Written by Delroy Alexander-Ssf
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Page 1 Enter search term WRITTEN BY DELROY ALEXANDER-SSF COMMENT FOOTBALL NEEDS MORE BLACK MANAGERS BY DELROY ALEXandER I know I am in trouble when the core of my argument I’d be in favour of supports theories agreed by Prime Minister David coaching quotas to Cameron and his Cabinet compatriot Nick Clegg. start almost immediately. There is nothing to stop clubs They both have suggested it is time to tackle the instituting a two out of every eight coach system where need for more black managers in the English people of colour must be employed. professional game. I’d force clubs that currently don’t have any black That said, I have a sneaking belief that PFA chief coaches to hire people of colour when they need Gordon Taylor might support the idea of racially- replacements. There is a large pool of great former motivated football management quotas, given that he players to pick from. and others have also said more black managers should I’d push for opportunities at first team level. More black be commanding sidelines on a Saturday afternoon. coaches than I can count have been frustrated out of If you find yourself asking, why now, perhaps you clubs because they never got the chance to progress should be asking, why not decades ago, when folk beyond Academy level. around the world were addressing the idea of quotas to As for management opportunities, I’d insist on address racial indifference to change. employing the American Football model. That within We should not waste another second on those pseudo five years, a minimum of three candidates must be intellectual arguments, such as better white candidates interviewed for every new management or head coaching will lose out or we blacks will be offended that we are position and one candidate must be of colour. not capable of competing on a level playing field. I know those moguls that control many football club If you never give black candidates a chance, what boardrooms are changing the very fabric of the English do you expect? The playing field isn’t even, because game in ways we are yet to understand but the pool of the ownership does not reflect society. potential black management talent is undeniably thin. In 2003, Brazil began imposing quotas in public And as always, talent is not the reason why. government jobs, contracts and university admission Any way you slice it, black players are unlikely to make to address major issues when it came to access for it into management. disadvantaged minorities. Decades earlier, the US Imagine this. Just a handful of the 66 black players Supreme Court upheld the idea of racial quotas, which to wear the England Three Lions shirt have ended up had been broadly used to integrate systems that had managing a team, even in non-league. long been dominated by whites. Arguably, the most successful is Paul Ince who was And many moons ago, the BBC, began a quota system given short shrift at to better reflect the audience it represents. While the Blackburn Rovers. system has issues, in principle and practice, it has Maybe John helped to at least start to redress the balance. Barnes, the best The critical challenge is not performing the football black player ever management job itself. It is getting the opportunity to to come out of the perform the job. There are so few black management UK, could make a successes because there are so few black management credible argument opportunities. Changing that is critical. We should move that his stint swiftly to impose quotas on the game’s management. managing Jamaica I am all but convinced that quotas are the only way and stewardship of to go to address a completely unacceptable status quo. Celtic puts him in the Some excellent candidates will suffer. Yes, they will be frame for that title. white, possibly former England players. But Viv Anderson, But it is crucial that the beautiful game addresses its Paul Parker, Ricky most glaring challenge. That black people, want, need, Hill, Carlton Palmer, Paul Ince must be more involved in the running of the game at Keith Curle and Chris every level. Powell, who could 34 SHOOT APRIL 2012 well become a top Premier League manager if given the the ship. By the very nature of the job, new managers opportunity, are the only others I can see to even have had usually come on board to right a bad situation. If you are a chance – at any level. black, you damn well know that’s the case. Maybe they just didn’t fancy it. After all, not everyone Chris Hughton (Birmingham City, Chris Powell (Charlton) is cut out for the high- and now Keith Curle (Notts County) should cherish their pressure hot seat that opportunities; they are unlikely to come again. That said, is modern day football guys... please don’t lose three games on the bounce. management. Football is the harshest of management environments. FOOTBALL NEEDS MORE Yet, it remains Along with that desperate immediate need to win, comes shocking to me that an unhealthy dose of former England rich, ego maniacs with BLACK MANAGERS players such as Earl little sporting business Barrett, Brian Deane, in football and there Dion Dublin and John is a chronic lack of Fashanu were never commonsense in enticed to be The Gaffer. boardrooms. Never, encouraged or Throwing piles of cash cajoled. and poor management And, there are way too judgement at problems Viv Anderson many players, like Paul that require analysis and Elliott, that didn’t play for skill has become an artful England but could probably have made good managers. pastime in the political I want to think that a top-class future manager is among circles that make up Chris Hughton the likes of Ashley Cole, Ledley King, Glen Johnson, football boardrooms. Wes Brown, Darren Bent, Emile Heskey, David James That is why I think, quotas are the correct answer at and Rio Ferdinand. this time. There is nothing, no evidence at all I can think But in all probability it’s not going to happen. They pretty of, to suggest, that football clubs will put the situation much know their chances are limited regardless of their right in this decade never mind the next five. playing careers and they are probably too rich to bother Football is literally a throwback to the dark ages of 1863. with the hassle knowing that the patience needed to learn It is time to drag it into the modern age. Such leadership their craft won’t be there. often requires unpopular but necessary measures. And Spare a thought for Terry Connor. He finally got his football is desperately in need of leadership on the issue chance at Wolves and what does he have to do? Almost of race and quotas. the impossible. I know what you’re saying. It’s great that he’s gotten his chance right, but he is in charge of a team that had won Delroy Alexander is chairman of the Sacred just three times in the last 20 games. Sports Foundation based in Saint Lucia, the If he can turn those draws – six in that period – into wins organisation founded by his brother, former and make some of those 11 loses into draws, his team will Lincoln and Macclesfield Town manager stay up. I hope he can because if he doesn’t, he’ll probably Keith Alexander. Keith Alexander Terry Connor have to wait until Mick McCarthy gets a new job to get the The Foundation aims to positively change the lives chance to sit on the sidelines again. of those we work with, providing opportunities for The point I am making is that things typically have to be people of colour from all around the world. The bad at a club for the management to go black. My brother Foundation recently became the Caribbean arm of Keith Alexander knew it, so did Paul Ince, John Barnes, Football Against Racism Europe (FARE). In 2013, the Viv Anderson and all the rest. Foundation will join with partners to launch Sport in There are very few opportunities, where given the Black & White Conference– A Forum for Change. The choice, the management actually chose a brother to lead views expressed in this article are those of the author. APRIL 2012 SHOOT 35 .