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Inside the BPL: Time for a change
published: Thursday | January 17, 2008
with joel Crosskill
Some fans may not like to have their sports commentary mixed with social commentary - and I respect that. But, from the first Olympic Games to Muhammad Ali, sport has provided insightful relief to deep social issues - particularly when it comes to the subject of racial rifts.
So it's early days yet and an Atlantic away, I was just wondering what would Senator Barrack Obama's presidential campaign do to change the football's image of the black man in leadership positions?
Despite the great contributions of black players across Europe and the Americas on the pitch, you tend to find very few in charge of big name clubs or countries.
The dearth of black managers is disturbing, not least because 20 per cent of English football players are black. But, only 15 black players have gone on to become managers in English football since Viv Anderson became the first black player to represent England in 1978.
Out of 92 league clubs, just two of the nine most highly-qualified black coaches in the country (Paul Ince and Leroy Rosenior) - all of whom have better qualifications than Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate and Chelsea's Avram Grant - currently have jobs. (In fact: Leroy Rosenior was fired after just 10 minutes in charge at Torquay!)
Massive opportunity
The 'opportunities' provided to former Manchester United team-mates Paul Ince and Roy Keane highlight the apparent disparity.
Among the best central mid-fielders of their generation and both captains of their country, Roy Keane was handed his first managerial job at Championship side Sunderland, while Ince was looked over for a Championship job before taking over at Macclesfield, who were bottom of League Two at the time.
John Barnes, one of the finest players of his generation, was heralded as the great hope for black managers.
He was handed a massive opportunity when he was named manager of Scottish club Celtic in June 1999, but lasted only eight months and hasn't been given another opportunity at a big club since, while other coaches with similar disappointments are recycled by club after club.
It's been said that great players don't make great coaches and there may be some truth to that, but Frank Rijkaard has been brilliant at Barcelona, Tony Dungy won a Superbowl and Bill Russell won an NBA championship as a player-coach.
So with a new golden generation of black players set to retire from the world game, in the next few years perhaps it's time to take a play out of senator Barack Obama's campaign and give the race card.
It's time for change.
Full time!
Contact Joel at: jcrosskill@ sportsmax.tv.
published: Thursday | January 17, 2008
with joel Crosskill
Some fans may not like to have their sports commentary mixed with social commentary - and I respect that. But, from the first Olympic Games to Muhammad Ali, sport has provided insightful relief to deep social issues - particularly when it comes to the subject of racial rifts.
So it's early days yet and an Atlantic away, I was just wondering what would Senator Barrack Obama's presidential campaign do to change the football's image of the black man in leadership positions?
Despite the great contributions of black players across Europe and the Americas on the pitch, you tend to find very few in charge of big name clubs or countries.
The dearth of black managers is disturbing, not least because 20 per cent of English football players are black. But, only 15 black players have gone on to become managers in English football since Viv Anderson became the first black player to represent England in 1978.
Out of 92 league clubs, just two of the nine most highly-qualified black coaches in the country (Paul Ince and Leroy Rosenior) - all of whom have better qualifications than Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate and Chelsea's Avram Grant - currently have jobs. (In fact: Leroy Rosenior was fired after just 10 minutes in charge at Torquay!)
Massive opportunity
The 'opportunities' provided to former Manchester United team-mates Paul Ince and Roy Keane highlight the apparent disparity.
Among the best central mid-fielders of their generation and both captains of their country, Roy Keane was handed his first managerial job at Championship side Sunderland, while Ince was looked over for a Championship job before taking over at Macclesfield, who were bottom of League Two at the time.
John Barnes, one of the finest players of his generation, was heralded as the great hope for black managers.
He was handed a massive opportunity when he was named manager of Scottish club Celtic in June 1999, but lasted only eight months and hasn't been given another opportunity at a big club since, while other coaches with similar disappointments are recycled by club after club.
It's been said that great players don't make great coaches and there may be some truth to that, but Frank Rijkaard has been brilliant at Barcelona, Tony Dungy won a Superbowl and Bill Russell won an NBA championship as a player-coach.
So with a new golden generation of black players set to retire from the world game, in the next few years perhaps it's time to take a play out of senator Barack Obama's campaign and give the race card.
It's time for change.
Full time!
Contact Joel at: jcrosskill@ sportsmax.tv.
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