Non-white City fans

Considering that Cardiff is arguably one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom, it's surprising that there never seems to be many non-white fans in the stands.

I've seen groups of Asian people in the first few rows of the Canton stand on an odd occasion but mainly in the recent Premier League season.

It makes me wonder why it's a sea of white faces when you look around and I'd be interested to know people's opinion on this.

It's fair to state that most people follow their clubs because their Dads/Grandads took them as boys and they've carried on going with their own kids. Could it be that racism from generations ago stopped men taking their sons due to feeling vulnerable and this has trickled down?

That brings about another question, too - Are there any fans on here who were never bothered about football as a child but starting going when they got older independent of any family or friends?

It seems strange that football teams all over the UK are a melting pot of different races, but are not represented at the stadium by fans.

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

Considering that Cardiff is arguably one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom…..

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Is it really? On what evidence do you base such a claim?

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

Considering that Cardiff is arguably one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom, it's surprising that there never seems to be many non-white fans in the stands.

I've seen groups of Asian people in the first few rows of the Canton stand on an odd occasion but mainly in the recent Premier League season.

It makes me wonder why it's a sea of white faces when you look around and I'd be interested to know people's opinion on this.

It's fair to state that most people follow their clubs because their Dads/Grandads took them as boys and they've carried on going with their own kids. Could it be that racism from generations ago stopped men taking their sons due to feeling vulnerable and this has trickled down?

That brings about another question, too - Are there any fans on here who were never bothered about football as a child but starting going when they got older independent of any family or friends?

It seems strange that football teams all over the UK are a melting pot of different races, but are not represented at the stadium by fans.

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All people are welcome at our club regardless of colour, religion etc, which is as it should be. If a certain section of society choose not to support their local football club that is their choice.

For you to bring this to our attention suggests that you seem unduly concerned by the lack of non-white faces around you. Personally, when I attend football matches I am totally focussed on the performance of my team, not the demographic make-up of the crowd.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Is it really? On what evidence do you base such a claim?

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its clearly not

Cardiff is the most diverse part of Wales, but very far from being one of the most diverse parts of the UK

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

Considering that Cardiff is arguably one of the most diverse areas in the United Kingdom, it's surprising that there never seems to be many non-white fans in the stands.

I've seen groups of Asian people in the first few rows of the Canton stand on an odd occasion but mainly in the recent Premier League season.

It makes me wonder why it's a sea of white faces when you look around and I'd be interested to know people's opinion on this.

It's fair to state that most people follow their clubs because their Dads/Grandads took them as boys and they've carried on going with their own kids. Could it be that racism from generations ago stopped men taking their sons due to feeling vulnerable and this has trickled down?

That brings about another question, too - Are there any fans on here who were never bothered about football as a child but starting going when they got older independent of any family or friends?

It seems strange that football teams all over the UK are a melting pot of different races, but are not represented at the stadium by fans.

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Sludge will be along soon to clear this up, when he allegedly met with some Asian lads and they told him why they didnt feel welcome

I wouldn't say it's the most diverse, it's true to say it has a larger ethnic percentage than most parts of Wales which is common throughout the world and capital cities .

To become completely diverse I would suggest say we need to become a society where we live amongst each other right across the City , not like it is now where ethnic people feel happier amongst themselves as a tight knit community , and not spread far and wide .

Speaking as an Asian, I first got into football via my peers, both Asian and non-Asian. So the first teams I was aware of were Arsenal, Man Utd etc. Loved Henry when I was a really young kid. But I think the FA Cup run helped me get more into Cardiff and also increasing coverage of the EFL on TV and online (bearing in mind I spent most of my childhood away from South Wales, that did help a lot).

I think with the race thing, some Asians have the view that football fans are racist (some of my Asian mates even warn me to be careful at games!) so it must have tricked down. I think also in the past, only the big clubs would have been on TV so the support for these clubs may have trickled down, as some people get to know about football via their peers.

When I was younger, I used to go to City games with my parents, but as I got older I started going with friends. Though with your granddad/dad point, my dad isn't into football as much, but I think via my passion for football both my parents have an appreciation for the game.

It is interesting though how most Asians I know are into the big clubs but I think it might be mainly because of TV/media coverage and getting into football via peers, rather than via family

I think the thrust of the opening question was valid and I think that some posters were a tad harsh about the exact wording. All credit to adz for enlightening us regarding his personal and relevant experience regarding this matter and which has crossed my mind previously.

