'From the announcement of the starting line up, to our incredible five penalty takers, you can’t deny that migration is a success story for our mostly loved (and sometimes loathed) national sport.'
Ahead of England’s final against Spain, an advert that encourages England football fans to imagine what the team would look like without immigration is being widely circulated online.
The campaign, created for the Migration Museum in London, is designed to challenge anti-immigration sentiments by showing the vital contributions players from migrant backgrounds bring to the England team.
The Migration Museum stages events, campaigns, exhibitions, and learning programmes, focused on how the movement of people to and from the UK has shaped individuals, communities, and the nation.
Highlighting the impact immigration has on the England team, the campaign reveals that 15 of the 26-man team could have played for other countries due to their parents’ or grandparents’ nationalities, or because they were born outside of the UK.
The poster reveals only Jordan Pickford, John Stones, and Phil Foden remain in the squad’s starting 11. Top young talent including Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, and Bukayo Saka, along with seasoned players like Harry Kane, could play for other nations. Kane, whose father is from Galway, could have potentially played in an Irish jersey. Similarly, Declan Rice’s grandparents were from Douglas, County Cork, and Kyle Walker is of Jamaican heritage through his father.
Immigration remains a polarising issue in Britain. Matthew Plowright, director of communications and engagement at the Migration Museum emphasised the unifying benefits of immigration.
“Migration is often seen as a divisive issue, but in reality it’s a story that connects us all. As our campaign has shown, almost all of England’s men’s Euros squad have migrant heritage – whether born abroad themselves, or as the children or grandchildren of immigrants.
“And if you peel back the layers of any of the players’ family histories further, you will likely find migration stories. It’s time to put migration at the heart of our national story – and with tens of millions of us watching the Euros this summer, where better to start than with football.”
The creative agency, Wonderhood Studios, designed the poster. Creative directors Jack Croft and Stacey Bird stated that the goal was to encourage England fans to view migration positively by considering its impact on the England team. “From the announcement of the starting line up, to our incredible five penalty takers, you can’t deny that migration is a success story for our mostly loved (and sometimes loathed) national sport,” they said.
The advert sparked extensive discussion online. One comment read: “Immigration is BEAUTIFUL. Without it, the England Team would not exist. As we celebrate their incredible success, we’re reminded how vital diversity and immigration are to teamwork and community.”
Another commented: “I have to laugh when I see some right-wingers wearing an England football shirt.”
“Dear Reform Party, Yaxley Lennon, and hard right Tories… without immigration England wouldn’t be in the final.”
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
Image credit: Migration Museum X screen grab
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