From the early days of football, black coaches and players have been mistreated due to their race. Even today, Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football is common. Many skilled coaches who are black don’t get chosen for top jobs. This makes it hard for them to excel in their careers.Becker, G. S. (1971). Major Forms of discrimination in English football are inequality in compensation, hiring standards, playing positions, career duration, and opportunities for endorsements or sponsorship. Possible perpetrators include employers, co-workers, or customers.
Bellemore (2001) reports discrimination against black players in promotion from minor league baseball to MLB between the 1960s and 1990s. According to the Norman Chester Centre for Football Research (2002), there have been several cases where senior officials and football club managers have described black players as “lacking bottle,” “having no stamina,” and “exhibiting a lack of discipline and consistency.” This problem stops deserving people from getting chances and keeps unfairness in the game. Check out some unfortunate incidents of Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football.
Recent Incidents
Recent years have seen high-profile cases of Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football. Paul Davis, a former Black midfielder who played for Arsenal for 16 seasons, struggled for nearly ten years to find a full-time coaching job despite his experience. He believes this was due to favouritism against Black players in football. His story highlights the ongoing Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football.
Sol Campbell, a former player turned coach, is one notable figure who has spoken up about the struggles Black coaches face in English football. Along with Les Ferdinand, Chris Ramsey, and Ricky Hill, he highlighted in a report by the Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) that Black coaches have fewer chances than non-Black coaches. The report showed that Black managers or assistants are often let go from their positions and have a more challenging time getting promoted.
This shows the difficulties Black coaches face in moving forward in their careers. A recent report by the Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) revealed that 43% of Premier League players were Black, yet only 4.4% of managerial positions for former players were occupied by Black applicants. Furthermore, Black managers or assistant coaches are 41% more likely to lose their jobs, showing a worrying pattern in the field.
The report also showed the systemic issue of limited opportunities for Black coaches in the industry despite Black players’ significant talent and contributions to the sport. Many Black coaches and players openly addressed the discrimination in English football, which became an unfortunate part of the Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football. Campbell, S. “It takes so much out of your soul, your will to love a sport after being really, really excellent at it,” Campbell says. “It’s sad. If I had had three or four chances with a good club and a good budget and I failed miserably, I’d say: ‘You know what? Maybe I can’t do it.’
But I haven’t had the opportunities of some of my [White] peers.” “A career in football management often looks like a game of snakes and ladders, but for Black former players it’s pretty much all snakes and no ladders, and we have the data to prove it,” BFL executive director Delroy Corinaldi said. Check out the solution to reduce the Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football.
Solutions
There are some ways through which Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football can be eliminated.
⦁ Football clubs should actively work to boost diversity not among coaching staff but in leadership positions within the clubs and football associations. This can be achieved through targeted employment policies and diversity training for decision-makers.
⦁ Supporting and guiding coaches in public and academy settings can be crucial in developing talent and helping them advance to higher coaching roles.
⦁ Establishing pathways for coaches to progress to top coaching positions can address the issue of underrepresentation at senior organization levels.
By implementing these solutions and creating an environment, English football can fight discrimination against Black coaches and promote diversity in coaching staff across all levels of the sport. Like the Discrimination of Black Coaches in English Football, some other scandals show the dark face of Football. Check out the top 10 controversial scandals in football.
