A new report shows that the number of coaches from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic background in English football has been static since 2014
17 November ~ A new report has revealed that little progress has been made towards increasing the number of coaches from an ethnic minority background. Two years ago authorities set a target of one in five coaches coming from a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background by the end of the decade.
However, the report by Fare, the Sports Peoples Think Tank and Loughborough University shows that BAME individuals in coaching roles within English football have remained static at 4.1 per cent since 2014.
Out of six key recommendations made in 2014, the only significant change has been the English Football League’s introduction of new recruitment practices – similar to the Rooney Rule in the US – for coaching positions in academies and a voluntary recruitment code in first-team football.
Dr Steven Bradbury of Loughborough University, who conducted the research, said: “Football doesn’t exist in some magical vacuum; to address institutional discrimination we need positive action measures. We see the beginning of those kinds of measures being implemented at the moment. Delivering those measures properly, effectively and transparently are the kinds of things that will dismantle those institutional barriers.”
The report also says that Wolves, one of the clubs that volunteered to implement the new EFL code, failed to follow the process appointing Walter Zenga as manager. Its recommendations include a call for a target of 20 per cent of black coaches to be recruited by 2020 and better co-ordination between the FA and the Leagues.
It also makes the case for an independent body to be appointed to monitor the work of the football authorities, asks for targets to be set by the FA on the number of coaches to be qualified and also recommends coaches should be offered support in addressing closed networks