I know at Fulham the local residents are given free tickets and really encouraged to attend games…there’s a great opportunity for our club to do the same and target our ethnic community’s.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman

Is it really? On what evidence do you base such a claim?

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The Cencus

16 percent of the cities population is from an ethnic minority , its a far higher figure than the UK average

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Originally Posted by Moodybluebird

All people are welcome at our club regardless of colour, religion etc, which is as it should be. If a certain section of society choose not to support their local football club that is their choice.

For you to bring this to our attention suggests that you seem unduly concerned by the lack of non-white faces around you. Personally, when I attend football matches I am totally focussed on the performance of my team, not the demographic make-up of the crowd.

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I assume like me you are white

Therefore we don't really have any idea of whether Cardiff City is welcoming to non White fans or not

The evidence suggests that people from Cardiffs ethnic minorities do not attend games in large numbers

That choice not to attend may be through feeling uneasy in doing so , not that straightforward

The attitude of ccfc regarding the mural in the bay that it might cause reverse racism would have been laughable if it wasn't a serious statement

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Originally Posted by Rjk

its clearly not

Cardiff is the most diverse part of Wales, but very far from being one of the most diverse parts of the UK

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For a city of its size , its very diverse

And proportionately , outside of London, Birmingham and Manchester , its very diverse

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Originally Posted by blue matt

Sludge will be along soon to clear this up, when he allegedly met with some Asian lads and they told him why they didnt feel welcome

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No allegedly about it

Its ironic how white people tell us Cardiff City doesn't have a problem with racism

How the feck would you know ?

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I think the thrust of the opening question was valid and I think that some posters were a tad harsh about the exact wording. All credit to adz for enlightening us regarding his personal and relevant experience regarding this matter and which has crossed my mind previously.

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It's a very valid post and people are very precious about Cardiff City being a club that welcomes everyone and .....we don't have a problem with racism etc etc ....almost always white fans discussing this by the way

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

For a city of its size , its very diverse

And proportionately , outside of London, Birmingham and Manchester , its very diverse

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The UK average is 86% white, Cardiff is 84% it has an average level of diversity.

It isn’t “very diverse” in any stretch of the imagination

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I think the thrust of the opening question was valid and I think that some posters were a tad harsh about the exact wording. All credit to adz for enlightening us regarding his personal and relevant experience regarding this matter and which has crossed my mind previously.

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Yeah I think it’s relevant too, particularly as our stadium borders the most ethnically diverse areas of the city in grangetown and riverside, possibly Canton too. The club has never done much to lure the locals in. It would rather run buses from the valleys for some bizarre reason where we already have pretty decent support. Maybe it’s more to do with the cost of tickets? Allied to the fact that the % of the population of the city who actually follow us is shockingly low

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Originally Posted by Kitman

The UK average is 86% white, Cardiff is 84% it has an average level of diversity.

It isn’t “very diverse” in any stretch of the imagination

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White British is 80 percent

It's got 16 percent of its population from a non white background

That's very diverse

In fact unlike cities like Birmingham or Bradford whose ethnic minority populations are dominated by one of two racial groups , Cardiff has a mix of ethnic minority population from across the racial and cultural background . In many schools in Cardiff there are dozens and dozens of different languages being spoken .

That's very diverse . In fact the very definition of it .

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Originally Posted by Kitman

The UK average is 86% white, Cardiff is 84% it has an average level of diversity.

It isn’t “very diverse” in any stretch of the imagination

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The suburbs next to the ground are though….

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Originally Posted by goats

Yeah I think it’s relevant too, particularly as our stadium borders the most ethnically diverse areas of the city in grangetown and riverside, possibly Canton too. The club has never done much to lure the locals in. It would rather run buses from the valleys for some bizarre reason where we already have pretty decent support. Maybe it’s more to do with the cost of tickets? Allied to the fact that the % of the population of the city who actually follow us is shockingly low

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The trust tried

The club wasn't really interested


CCFC has never been any good at this sort of thing

It's not a community club really

This is an important thread.

As someone who comes from a mixed family with both Ugandans and Nigerians in my family, I can only share 'our' experiences. When I used take my son when he was a kid, I was quite consious that often he and my brother in law were two of a minority of black people attending games.

Now my son is in his kid twenties and lives a few doors down from the ground, he goes to games with his mates as I spend most of my time in Uganda and India. He has never experienced any racism at city and attends games regularly.

