Strength In Diversity

Karan Rai, England

As England prepares for UEFA EURO 2024, we have teamed up with The FA to tell the stories of the nation's diverse fan base. From Lancashire to London, and Southampton to Sheffield, fans share their footballing story and what supporting England both home and away means to them.     

Karan Rai works to break the re-offending cycle within prisons and has a passion for building the South Asian community around the England team.

My name is Karan Rai. I am 29 years old and am British Punjabi! I grew up in Herefordshire in the West Midlands and moved to London to work within the Criminal Justice sector, specifically focusing on breaking cycles of re-offending within prisons.

Football means everything to me and it is all I ever think about because it has transformed my life in ways I could never have imagined. It brings me so much joy! I love the way it can bring communities together from all walks of life.

I also love the way football can widely transform towns and cities socially, economically and culturally when a team does well. It has allowed me to meet some amazing people and strengthen relationships with friends and family.

Under The Lights

I got into football properly at ten years old in the spring of 2006 when I watched my team Hereford United win promotion to the Football League through the Conference Play-Offs. I dreamed of becoming a professional footballer, though sadly I had two left feet! I would imagine representing my country at the highest level and would play in the garden for hours every day. 

I was desperate to go to an England game and visit Wembley and had the opportunity to go with my dad, uncle and friends to watch England beat Ukraine 2-1 in a World Cup Qualifier in 2009. I remember being in awe over seeing the Wembley arch lit up, the huge size of the stadium, and the unbelievable quality of players such as Beckham, Rooney and Lampard (and Peter Crouch doing his famous robot dance after opening the scoring too!). That experience is something I will never forget and was the catalyst for me to follow the national side everywhere.

It was the 2018 Russia World Cup where I got my first opportunity to go away with England. I had just finished my Master’s and had a free summer and was going to start my role in the Criminal Justice Sector that September (as you can see my dream of becoming a pro footballer didn’t work out!). I had no plans to go to Russia but I remember seeing on social media that some general sale tickets were still available. I decided to say yes to life, bought them and booked some flights to Moscow.

Following the Russia World Cup, I was addicted to following the England side, especially as it seemed that this squad had a lot of potential for success. I signed up to the England Supporters Travel Club (ESTC) straight away and started to build up my caps, going to most home and away games over the next few years. Following England has taken me to some amazing places. I have been to Bulgaria, San Marino, Andorra, the Czech Republic, Malta, Italy, Poland, Scotland, Portugal, and many other countries!

The build-up to the World Cup Semi-Final against Croatia had the most unique atmosphere I have ever felt at a football game. There was no real expectation going into this tournament, especially after we had been knocked out by Iceland in the Euros two years prior and to be so close to the World Cup Final since Italia 90, we could feel the gravity in the air. 

My initial plan was to only be out for the group stage. I had come back to England but flew back out for the semi-final without a ticket or return flight. I luckily found a Brazilian fan the day before the game who was selling his ticket! When Kieran Trippier scored the opener, I was lost in a sea of England fans and we totally lost it! We sadly lost the game in extra time and I was gutted. I remember feeling so much pride. It was nice to see that Gareth Southgate had changed the culture and it felt like the players were enjoying playing for the Three Lions. The England squad under Gareth have a real ability to unite the nation.

The most amazing experience I have had following England was the Euro 2020 tournament. It took place in 2021 after a difficult year facing Covid lockdowns, and with most of England’s games being played at Wembley, it effectively felt like a home tournament. 

My family and friends are not a part of the ESTC as they cannot get to away games, however many of them were able to attend this tournament through the general sale. It was nice to go to some of the games with them! The win over Germany was absolutely insane, I have never heard Wembley as loud as it was that day. After that game, it felt like we could go all the way. 

The win over Denmark was electric under the lights. Witnessing England make it into a major final felt so special and singing Sweet Caroline at full time with my family and the whole stadium felt like I was in a dream. Despite us losing on penalties to Italy in the final, the whole tournament often fills me with nostalgia. It was amazing to share those experiences with my dad and it will always hold a special place in my heart to have gone to those games with him. Those memories with your loved ones are always the ones that stay with you.

