Sikh owners, Sikh manager - what Morecambe takeover means to community

When Morecambe's takeover by Panjab Warriors was finalised this week, they became nan first master shot nine successful England to beryllium owned by Sikh investors.

Then, erstwhile 30-year-old Ashvir Singh Johal was hired successful spot of erstwhile head Derek Adams, he became nan first Sikh leader of a master British club.

With astir half a cardinal Sikhs successful nan UK, and a further 25 to 30 cardinal astir nan world, galore eyes are now turning to a mini seaside municipality successful nan north-west of England.

BBC Sport said to Panjab Warriors, Sikhs successful football, and an master to research what these breakthroughs mean to a organization that has typically been underrepresented successful British football.

The hint is successful nan sanction - Panjab Warriors are keen to put their personality astatine nan forefront of their activity astatine National League nine Morecambe. When they gave their first question and reply arsenic owners to nan BBC this week, nan group made clear that they consciousness nan ideals of Sikhism lend themselves to affirmative ownership successful football.

"Punjab, nan onshore of 5 rivers, is our autochthonal land," said Gurpreet Singh, nan group's caput of communications. "For us, our heritage, our civilization and our religion are our halfway principles. They make america who we are.

"And it is these principles – discipline, trustfulness, compassion - that we want to bring to Morecambe."

Morecambe main executive Ropinder Singh said: "There is nary amended matrimony than Punjab and football.

"The doors are unfastened for everybody. The thought is that we want to alteration nan communicative that shot ownership is an unethical process."

The group members declare they will beryllium capable to bring pinch them fans from crossed nan state and astir nan world from nan Sikh diaspora who stock those values.

"People backmost location successful Punjab will beryllium very proud of nan truth that Sikhs are moving a nine here," said Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, professor of Sikh studies astatine nan University of Birmingham.

"I deliberation Sikhs successful America, Canada, etc, will beryllium watching closely. And those successful nan UK, moreover if they mightiness beryllium fans of Liverpool aliases Manchester United, will besides beryllium rooting for Morecambe.

"I deliberation Panjab Warriors will beryllium held to relationship by nan community, who will beryllium watching and thinking, 'how are they starring this club? Are they really surviving up to nan values and Sikh traditions?'"

Practising Sikh men often make their religion visible by wearing nan turban and increasing retired their beards. The believe of keeping uncut facial hair, arsenic members of nan caller ownership group do, is simply a awesome of respect for God's creation.

The clear practice of Sikhs moving a master English club, pinch a Sikh head successful nan dugout, is simply a root of inspiration for immoderate successful nan wider community.

"The personality is significant," said Preetam Singh, who founded Stretford Sikhs - Manchester United's first charismatic Sikh supporters' club. It was formed past play pinch nan extremity of creating a safe abstraction for Sikh fans.

"Ashvir [Johal] wears a patka [head covering] and has a dadhi [beard], truthful nan clear image of a Sikh is now retired location connected a large stage. People notice, they inquire questions, they learn. Even his sanction and quality unsocial tin spark knowing - and that's going to person a monolithic impact."

The first awesome activity of Sikh migration to nan UK began successful nan 1950s, aft World War Two.

"When nan first procreation of Sikhs, our parents and grandparents came, their main extremity was to work, gain a coagulated surviving and get settled wrong nan UK," Jhutti-Johal explained. "They wanted their children to beryllium successful professions for illustration medicine and rule that would supply them pinch a livelihood and let them to amended themselves.

"Up until nan early 2000s, not galore Sikhs really engaged pinch football. They were fans, yes, but we didn't spot them entering into shot professions arsenic players, referees aliases different things.

"However, that 2nd and 3rd procreation has grown up and had children, and now if we person talented footballers aliases artists, we promote them to do good successful those professions and let them to thrive, and that past increases nan visibility of nan Sikh community."

Somebody who has already played a domiciled successful expanding Sikh visibility is Jarnail Singh, nan first turban-wearing referee successful English convention football, who received a life accomplishment grant astatine nan Asian Football Awards successful 2012.

"For nan South Asian community, and particularly nan Sikh community, I deliberation it's perfectly superb wherever we really person surgery nan solid ceiling successful position of going into management," Singh said successful consequence to Johal's hiring.

"When astir Asians locomotion on nan street, you can't opportunity 100% they are Sikhs. But wearing nan patka and nan turban, it's a motion and saying to everybody, 'yes, I americium a proud Sikh'. All I tin do is wish him each nan champion connected behalf of myself, nan family and nan Sikh organization retired there.

"It conscionable gives everybody nan thrust to cognize that 1 of our Sikhs has reached nan pinnacle arsenic a manager, and he'll beryllium a awesome domiciled exemplary for everybody to travel and opportunity 'don't fto nan colour of your tegument aliases your belief aliases really you look extremity you from doing what you want to do'."

Johal whitethorn not person group retired to break down barriers, but his assignment sets an illustration to Sikhs, South Asians and different underrepresented groups successful British shot that they tin play a important role.

"At nan moment, Ash has sewage a occupation to do," said his begetter Kulvinder. "He's not purposely gone retired to beryllium a domiciled model. He is chasing his dream to beryllium a coach.

"This is different milestone successful a profession that began erstwhile he was 15, 16 years old. He has nan determination to get to wherever he wants. It's besides his resilience, his focus.

"Ash is simply a very intelligence individual. He could person been thing successful this world and he would person made it a success. He chose coaching. And I deliberation successful a fewer years' clip he will beryllium astatine nan pinnacle of wherever he wants to be.

"If on nan measurement he happens to go a domiciled exemplary for different group successful nan community, if this allows others to pursuit their dreams, past that tin only beryllium a bully point for nan UK arsenic a whole."