“Parked buses” and playing through pockets of space: navigating the challenge of access in researching elite footballers

Purpose Recruiting professional footballers presents a major methodological challenge in elite sports research, as elite football environments are often suspicious of “outsiders” and may perceive researchers as intrusive. This paper reflects on the difficulties encountered while researching elite West African footballers in Germany and examines the strategies adopted to gain access to and recruit participants within this hard-to-reach group. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a reflexive analysis of the author's fieldwork experience. It outlines recruitment strategies including attempts to work through formal gatekeepers, engagement with strategically positioned outsiders, snowball sampling and the use of alternative data sources to compensate for limited direct access. These experiences are situated within broader debates on positionality and structural inequalities that shape access to elite sport research sites. Findings Access to elite footballers was actively defended through gatekeeping, professional hierarchies and unequal power relations. Recruitment proved non-linear and negotiated, shaped by positionality and the political economy of elite sport. While formal approaches rarely secured entry, they exposed how authority and risk are managed. Access emerged through relational shifts, strategically placed outsiders and limited snowballing, highlighting its contingent and intersectional character. Originality/value The paper reconceptualizes access as relational, integrating positionality and intersectionality into elite sport research.