ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates British Asian female footballers (BAFF) and cultural pressures. It examines racial coping mechanisms and femininity and masculinity in a bid to understand how, and to what extent, different social identities are performed within football. The chapter explores the experiences of Muslim female footballers in particular. Football is embedded within Britain's national culture. At participation level, Lusted notes that 12 million people in England are actively involved in the local game. At spectator level, it is by far the most popular sport. In June 2006, 82 per cent of UK television viewers tuned in to watch Portugal defeat England in the World Cup quarter-finals. British Asian females in football, their identities are not necessarily confined to their race/ethnicity or gender but to various extents, intersect with other social demarcations. Identities are now theorised as being fluid as we can posses hybrid and multi-sectional identities.
