Non-League Day 2018: Driving diversity, tireless managers… and free gingerbread for fans

Anwar Uddin pushed himself as a player to make it in the game and was determined to change how people viewed British Asians as footballers.

He went on to become the first British Asian to captain a side in English football’s top four divisions.

And now, years after hanging up his boots, he is still energetically at it.

He runs the Fans for Diversity campaign – a joint Football Supporters’ Trust and Kick It Out initiative – and manages Glebe in the Southern Counties East Football League.

A typical week for the 36-year-old started with a meeting at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday, working with Charlton Athletic on Tuesday before seeing his side lose 2-1 at Corinthians, then on Wednesday he was at Bournemouth followed by a meeting on Thursday at Wembley with the Football Association before overseeing training at Glebe.

On Non-League Day he takes his side to Fisher.

“As a player I had to work hard to reach the top. I literally had to for reasons that I’m really not happy about,” Uddin told BBC Sport. “This is all me. People may look at it as a hobby and job, but this is all part of my pro life – all part of me.

“I had a unique experience growing up, some of the things I’ve seen, heard and witnessed is why I’m doing the job I am now.”

Uddin also became, and remains, the only British Asian to hold a coaching position in the English Football League, having previously been assistant manager at Barnet.

He has also worked with West Ham’s academy in the past and talks about a potential full-time career in management – but he has too much unfinished business to attend to.

“Because I’m passionate about equality and inclusion I chose not to go down that route because I saw that I’ve got more to offer the game on the governance side,” he said.

“If you choose to coach and want to do it properly, you have to be invested in the role. If I did that I thought I’d regret not trying to have an impact on the other side of the game.”