He plays for a football team in Grangetown which is almost exclusively black or Asian. He often asks his teammates to go along with him but there is still some resistance due to some perceived ideas that they wouldn't be welcome. Also these are working class boys who can't afford tickets. However, they all look out for and support city.

I do think the club could do a better job of engaging with minorities and encouraging them to attend games. My city, my shirt is a wonderful idea and the club scored an on goal with not engaging with that.

Cardiff has growing diversity and on a purely economic basis the club needs to tap into sections of our communities who love football so they feel more welcome at city.

On a positive note the CCFC foundation actually does a tremendous job I'm communities, many black and Asian... But the club needs to do more.

Is this making a difference?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60609835

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Originally Posted by Cleve van Leef

Is this making a difference?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60609835

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I think when Cardiff City Football Club stated it wasn't supporting this fantastic artwork because it might lead to ....reverse racism ....then I think that sums up the mindset that is prevalent . If the top cheeses at CCFC have this pathetic attitude then its all a waste of time really

I think it's a generational thing. Asians and Afro-Carribean immigrants were met with shocking racism when they decided to settle in the UK in the 50's and 60's. Their children suffered in school and racism was very visible on the streets and also the terraces. Why would they choose to attend football matches and expose themselves to abuse? The next generation came along in the 80's and 90's so why would a parent expose their child to potentially the same abuse they saw or experienced- they just wouldn't. Sky TV and the Premier League appear in the early 90's and instead of attending matches they sit down and decide who to support by watching TV.
30 years on I think its getting better, but still a way to go.

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Originally Posted by The Bloop

I think it's a generational thing. Asians and Afro-Carribean immigrants were met with shocking racism when they decided to settle in the UK in the 50's and 60's. Their children suffered in school and racism was very visible on the streets and also the terraces. Why would they choose to attend football matches and expose themselves to abuse? The next generation came along in the 80's and 90's so why would a parent expose their child to potentially the same abuse they saw or experienced- they just wouldn't. Sky TV and the Premier League appear in the early 90's and instead of attending matches they sit down and decide who to support by watching TV.
30 years on I think its getting better, but still a way to go.

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and we are 30 years on, football has mostly become a pretty sterile event these days, the old days have long gone, them kids of the 90's have children / grand children, yes we still get the odd " unacceptable chant or shout, but isn't that a reflection on every day life ? ? ? football is certainly not the edgey place it used to be

I've been to lots of grounds over the years and wondered why most clubs do not reflect the ethnicity of their surroundings. The only exception I can think of is Arsenal.

I am also of mixed race and there has been a vast improvement from when i started watching city in the late sixties. Then you could count on one hand the non whites down there but it has slowly improved over the years. Maybe its because there are more non whites actually playing the game or just because times have changed. I have never really had any racism thrown at me following the city but i am speaking for myself. As i said,it has greatly improved over the years and long may it continue and maybe then we will see people of the Asian minority and other races.

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Originally Posted by Swiss Peter

I've been to lots of grounds over the years and wondered why most clubs do not reflect the ethnicity of their surroundings. The only exception I can think of is Arsenal.

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Possibly Spurs

Certainly not Birmingham , Leeds

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Originally Posted by alfie

I am also of mixed race and there has been a vast improvement from when i started watching city in the late sixties. Then you could count on one hand the non whites down there but it has slowly improved over the years. Maybe its because there are more non whites actually playing the game or just because times have changed. I have never really had any racism thrown at me following the city but i am speaking for myself. As i said,it has greatly improved over the years and long may it continue and maybe then we will see people of the Asian minority and other races.

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:thumbup::thumbup:

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Originally Posted by blue matt

:thumbup::thumbup:

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To be fair most racists are total cowards and saying something to someone like alfie wouldn't be a very wise move

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

White British is 80 percent

It's got 16 percent of its population from a non white background

That's very diverse

In fact unlike cities like Birmingham or Bradford whose ethnic minority populations are dominated by one of two racial groups , Cardiff has a mix of ethnic minority population from across the racial and cultural background . In many schools in Cardiff there are dozens and dozens of different languages being spoken .

That's very diverse . In fact the very definition of it .

