except – which applies more in the mens game, where fixtures are far heavier and closer together -SOMETIMES A PLAYER NEEDS A REST.
WHERE @Jon, in any shape or form, does Michelle suggest that there is racism involved in this article.
For such a learned intellectual you need to start reading articles more clearly and stop making outlandish accusations.
Pat If YOU read MY post properly, you would surely have seen I wrote” Unless, which I refuse to believe Michelle is trying to suggest….. etc”.
I chose those words deliberately, as I did not intend to accuse her of alleging racism.
But there was at the very least an INSINUATION that a level of racism was a possibility. Which is WHY I PHRASED MY POST SO PRECISELY.
The more intelligent among us, which includes both you and Michelle, are surely aware that the real reason why far fewer black and ethnic women are already playing at top level, is thAt the womens game right now, is where the men was decades ago.
But THANKFULLY, it IS catching up. And in a few short years it will surely be full of people of all nations and ethnicity. HEALTHILY TOO!
I assumed, perhaps wrongly, that intelligent folks would know that fact, which is what depressed me about Michelles piece.
Further Pat, if JA is to attract deeper thinkers, then my post was precsiely the type of post you ought to be welcoming, as it attracts real debate, among the string of bland, “say nothing” posts that dominate almost every thread.
If there is ONE THING that I will always put my foot down is calling ANYONE a racist, as recently some readers have been saying that about Arteta even, and they will ALL immediately be deleted, but simply by you saying, that you “refuse to suggest” implies that you though it a possibility.
Anyway, let’s move on quickly or we WILL have other reaeders calling US racist lol.
Furthe rtyo thr various posts on this nthread , which with one ridiculous exception have ebeen modereate and sensible, I say this TRUE RACISM will only finally be eradicated when evolved fans worldwide stop even noticing skinshade.
Skinshade is as UNIMPORTANT AS LEFT HANDEDNESS.
People, who feel the need to raise it as an issue in our club ands also generally in football, at least in EVOLVED countries, are making a mountain out of what is not even a molehill.
How I WISH certain people, mercifully only a tiny minority, would USE the brains they were given at birth!
Media who make comments along this line are trying to cause upset.
Do Arsenal make it a policy, no black players then it’s a problem, I think the reception Scotty got on her birthday said it all when it comes to supporters and if she was young enough we all know what team she would be playing for.
Talent first
Some absolute rubbish being written here. Comparing post apartheid S Africa to the UK? Having lived in both countries I can say with confidence that this is not the same situation. Suggesting Arsenal Women, who share many of the same facities and staff with the men’s team, are (knowingly or unconciously) racist in their transfer policy to the detriment of getting the best squad possible? Promoting the idea of bringing in non-white players merely to meet somebody’s imagined sense of injustice? What next – will a quota of muslim players be demanded to better reflect the UK population, regardless of the fact that it is commonly their own cultures that discourage muslim women playing, not schools or football clubs?
Would I complain (or even notice) if Arsenal men fielded 11 non-white players?
Total rubbish, and a sad indictment of the way “victim cultures” are destroying this country.
guy, Bravo for your serious wisdom!
Under the circumstances it is not a problem for me. It is not guaranteed in any WSL team that a player that meets the diversity criteria would be good enough. Some parts of the press are pushing this as though the club is racist in some way and I will name them if you insist.
We have a fantastic squad. If Jonas decides on a new right back I am certain that colour will be the last box to tick. Carry on Arsenal WFC!!!
Racial Discrimination manifest itself in different forms.Those who are ignorant to it are usually those who benefit from it and would obviously want to maintain the status quo.
Furthermore Religion and Race are two different issues. Within a race exists different religions. So bringing that point up is absolutely non-sensical. The same can be said about ethnicity. Coming from various ethnicity’s doesnt necessarily imply different races, such as in the Arsenal Women case Could be said there is bias towards caucasian selection.
The reason for the ‘one knee bend’, stadiums bans, or other sanctions, Governing bodies introduced was primarily to draw attention to Racial Discrimination. Its an EPIDEMIC!! If a person fail to recognize or fix it right at their “doorstep” then how can we expect that person to contribute to WORLD PEACE?
Numbers dont lie!!!!