Off To Germany

I will go to Germany this summer for the EUROs and am ready to go where the wind (and the team!) send me from there. I have been selected by The FA to attend the ‘Football Remembrance Programme’. This is an event organised by the Diversity and Inclusion team at The FA alongside the Cultural Foundation of the German Football Association and the World Jewish Congress, where we will have a guided tour of the Bergen Belsen Memorial before laying a wreath there.

I will come back to England in between the second and third group games, but where I can, I will go back to Germany should we progress!

Connection And Community 

Following England is beautiful. I get to shut away from the world for at least 90 minutes. and visit some of the most impressive stadiums in the world.

I was always mesmerised by the different flags people had at games. I would see people put their hometown name and club that they support on their England flag and I found that cool as I had come across fans that followed clubs in Hereford’s league. It was a great way to start a conversation and meet people. 

I have also seen flags representing different England fan groups like Three Lions Pride and Love Football Hate Racism. Hereford is not a very ethnically diverse city, so I have not been able to connect with or meet with many fellow Punjabi people or other ethnic minorities at Hereford games. 

Being from a minority group, I know that going to football games can be quite intimidating and wanted to connect with fans who were also passionate about making the game more inclusive for everyone. I became a Youth Ambassador volunteer with the anti-racism in football charity Kick It Out whilst at university. I remember this opening my eyes to the amazing workloads of different fan groups are doing across the country. 

Through Kick It Out I came across the Football Supporter’s Association Fans for Diversity Campaign which was run by Anwar Uddin. Anwar is a former professional footballer and was the first Bangladeshi to play professional football in England. What was also amazing was that I found out he played for Hereford too! 

I felt quite inspired, especially hearing that Hereford had a South Asian player play for them and the things he had achieved in the game. Anwar and the Fans for Diversity campaign have helped support loads of different fan groups and I came across so many different groups that focused on getting Punjabi and South Asian supporters together to follow their club sides. There are groups like the Punjabi Villans, Punjabi Rams, Apna Albion and many others that create a safe space for Punjabi/South Asian supporters. Some of these groups have hundreds of members. I loved this aspect of the game and being able to meet and connect with people doing incredible work! I wanted to get involved in this and decided I would set up the ‘Punjabi Bulls’ (Hereford’s nickname is ‘The Bulls’) as a bit of a joke, as I was basically the only Punjabi fan going to games. 

I remember in 2021 seeing on Sky Sports that a new fan-led group had been set up called ‘Apna England’ which translates to ‘Our England’. This was a group of different South Asian football fan groups coming together to create an umbrella group for the England national team. I desperately wanted to be part of it as it sounded right up my street. 

Apna England aims to connect more South Asian fans to the England national team. Over Covid we would do Zoom meet-ups before England games. We have done pre-match mixed grills, live screenings together, events celebrating International Women’s Day, and have even had England's most capped player Fara Williams turn out for the Apna England Lionesses on an unforgettable day at the inaugural women-only Copa Del CL tournament at St George's Park in aid of Cure Leukaemia.

Before the Euro 2020 tournament, I decided to get a flag made with ‘Hereford’, ‘Apna England’ and ‘Punjabi Bulls on Tour’ on it and take it to all Hereford and England games. Even though I made it as a bit of a joke, I do hope there are maybe people from minority groups that spot it and feel that they are also welcome at games which will encourage them to start their own fan groups. 

I would have loved to have seen something like that at a game when I was younger. It would have made me feel more welcome and I hope that I can provide that to others. I get a photo of the flag at all games I go to home and away with England and a lot of Hereford fans chat to me at games, as they tell me they had come across it on socials and that has been a great way for me to connect with fellow Hereford fans too.

