Football needs to offer much wider embrace to BME coaches

The figures show that only 3.4 per cent of the coaches employed come from BME backgrounds despite making up 25 per cent of professional players.

The report was carried out by the Sports Person’s Think Tank, which has called for English football to set an overall target of at least 20 per cent of coaches to be from BME backgrounds by 2020.

Jason Roberts, the former striker who is one of the founding members of the think tank, says in the report: “It appears that football has lost successive generations of potential coaches and managers simply because they are black or from other ethnic minority backgrounds.

“The numbers do not add up, so many players from our communities who have achieved so much on the field of play – distinguished careers as senior players in some of the biggest clubs in this country, many with international caps, some who played at major tournaments – yet so few that have been given opportunities to achieve as coaches.

“Talk to these individuals about the realities they faced, the number of jobs they applied for, the number of interviews they had, and the feeling emerges that they have been the victims of a systematic denial of talent and ambition.”

The report highlights that low numbers of coaches from BME backgrounds complete UEFA coaching qualifications, with potential coaches deterred from going into management due to the perceived lack of opportunity.

The report, funded by the European anti-discrimination body FARE, also states English football often operates ‘insider’ networks to recruit coaches based on personal connections rather than qualifications.

The report by Dr Steven Bradbury from the University of Loughborough also highlights even greater discrepancies in representation in football administration.

It states: “Less than one per cent of all senior governance and senior administration positions at governing bodies and professional clubs in England are held by staff from BME backgrounds.

“This situation needs urgent action through a full diversity plan for ethnic minority representation in administrative roles, at board, committee and advisory group level.”

The Football Association’s inclusion advisory board chair Heather Rabbatts said the governing body welcomed the report and looked forward to discussing the ideas.

“It adds further evidence that bodies across the game need to work together to challenge discrimination,” she said.

“This report underlines why we all need to continue to work together, to address the lack of BAME representation beyond the pitch and the ‘closed systems’ which maintain it.

“At The FA, we are committed to the long-term programme of change from working with the PFA on preparing ex-players for the boardroom with the On Board programme, to developing our coach educator workforce from BAME backgrounds and introducing new mentoring opportunities for BAME coaches with the England development teams.”