Manisha Tailor brings the film ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ to reality

Joanne Roque
@JoanneSilva10

(left) Rachel Yankey and Manisha Tailor (right)

Manisha Tailor, winner of the Women in Football Asian Football Award, has a back story that might come from the film Bend it Like Beckham.

Like Jess in the film Tailor comes from an Asian family, and in the 80s the majority of the community didn’t accept women playing sport. However her parents allowed her to play football as long as it was in school grounds. And when an opportunity to play football at Barnet Academy came up Tailor had to reject and couldn’t take it further due to the cultural barriers she faced.

“I am proud of my traditions and roots but it is very hard for Asian females.”

She explained: “With Barnet it would’ve meant playing outside school, and at that time Asian women didn’t play football because it was seen to be a boys game. Mum was worried about what people would say as the family were already calling me a Tom boy and it just wasn’t socially acceptable.”

When the 33 year-old went to Secondary school she faced another barrier, there wasn’t any girls teams, so she used to play with the boys during breaks, “Girls used to ask me how I could play in a skirt but for me it was normal I wasn’t interested in gossiping, once the boys saw me play I was immediately accepted it was great.”

“Fortunately I have been well supported by both men and women within the game which is what is aiding my professional development,”

Tailor, a qualified teacher with an MA in Leadership, became the first British Asian female to hold a scouting position at Brentford FC. She also coached Gibbons Wreckers FC in Harlesden, and has shown strength in the face of personal adversity to build a career within the game.

Yet, her journey to get into the game took a turn when her real inspiration in her life her twin brother, became ill developing mental health problems and needed care, she stopped playing football in order to care for him, but her brother encouraged her to continue with her dreams.

“First and foremost my love for the game came from my twin brother, that’s all we ever did,” Tailor said. “Even at school that’s all we wanted to do, we weren’t interested in studying or anything else. We were inseparable, people used to say we were joined at the hip.”

“When we were 18 unfortunately he became depressed.

“He became so isolated, so withdrawn and so within himself, to the extent where he eventually stopped speaking and sadly 15 years on he has not recovered.

“Initially I turned my back on the game because there was a void. I didn’t want any positive reminders.”

While working on a football education project in North London in 2006, she encountered England and Arsenal’s Women’s midfielder Rachel Yankey MBE.

Yankey, who has made more appearances in an England shirt than any other person in history, encouraged the qualified head teacher to pursue formal coaching qualifications.

The pair have worked together ever since and were recently filmed showcasing their latest project – the Elite Athlete Experience Day – by the BBC 2 for the Women’s Football Show.

It’s this relationship that Tailor says has evolved over time and she hailed the midfielder for giving her the ‘belief’ she needed to pursue a career in the game.

“I slowly came back into the game through my work with Rachel,” Tailor said “She made me believe I can have a career in football and that I could translate the skills I have acquired through teaching into the game.”

“To have somebody like her, someone who is humble, takes pride in what she does, and has really strong moral values and beliefs – I couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Rachel knows all about my situation and has been very supportive.”

”I started using football as a vehicle to help my twin’s recovery but now I have realised that it has helped me deal with my emotions because I have never spoken to anyone about how I feel,” Tailor added.

“I found a release and I found that through football. Football has given me a reason to start smiling again.

“Rachel’s given me hope and restored a lot of faith and trust within me that I lost when my brother fell ill.

“If it wasn’t for my brother I wouldn’t be involved in the game and if it wasn’t for Rachel I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.”

For years after she first stated running her group for girls to play football, Tailor has grown into an inspirational figure for girls and their families of every culture.

She explained: “I started teaching at my first school and noticed their were no after school clubs, it was a Hindu faith school, so you would normally never play football, But I started a boys team and then a girls team at lunchtime and after school.”

That sounds all easy but in the culture that still rules in some Asian families it isn’t easy for girls who want to play sport. She has put time and effort into breaking those barriers and changing ideas.

“When I started doing the girl’s football, some weren’t permitted to come, even though it was in a sports hall.

“We had to break down a lot of barriers. I would go and meet the parents, and tell them there was nothing wrong with and it was very hard.”

The participation of women in sport at all levels is marked by division and discrimination that is reinforced by negative gender stereotypes. Strict gender segregation marks all levels of sport and elite, professional sport remains the unquestioned domain of men.

“There have been challenges in terms of being persistent with applying for roles, not getting replies, being told I don’t match the specification, but I cant say this is due to me being female.  It does test your strength in character and I am learning being passionate and driven is key in achieving your goals.”

“The women’s game has definitely moved forward and progressed which is evident through the structure of the women's super league and the amount of media coverage it receives.  BT Sport showing women's football on TV is a great thing.

“And although women footballers are professionals within their own right, lack of funding prevents them from leading the 'pro' title, with many of them having to field other jobs in addition to playing, which I think is a real shame and a challenge that they face in comparison to the men's game.  

“I was coaching a session for Middlesex PDS recently and a player said to me ‘Manisha I saw you in the newspaper with Rachel Yankey’.  It was following an education project launched by Rachel titled 'Elite Athlete Experience Day'.  She went on to say 'Everyone knows Rachel Yankey, she plays for Arsenal and she's amazing’.  

This comment really made me smile and shows how important such role models are to young girls participating in football.”