Homegrown Legacy

My favourite current England player is Jarrod Bowen. Jarrod is from Herefordshire and came through the ranks at Hereford United. As a 16-year-old, he broke into the first team and played an influential role in keeping Hereford in the Conference in 2014. Sadly Hereford United folded and Jarrod had to move on. He went on to Hull City and is now flourishing at West Ham and it has been amazing seeing his career trajectory from non-league football to the England squad. He is well loved by Hereford fans and his uncle Ben is our groundsman! It was quite emotional seeing him make his England debut and I hope he can get into the Euros squad and help England lift the trophy in July - we would probably see a statue of him built outside Hereford’s ground!

My favourite England player of all time has to be Bobby Moore. Bobby has achieved sporting immortality by winning the World Cup for England and I love the aura and elegance he had about him and the way he played. When I was a kid I played as a central defender and would pretend I was Bobby Moore and would want to play like him. I have loved reading about his life and he is always described ‘as an absolute gentleman’ and one of the most solid defenders to have ever played the game. I remember seeing footage of him wiping his hands on his shorts to clean them before shaking the Queen’s hand and being given the trophy. There are two photos I love of him, the first is of him lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy as he sits on the shoulders of his teammates after the 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley. The second is a photo of him exchanging shirts with Pele and the camaraderie they have in the photo is lovely to see! He is a legendary figure and I wish I had seen him play.

Shared Experiences 

I love travelling to away games with England! The tournaments are fun, however I get equal enjoyment out of going to new countries I probably would not have ever visited before, and exploring and experiencing new cultures. I could travel solo to an England game and come back making a few friends easily. England fans are incredibly friendly and will look out for you. 

I remember on one of the nights I was in Russia, I was eating dinner on my own in a restaurant and a nice group of England fans eating near me invited me to eat with them at their table. I have also just sat randomly in an airport or at a train next to an England fan and we then end up following each other on socials and catching up for a beer at the next England away game. It is an amazing experience and you can easily make friends for life doing this. 

It is also fun hearing about the different journeys people take to get to an away game as people will take any means necessary to get there. Whether it is hitchhiking, getting a boat, a long megabus or a crazy layover in a random country, the stories are endless! 

British, English, And Punjabi

I have a unique experience following Hereford and England as an ethnic minority. There are very few other ethnic minorities that follow Hereford and England away as it is mainly a white demographic. Racism has been something I have experienced before and these environments can be a bit of an intimidating space, especially when people get drunk.  

Despite this, there are more good people out there than bad though, I know and have met so many unbelievably kind and brilliant people in the game. It would however be a lie to say that I have not experienced racism before in football and a lot more needs to be done on a wider societal level if we are to see change happen.

Supporting England is important to me as I see it as a responsibility. I feel there is a complicated relationship between many ethnic minority fans and the England national team. My parents and grandparents were fearful of watching England because hooliganism and racism from the National Front and the far right in the 70s and 80s was terrifying and rife. Racism was often associated with football, so football in general was quite a scary environment. 

Things have become remarkably better though. You can go to any Premier League ground now and it will be a diverse crowd and team. However, I still feel that a complicated relationship exists between the South Asian community and being an England fan. 

Many South Asian people have been made to feel that they will never be ‘British’ or ‘English’ so they do not really feel any connection with the national side. Gareth Southgate has enabled and created a stronger relationship between the team and minority fans. 

The South Asian community and all minorities deserve to feel like they can be part of the England team as this is our country too. I want people to feel proud about the South Asian community’s contribution to public life in all areas of society in this country and I think football is an amazing tool we can use to improve that relationship and celebrate our culture within this space. 

I go to games because I want to encourage more South Asian fans to come along because I know if more people come, then things will change for the better. If anything, I have felt even more connected to Punjabi culture through the England team because of Apna England and meeting amazing Punjabi people through this group! 

Diversity is one of our biggest strengths and we should be proud of who we are and where we come from. This should not stop us from being able to participate in the Beautiful Game and following our national team.