It is not Black and White: A comparison of skin tone by playing position in the Premier League and English football

John P. Mills, Charles Ing, Tom Markham, Fergus Guppy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Within the present manuscript we explore the role of skin tone on playing position within English football’s top four professional leagues. Player data (N = 4515) was collected across five seasons (2010–2015). Results indicate that in general, darker skin toned players are more likely to operate within peripheral rather than central positions. Using both one- and two-way ANOVAs, results suggest significant differences between skin tone and individual playing positions. Between league differences were, however, non-significant. Although darker skin toned players are still more likely to occupy peripheral positions, the situation is more nuanced than first thought. Instead of segregating players by central versus peripheral roles, it appears that darker skin toned players occupy positions associated with athleticism and strength. In contrast, lighter skin toned players appear to fulfil positions requiring organizational skills and creativity.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)398-404
JournalInternational Journal of Sports Science and Coaching
Volume13
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

John P. Mills, Charles Ing, Tom Markham, Fergus Guppy, Examining the influence of skin tone on playing position in the Premier and English Football Leagues, JInternational Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. © The Author(s) 2018. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.

Keywords

  • Racial stacking
  • Racial Stereotypes
  • Racial Stratification
  • Soccer
  • Positional Segregation

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