Using the power of football for positive social change in Bristol

Sharifa James is a well-known face in Bristol football. The retail worker from Easton plays for Bristol and West Ladies Football Club in the Gloucestershire County Women’s League.

Yet, it is her time playing small sided games and coaching at Easton Cowgirls that has shaped her attitude.

The club, a sister offshoot of the men’s team The Cowboys, which has its social base at The Plough pub in Easton, is not your average football club. It has made a conscious commitment to using football as a tool to combat social and political issues, such as racism and homophobia.

Sharifa, a black woman from the LGBT+ community, is able to offer a unique insight into whether the sport, loved by so many who grew up playing, is finally growing up itself.

There is an increased focus on women’s football in the media, ‘Kick it Out’ have led fan campaigns to combat racism and we have recently seen the Rainbow Laces initiative in support of the LGBT+ community.

Yet, despite this, there have been recent accounts of racism in stadiums, including at Bristol Rovers, the way the FA dealt with the Eniola Aluko complaints was alarming; and there is still no openly gay male footballer in professional football in this country.

So is football really changing or is this all just window dressing?

“In terms of women’s football, there is more coverage, which is great,” says Sharifa. “But there are still issues as to how we are represented in the media.

“Being conventionally feminine and playing football sells and people buy into that. The advertising or promotion of the women’s game disproportionately focuses in on these type of ladies.”

“Media pressure focusses on men being men and women being women. A woman shouldn’t have short hair, look androgynous, or have a more masculine persona.”

If image is still an issue, what about attitudes towards sexual orientation?

“For the first time they are attempting to change attitudes,” says Shafira. “It’s clear that football is an inherently homophobic, transphobic, and bi-phobic sport, more so than most.

“I was lucky enough to be part of the Rainbow Laces campaign by Stonewall recently, where we had lots of big professional clubs showing support for the LGBT+ community by wearing rainbow-coloured laces and hanging Pride flags at their grounds in solidarity. It was really positive and encouraging.”

Both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City changed their Twitter profile photos to a rainbow backdrop in support of the cause during the week.

But the need for diverse role models remains a key issue.

“I’ve played since I was eight,” says Shafira. “I am from a football mad family. My brothers played at a decent level where we grew up in Wiltshire, and my mum was a referee, so it felt natural. It’s tougher for girls who don’t have such role models, which is why it’s important how we represent women in sport media – it has impact.”

Change often happens at a grassroots level and then filters up – and some local clubs, such as the inclusive, gay-friendly Bristol Panthers and Bristol Bisons rugby team, are leading the way.

The Women’s Football Casual league has played a key role in supporting entry level players from the LGBT+ community.

Sharifa would also like to see more women get into coaching. “I coached for 15 years, male and females,” she says. “Being inclusive was at the heart of all this, making everyone feel involved and included. I guess we need more coaches like me to show that there is a way for those like me.”

Aside from sport, she has pioneered a new organisation, Kiki, which is an LGBT and People of Colour (POC) social club, offering support and gathering for potentially isolated black and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals.

The power of sport for social change is something Sharifa fully understands. “Football is my life, without it I wouldn’t be me,” she says.

“It’s given me a great group of friends, physical and mental strength, self-belief and a broader spectrum on the world. I feel empowered playing the game with a group of kick-ass strong women.”

“It’s an incredibly powerful tool that can literally change lives. I want this for everyone – others just like me. It belongs to us all and I will keep pushing for it to be so. We will get there.”

Read more: Bristol’s Doorstep Sport returns to the small screen