Connecting Through Football

James Siow, England

England Football and Goal Click have teamed up to create a powerful storytelling series spotlighting how grassroots clubs across England bring The FA’s five pillars of Respect the Standard to life. Nine clubs throughout the country have shared the behaviour-focused initiatives they take to promote positive change.

Originally from Australia, James Siow lives in London and plays for Hammersmith FC. He shares how his club maintains its high player retention rate through the promotion of positive behaviour and player welfare.

My name is James Siow, and I am 27 years old. I live in London but am originally from Melbourne, Australia. I work for Chelsea Football Club, creating and publishing content.

I have played football since I was six, when my dad introduced me to the beautiful game. He grew up in Malaysia, where the Premier League is extremely popular. As a child, he would listen to games on the radio, check scores in the newspaper, and collect football cards. Football is Australia's most popular sport, despite not being the number one sport culturally.

Migrants from Europe and Asia leaned on football to connect as they felt like 'outsiders.’ Growing up, I related to my dad through this and became football-obsessed because of him. It inspired me to move to the UK and chase my dreams of working for a big football club.

I played for my local football club in Australia and followed football from all over the world. My football journey included academy training and weekly sessions in my early years, leading to several seasons of semi-professional football in my early twenties with Springvale White Eagles, Malvern City, Brandon Park, and Nunawading City, to name a few. Now, I play for Hammersmith FC in London.

During lockdown, my love for football culture, photography and film grew as I sought out more football content and learned photography while unable to play. To understand football culture is to understand people because of what drives them to connect to the game - art, food, politics, fandom.

On And Off The Pitch

Hammersmith FC is a grassroots club in West London that earned back-to-back promotions and titles after being established in 2020. The founders uphold high standards on the pitch and promote an inclusive and fun environment off of it. The women’s team has also found success playing in the 2024 FA Cup.

The club aims to set an example for the wider grassroots community by interacting with other teams and individuals with respect when securing pitches, organising referees and more.

Hammersmith FC stands out for treating everyone equally and celebrating diversity and respect, which inspired me to join after moving from Australia. The club has players from all over the world, and the player retention rate is extremely high. This is a result of creating an environment that supports interactions between players from both the men’s and women’s teams. This includes social events, game nights, team meetings, and player introductions.

Reflecting Values

Hammersmith FC's values are inclusive, respectful, uplifting and disciplined. These values are reflected by teammates and coaches, who ensure every individual has a voice to raise concerns and genuinely support players' well-being, especially those not in the right mindset to play.

Leaders within the club make an effort to keep in touch with players who look disappointed after training or matches, as well as players who may become unhappy. It can be easy to become frustrated when things go wrong, so the club places leaders with good temperaments and strong communication skills in key positions.

While the club has a history of positive behaviour off the pitch, it has worked hard to apply the same standards on the pitch, especially during heated moments. Recent discipline and behaviour management guidelines ensure that players know what is expected of them when conflict arises. The club does not tolerate any behaviour that puts the safety of others in jeopardy or causes significant physical or mental harm.

We promote positive behaviour by ensuring everyone is respectful and inclusive during matchday and non-matchday activities. This includes pre-season meetings where players are briefed on our Code of Conduct and sportsmanship, as well as regular meetings between team leaders to address any behaviour issues.

The Code of Conduct outlines the expectations of each player, including looking after the pitch, respecting the opposition and officials, and looking out for our teammates.

Behaviour issues have arisen when a player loses control of their temper. Leaders and coaches have been empowered to defuse the situation and chat with those affected about how they feel. Disciplinary action is then appropriately actioned while ensuring that the player is understood and emotionally looked after.

Our team captains and managers drive positive behaviour initiatives by setting and managing expectations through club communications and training sessions. This may involve speaking to a player individually or addressing the entire club.

Grassroots football plays a vital role in West London, uniting people from diverse backgrounds and teaching young individuals life skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and conflict management.