In April, we hosted our first Talent ID level 2 course at Wembley Stadium for South Asians in football looking to make their first steps on their Talent ID scouting journey.
The two-day course was delivered by senior coaching lecturers Ed Cope and Martin Harrison, with participants learning the fundamentals of Talent ID including the characteristics that make an effective scout, scouting biases, personal strengths and building a career within the industry.
Participants were also joined by full time Newcastle United scout Abdul Habib who took part in a Q&A, sharing an insight into his scouting journey, and role as a full-time scout.
The course forms part of our new three-year South Asians in Football plan, ‘Build, Connect, Support’, which aims to ensure that South Asian communities across the country have an increased awareness of – and access to – opportunities within our game.
The cohort of 36 learners came from all areas of grassroots football and the professional game, with the course designed to develop skills and open more opportunities in the world of Talent ID. Participants were awarded their Talent ID level 2 qualification upon completion.
The FA’s Diversity Inclusion Manager, Anwar Uddin MBE, said: “Increasing representation at all levels of the game is a key part of our EDI strategy, ‘A Game Free From Discrimination’. This course empowers individuals from under-represented communities to explore a career in Talent ID, equipping them with skills to support the grassroots football community and help discover future professional players. This qualification provides a strong foundation for a career in Talent ID, and we are excited to see where it takes them.”
Newcastle United FC scout Abdul Habib said: “It's brilliant to see The FA implementing positive interventions to help improve the under representation of South Asians in football. They have recognised and addressed that tailored support is required to meet the needs of these individuals, by delivering these courses which are helping break down historical barriers and equipping the next generation of South Asians scouts. It also provides them access to the resources and knowledge and helps them along their journey which will increase their chances to get into full-time football.”
First team coach / analyst at Punjab United, and course participant, Jindi Banwait said: “The content and tuition group were first class and I learned so much. It was engaging from start to finish, and the thought of combining Talent ID understanding and knowledge to my existing coaching experience will benefit both myself and my community club. The guest speakers that were involved over the two days gave me a genuine insight into positions at the very top of English football which I absolutely loved.”
This was the first in a series of three courses which will be hosted across the country in 2025. Our next course will be held on 19-20 June at St George’s Park.
