Calls grow for Rooney Rule in football

There are growing calls to follow America's lead and bring in the Rooney Rule to encourage more Black managers in the beautiful game. Football has come a long way in this country, embracing different communities and nationalities on the pitch.

Every week, we're mesmerised by South American playmakers, Spanish tacticians and skillful Africans who all add a flavour to the physical nature of English football.

Indeed, over 20 per cent of players in the professional game come from the BME community, but when it comes to the dugout, only two managers come from the Black community - Chris Hughton at Birmingham City and Chris Powell at Charlton Athletic - a figure which has embarrassed the football family.

But this week, Cyrus Mehri, a civil rights lawyer who played a crucial rule to change the employment process of coaches in American Football, arrived in town speaking to the football authorities to bring in changes which would allow more coaches from the BME community to apply for jobs.

Since 2003 the NFL has enforced the Rooney Rule, which means teams are fined if they fail to interview a black candidate for a managerial role. While not guaranteeing a candidate a job, within three years, the number of African American coaches shot up from six per cent to 22,

And many, including PFA chairman Gordon Taylor believe a similar rule could be key to opening the floodgates for more Black and ethnic minority coaches coming through.

He said,

“The PFA spends a lot of money training players for the future and, understandably, one of the most obvious areas of interest is coaching and management. For some reason the number of black people who actually get a chance in this area is very small. All we are asking for is an interview. But the more times people attend interviews, the greater the likelihood of them eventually getting a job.”

Cyrus Mehri, who helped introduce the Rooney Rule in the States, added,

“The concept is very feasible and I’m bullish that the success in the US can be replicated here. We are not saying clubs have to hire minority candidates. We are just saying: ‘Give them a chance, maybe you don’t know what you’re missing.’”

While the Rooney Rule could be a progressive step in enhancing the careers of Black coaches, there should be no doubt that the candidates putting themselves forward for the role should be prepared for it and not merely put up to make up any quotas because clubs feel obliged.

There should also be a responsibility from the Black community to make themselves the best candidate by getting their qualification and removing the excuses for them not to be hired.

As Chris Powell stated this week,

"I want people to be interviewed if they tick all the right boxes. What I don't want is people to think: 'Well, we have to interview someone from an ethnic minority.' If that person is not qualified to do the job, then there's no point. So I want them to strike the right balance."

The football authorities are already looking at ways to promote the coaching and managerial aspects of football to the Black and Asian community. Only last month, the FA held an event at Wembley stadium alongside representatives from the Premier League, Football League, PFA and LMA to launch a new film which they hoped would put BME coaches in the spotlight.

COACH is an 11-minute production which features interviews with a number of high profile coaches from the BME community including Powell and Hughton as well as England women's coach Hope Powell, England Under-19 coach Noel Blake as well as Arsenal academy coach Taff Islam and Butch Fazal, who has championed the cause at grassroots for a number of years.

The film is the brainchild of Brendon Batson, better known as being part of the 'three degrees' at West Brom alongside Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham.

Batson has been an advisor to the FA for the past few years and has been looking at a number of ways to increase participation from underrepresented communities in all aspects of the game.

Batson told OBV last month he hoped the film would have a positive impact in increasing diversity in the coaching set up around the country.

He said,

"What we're trying to do is showcase people who are working in the industry at the top end but also in grassroots to show that if you're seriously thinking about coaching as a career, you can do it. You only have to see the film and see the individual's journeys.”

The authorities know there is a problem as do the players but let's hope it is not an issue which will be discussed in 10 years time, which by then, could see another generation of promising Black coaches and managers lost to the game.

Picture: Chris Powell