The Rooney Rule: Challenging racism in Football Management

Wayne Rooney, maybe the greatest player in English History has been appointed the Derby County Manager. Without his Uefa A licence. Unqualified for the job. 

Now is a time as good as any to bring up the status of Black coaches in football. It's easy to make a stand against fans singing offensive songs, or chants, but putting black coaches in EARNED positions of authority has proven to be beyond this sport. While watching yet another unqualified coach take the reins at an established club, in the face of only 6 "non-white" managers out of 92 jobs in the football league, I am here to say the EFL and Premier League have failed black coaches. The current system disadvantages potential black managers, both young and old and its time for a radical change. In the Black Lives Matter era we are living in, a major shake-up in the recruitment process for football managers would show an actual positive change instead of the posturing for camera's that is currently being done.

I've heard every excuse under the sun as to why a specific black coach shouldn't be hired, theres always a "reason". Rationalising why one of the best defenders in Premier League history should start his management career at the foot of league 2 AFTER completing all of his coaching badges, in comparison to Gareth Southgate who was manager of a premier league club (Middlesborough) before the completion of his qualifications, must be recognised as an injustice. There is flagrant dismissal of black coaches experiences and qualification in comparison to a bloviation of their white counterparts.

It seems fitting in light of Wayne Rooney's appointment that we open a genuine discussion on implementing the Rooney rule in english football. The Rooney rule, was put in place by the NFL in the USA. Meaning that for every head coach role appointed an ethnic minority had to be interviewed for that role. 

This worked.

Two black head coaches coached in the Superbowl within 3 years and the NFL reported a 300% increase in black management within 13 years. It has its flaws and does cause some discomfort for many people but it is better than the system we have now. I grew up believing that the job market was a meritocracy, especially in football. The coaches who win the most get the most opportunities, or so I thought. "Work on your qualifications" "Gain experience and work your way up" this is the path I thought every coach had to follow. The reality is this isn't true. As a black coach you must be impeccable, exemplary and poised, as well as fully qualified. Even then, the maxim "it's not what you know, it's who you know" rings heavy in the coaching world.

Nuno Esperito Santos, the only black manager currently in the premier league, is not there through hire but through promotion from the championship. He's there as a champion. Frank Lampard is a manager in the premier league almost as a favour in comparison. Prior to his appointment at Derby County, did his coaching CV compare to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's? But his access to opportunity has gotten him to coach in the Champions League no more than two years after completing his coaching badges. 

I'd like to see a few things happen in order to improve the conditions for black coaches in football. 

1. Increase access to opportunity.

The Rooney rule creates access to opportunity, the interview in itself creates potential relationships even if the job isn't given to a black candidate. It offers good experience to candidates who may have never been in that setting and can better prepare for future endeavours just from an interview. It isn't a monumental change for the employer but can potentially open doors for hundreds of coaches. For naysayers such as  Simon Jordan, who in 2016 claimed that in 10 years as Chairman of Crystal Palace Fc he never received and application from a Black person. My response is...RECRUIT! Gary Neville was able to manage in La Liga and on the coaching staff at a World Cup, all kickstarted by his performance on Monday Night television. He was effectively a podcaster and was able to make his way into the highest level of management within a matter of years because people believed in him. If a Chairman finds that his club is struggling to attract black and minority candidates, open your search and identify qualities that are desirable that may be transferable.

2. Freedom to fail   

Allow black coaches the same freedom to fail that is offered to every other manager. While I understand management can be very fickle and managers come and go very quickly. There is a level of patience and trust that has never been shown to Black coaches. Lampard, Terry, Rooney, Gary Neville, Phill Neville, Steven Gerrard and many others have all found themselves in top jobs straight out of retirement from the professional game with little to no objections. Meanwhile clubs shut the door in the face of Sol Campbell for years. Sol Campbell isn't a popular name as many don't deem him to be a good coach based on his career in the lower tiers of football. He may not be the best but he warrants a job in the championship as much as any former international footballer. In the face of 2 wins in 2 months and one of the most prestigious clubs in English football wallowing in 15th place, Mikel Arteta still had the backing of the media with pundits swearing that he was a good coach. I'd love to say that "if a black man were to do that..." but I can't. No black manager has ever got the opportunity to stink up North London as much as Arteta has. Lampard is a similar example, it seems with unqualified coaches the license to fail is known as "a project" or "a process". I pray this privilege is extended to black coaches in the near future.

3. Not to be defined by our failures

When mentioning any new managerial hire there is room for split opinions, you may not like the style of play attached to a coach, you may not like his demeanour or another possible reason. These negative perceptions stick with black managers more and they are almost impossible to shake off. The chances of Paul Ince getting back into the premier league as a manager are slim, meanwhile the likes of Steve Bruce or Alan Pardew are never far away from even after multiple sackings and not many notable achievements. Defining black managers at their worst prevents clubs from pursuing and turns a lot of black coaches away from the game. Condemning Thierry Henry for his time at Monaco while ignoring his contributions as assistant manager for Belgium, achieving their furthest ever finish at the World Cup. The blemish on black managers reputation is very difficult to remove and I'd ask employers to judge black candidates at their best or better yet their potential instead of their worst or possible risk. Many coaches in todays game fail upwards, that is to say their failures are seen as lessons or learning experiences that caused them to grow and be better. Gareth Southgate left Middlesborough after being relegated to the championship and then found himself as England Under 21 manager. His only notable achievement in this role was finishing last in the group of the European U21 championships. 

He was then promoted to England Senior Manager.

L O L

4. Finally, greater access to education.

I personally know that UEFA B and A courses are extremely difficult to access, they're very limited and in todays world is even harder. Still, there needs to be a greater number of qualified black coaches. This raises the standard of coaching as a whole and ensures that clubs will not be interviewing substandard coaches, but higher quality coaches that can deliver set aims. I'd like to offer provisions for talented coaches who may not be able to access these courses due to distance of finances. Also, the requirements to be considered for these courses should be addressed ensuring that they do not exclude potential applicants. 

I hope 2021 will be a great year for black coaches and managers across the country. We have to uplift and acknowledge each other in backroom staffs, youth football, amateur football and recreational coaching in local communities. The work we do is integral part of a giant mechanism. As it stands black managers aren't getting their fair share of opportunities and we mustn't miss opportunities to make our voices heard and have our good work appreciated with promotions instead of praise. 

Q.