Football suffers from “institutional discrimination” according to a damning report commissioned by a new sports organisation which launches in Westminster on Monday.
The Sports People’s Think Tank (SPTT), founded by a group of former Premier League footballers, will unveil research pointing to a culture of deep-rooted prejudice in the game, where black and ethnic minorities make up only a handful of those in decision-making roles.
The report highlights some of the negative experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME or BME) coaches in the game who it claims had experienced “a series of physical and cultural stereotypes about BME players and coaches” and were often viewed as a “risk” appointment.
“Football has failed to complete the promise of true equality,” said Jason Roberts, the former Blackburn striker and a founding member of the thinktank. “The numbers point to a problem that any right-minded individual would be shocked at. Most disappointing is the game’s overall refusal, up to this point, to engage in some dialogue which challenges the decision-makers and leadership of the game, rather than focusing on the victims of these practices – prospective BME coaches and managers.”
Dr Steven Bradbury, a leading sports sociologist at Loughborough University and author of the report, emphasises the stark inequality of careers for black footballers: “Once your body is worn out, as a black player, football is done with you. Whereas if you are a white player there are opportunities in football beyond your playing career.” Bradbury spent three years interviewing BAME coaches and former players between the ages of 25 and 55, as well as analysing data supplied by the Football Association.
The research, which has been funded by Football Against Racism in Europe, comes in the wake of renewed criticism over a lack of black or ethnic minority managers and backroom staff in the professional game, estimated to be less than 4% by the Professional Footballers’ Association.
The SPTT also includes the West Bromwich Albion Under-21s development coach, Darren Moore, and the former Birmingham City defender Michael Johnson, and is backed by the PFA’s chief executive, Gordon Taylor. The thinktank is thought to be the first of its kind and aims to drive change in the sports sector on a range of issues from equality to health. The sports minister, Helen Grant, will attend the launch at the Houses of Parliament.
