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Institutional Racism in Football
by our social affairs reporter Barnie Choudhury |
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On the eve of the Premier League season a report is released that will make uncomfortable reading in footballing circles. The study by Leicester University's prestigious Sir Norman Chester Centre suggests evidence of institutional racism among the majority of football clubs in England and Wales.
Racism on the football terraces and on the pitch is nothing new. What has never been examined though is the apparent discrimination in the recruitment policies of professional soccer clubs. Until now.
Just after New Labour swept to power in 1997 it set up a Football Task Force to look at how racism can be removed from the beautiful game.
Sadly it would appear that, despite various well intentioned recommendations, little has changed.
Three years on a new and timely report from the University of Leicester. "The New Football Communities: A survey of Professional Football Clubs on Issues of Community, Ethnicity and Social Inclusion" is the first audit of the work of the Task Force.
It examines whether professional football clubs in England and Wales have embraced the recommendations. Eighty-eight of the ninety-two clubs responded to a detailed questionnaire.
Because it does not name and shame clubs the response is candid.
The report found that:
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only ten of the eighty-eight clubs had a written Equal Opportunities Policy.
- recruitment of administrative post remains word of mouth putting ethnic minorities at a disadvantage.
- a staggering ninety-nine percent of administration staff are white.
- there is an a glass ceiling for ex-black players when they try to get into management.
- the majority of clubs have failed to heed the recommendations of the government's Football Task Force.
The report's author Steven Bradbury is under no illusion what this means:
"The lack of Equal Opportunities polices and word of mouth networking recruitment procedures do of course gravitate against recruiting from minority ethnic background. In that sense I think there is some evidence to suggest there are some elements institutional racism."
But Leeds United, who have been tarred with the racist brush in the past, pointed to their written equal opportunity policy to recruit staff. They have at least fourteen ethnic minority coaching staff and an Asian player who, Leeds hope, will make it into their first team.
Leeds are also proud of their record on going out into the communities and schools to spread the anti-racist message. The Chairman, Peter Ridsdale, wants to believe the game he loves is not institutionally racist but can only talk for his club, which he says is not.
He warns that clubs miss out on talent if they fail to recruit from all walks of life:
"We would not condone any company in any society that didn't believe that equal opportunities was the right and proper thing to do. It's one thing having a policy and the second thing is to make sure it's working. So every so often what you need to do is audit."
Mr. Ridsdale believes it is only a matter of time before Leeds have a black or Asian member in their boardroom.
Another Premier League club, Leicester City, are taking the fight against racism on and off the pitch just as seriously as Leeds. Rashid Abba is a coach with their Football in the Community scheme. He also scouts for talent.
Leicester have an Equal Opportunities Policy and advertise their vacancies.
Mr. Abba says once you get a job you have to prove yourself and if you do then there is an element of word of mouth recruiting to get to the next position:
"I think sometimes it's who you knows as well. I think with people moving around in football clubs they recruit people they know. The manger moves around, the coach goes with him鈥he same thing happens with academy staff."
Word of mouth, says Leeds United African-Caribbean masseur Clive Brown, can work in favour of ethnic minorities. That is how he got his job at Leeds.
Some one who had seen him in action recommended him to the club. Five years later he is invaluable, travelling with the club, taking away the aches and pains of the top stars.
Mr. Brown urges ethnic minorities to try to get into professional football, no matter the position.
"The people who think the colour has anything to do with it, then they need to have a good look at themselves. There's a song that says the dark brown shade of my skin only adds colour to my tears, and that's the way I look at it."
But the evidence in this report will make uncomfortable reading - if it is read at all - to anyone passionate about football. What professional clubs need to question is how welcoming they really are to ethnic minorities.
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Peter Ridsdale, Chairman of Leeds FC |
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Martin Edwards and Peter Kenyon |
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Albert Johanneson |
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