‘Little Punjab’ roots for UK club aiming for football glory

Ashis Ray

London, February 17

On Saturday, Southall Football Club probably plays one of its biggest matches in 80 years. It takes on Cleethorpes Town, one division above them, in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase, a semi-professional tourney. A small group of soccer enthusiasts in the catchment area known as “Little Punjab” are expected to troop to the game to support their side. Victory in the tie could be a turning point in the club’s fortunes.

Football is to Britain what cricket is to India. It’s the country’s number one sport and a national obsession. An overwhelming section of the majority white and minority black communities is seized with soccer. By comparison, people of Indian descent are differently oriented. Their primary interest has been cricket. Only one person with an Indian link — Neil Taylor (his mother is a Bengali from Kolkata), who plays for Wales — has ever played for a national side in the UK.  In contrast, a number of cricketers of Indian extraction — from Raman Subba Row to Nasser Hussain to Monty Panesar — have played for England and continue to do so.

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But times are changing. In the heart of the Punjabi community in west London, the younger generation is being ensnared by the glamour and glitz of football. It is little known that Southall FC — at the heart of the Punjabi community in a suburb of London — is one of the oldest soccer clubs in Britain, founded in 1871. Indeed, it figured in the FA Cup — the world’s oldest knockout competition — as far back as 1873-74. It reached the third round of this tournament in 1935-36. Other than this, though, its record is nothing to write home about.

In 2010, Chana Singh Gill, a local Sikh businessman, acquired the club. Seven years down the road, it is beginning to show promise of a better future. It is in a semi-professional category today. It dreams of one day entering the professional league.

“Our target is to qualify for at least the conference league, which is just below professional level in 10 years. Next season we move to a stadium closer to Southall; this should increase our membership and support,” says Sanjeev Sharma, who is popular local Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma’s son.

His son played for the club before going away to university in the US. At present, though, there isn’t a single Indian origin player in the club’s first team. Sharma explains: “We hold junior camps every Saturday, which is attended by lots of Punjabi-origin five to 16-year-old kids.” He hopes talent will emerge from such sessions. “There’s no doubt,” he says, “interest in football among Indian children is on the rise.”

He, however, points out a cultural shortcoming. “Whereas English parents stay on to watch and encourage children at the camps, Punjabi parents utilise the time for shopping.” In other words, football is not yet in the blood of the older generation, despite Jarnail Singh and Inder Singh, among others, being legendary figures in India football. In England, Punjabis draw inspiration from Michael Chopra, who played for Sunderland in the topmost Premier League, and Yan Dhanda, who is in the Liverpool squad in the same championship.

In cricket, only a player who makes the England XI can earn seven-figure salaries. A premier league footballer, on the other hand, is a multi-millionaire from the moment he makes this grade.

Southall FC’s challenge is to create new sources of revenue to pay higher match fee, entice better footballers and thereby move up the ladder. The appointment of Paul Palmer as manager this season was a first step. He’s already brought in high standard players, including the latest signing, Rowan Vine, who has played professional football for Brentford and Queen’s Park Rangers.

Chana and Sharma are exploring greater radio and TV coverage of matches, which in turn can attract sponsors.