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White British average for UK is also 81%

It’s a typical British city with an average level of diversity - no more and no less. Similar to Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield etc

Don’t get me wrong Cardiff has a good level of diversity (especially for Wales - jeez) but nothing like as deep rooted as Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester, Reading, London which have around 60% and you’d class as “very diverse” plus in those cities ethnicity is more spread throughout the city and not generally localised in a few neighbourhoods which bump up the stats

Anyway I’ve just Google “white British” far too much in the last few minutes, I’m going to stop before I get targeted by a load of far right materials across my social media

As someone who has been going 'down the City' for forty years, I would say that the make-up of the crowds attending games has changed. Crowds are older (generally speaking) than they used to be. There are far more women and girls at football than there used to be. And there are more black or Asian fans than there used to be. I agree that the figure for black/Asian fans is not as high as the 16% quoted elsewhere, but it is certainly higher. These things take time.

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Originally Posted by AfricanBluebird

This is an important thread.

As someone who comes from a mixed family with both Ugandans and Nigerians in my family, I can only share 'our' experiences. When I used take my son when he was a kid, I was quite consious that often he and my brother in law were two of a minority of black people attending games.

Now my son is in his kid twenties and lives a few doors down from the ground, he goes to games with his mates as I spend most of my time in Uganda and India. He has never experienced any racism at city and attends games regularly.

He plays for a football team in Grangetown which is almost exclusively black or Asian. He often asks his teammates to go along with him but there is still some resistance due to some perceived ideas that they wouldn't be welcome. Also these are working class boys who can't afford tickets. However, they all look out for and support city.

I do think the club could do a better job of engaging with minorities and encouraging them to attend games. My city, my shirt is a wonderful idea and the club scored an on goal with not engaging with that.

Cardiff has growing diversity and on a purely economic basis the club needs to tap into sections of our communities who love football so they feel more welcome at city.

On a positive note the CCFC foundation actually does a tremendous job I'm communities, many black and Asian... But the club needs to do more.

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Good post. And nice to read a first hand account of the situation.

I totally agree our club can and should be much better at engaging with the community. The recent trip to Liverpool really highlighted the difference between the 2 scouse teams and our own. You couldn’t throw a stone in the city centre without hitting a flag, scarf, poster, mural, shop selling club merchandise, etc for the 2 teams. In the area around Anfield I saw huge multi storey artworks for King Kenny, the CL winning team, Ex captains and on the way back I must’ve walked down one of the main routes to Goodison as there was a stretch of road lined with Everton flags.

Now obviously the 2 clubs are much much bigger than our own but the My City My Shirt debacle shows how uncaring our club seems. I have no doubt if the same artist was from Liverpool both the clubs there would be happy to have covered the costs and probably commissioned more art.

Considering how many millions we spend on players and wages it’s sad the club can’t set aside a few hundred thousand to fund or partially fund some engaging community projects.

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

No allegedly about it

Its ironic how white people tell us Cardiff City doesn't have a problem with racism

How the feck would you know ?

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But aren't you a white person telling us that Cardiff City does have a problem with racism. So how would you know ?

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

The trust tried

The club wasn't really interested


CCFC has never been any good at this sort of thing

It's not a community club really

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Hasn’t the club won football community awards in the past ? If so, someone must think it is.

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Originally Posted by dml1954

Hasn’t the club won football community awards in the past ? If so, someone must think it is.

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Probably awarded by another white person who wouldn’t have the first clue about racism.

You only have to look at the clubs response to the My City mural. Tone deaf.

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Originally Posted by dml1954

But aren't you a white person telling us that Cardiff City does have a problem with racism. So how would you know ?

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I usually support your never ending support of Cardiff City

Bit when it comes to community initiatives Cardiff City is stuck in the old fourth division I am afraid .

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Originally Posted by dml1954

Hasn’t the club won football community awards in the past ? If so, someone must think it is.

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That was regarding dealing with the naughty boys I believe

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

I usually support your never ending support of Cardiff City

Bit when it comes to community initiatives Cardiff City is stuck in the old fourth division I am afraid .

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I am afraid your wrong on this one sludge . we are very active within communities throughout south wales over the last few years

https://www.cardiffcityfcfoundation.org.uk/news

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Originally Posted by MOZZER2

I am afraid your wrong on this one sludge . we are very active within communities throughout south wales over the last few years

https://www.cardiffcityfcfoundation.org.uk/news

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Leathered Again :hehe:

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Originally Posted by MOZZER2

I am afraid your wrong on this one sludge . we are very active within communities throughout south wales over the last few years

https://www.cardiffcityfcfoundation.org.uk/news

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Oh come on, anything in recent ( lets say last 20 years ) doesn't count :hehe: