Faith at The FA

Faith in Football Working Group

The Faith in Football Working Group was established in June 2011. The aims of the group are:

• to use football to advise the FA on breaking down barriers and promoting social cohesion across faith based communities
• to advise the FA on religious and faith-based issues with impacts on those communities
• to create opportunities for communities to participate in the game, who have previously not engaged.

These aims are achieved through education and faith-based football related activities.

What are we trying to achieve?

Football creates unique opportunities for people of different faiths and beliefs to come together and enjoy the game. The FA along with its stakeholders are seeking to use education to break down barriers between people of different faiths and religions in a safe and fun environment.

Faith in Football Education programme

Over the past twelve months, the working group has showcased its Faith in Football education programme. The aim of this project is to deliver a joint partnership supported pilot between the FA, Wembley Learning Zone and Three faiths forum that brought together three single faith schools from the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim communities to Wembley, engaging sixty 5-6 year olds four times over 12 months.

Amongst some of the project's achievements were:

• 100% attendance at the four linking sessions at Wembley involving 3 primary schools from the London Borough of Brent. These included St. Monica’s Catholic School, Al Sadiq and Al Zahra School and the North West London Jewish Day School
• 60 children participated in the link programme
• 60 children and 60 parents gained a broader understanding of different faith based groups and tolerance of different communities
• 60 children of Catholic, Jewish and Muslim faiths have engaged with the Tesco Skills Programme
• 60 children have developed a heightened awareness of each of their counterparts faith
• 60 children and 60 parents completed the Wembley tour
• 60 children successfully completed the programme

Who are the stakeholders?

• Kick it Out - www.kickitout.org
• Asia Europe - http://www.oneculture.tv/
• Muslim Women Sports Foundation - http://www.mwsf.org.uk/
• Three Faith Forums  www.threefaithsforum.org.uk
• Osmani Trust - http://www.osmanitrust.org/
• Wembley Learning Zone - http://wembleystadium.com/Organisation/Local-Communities
• Members from the FA Race Equality Advisory Group
• Metropolitan Police Safe Neighborhood Teams

Faith in Football at Wembley Stadium

On 20 June 2012, 60 year 5 students from Muslim, Christian and Jewish faith schools across London met at Wembley Stadium for a Faith and Football schools linking day. Read more about this event by clicking here

Islamophobia education pack

An Islamophobia education pack produced by Show Racism the Red Card which aims to familiarise young people with the causes and consequences of Islamophobia.

Please click here to download 

The FA has a network of partners representing all the major faiths with whom it consults and actively works with.

The FA & Kick It Out's Calendar of Religious Festivals 2018-19 guides everyone in football about different holy days that are observed by different faiths and guides those running football to adopt an inclusive approach to support the involvement and inclusion of people with an active faith. 

The FA’s factsheets on Ramadan and Tishri are another way to raise awareness of how to provide inclusive football environments. You can find those in the resources section below

In previous seasons The FA has showcased a Faith in Football education programme, offering an opportunity for partnership working between The FA, the Learning Zone facility at Wembley Stadium and an organisation called the Three Faiths Forum which brought together three single faith schools from the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim communities to Wembley, engaging 60 five to six year old's four times over 12 months.  This is just one  of the ways in which this work can allow children and their parents to gain a broader understanding of the fact that football is for everyone and it is important that they promote a tolerant and inclusive approach across different faiths and communities 

A series of films which help bring to life some of the issues related to faith and football are highlighted here: 

Islamophobia 

Produced by the educational charity Show Racism the Red Card, it features the views of footballers and young people discussing their experiences of and views on Islamophobia

Please click here to view on YouTube

Rivals Not Enemies

Another piece produced by Show Racism the Red Card, this shows Scottish footballers and celebrities tackling the issue of sectarianism in football.

Please click here to view on YouTube

The Y Word

A short awareness film produced by Kick It Out focusing on anti-semitism in football:

Please click to view film on Kick It Out website

Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation

A video presentation of the work carried out by The Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation:

Please click to view on YouTube