Tweet
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=629 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV class=mxb><DIV class=sh></DIV></DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><DIV>
</DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Simon Austin </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</DIV>
Garth Crooks says English football should be "ashamed of itself" because of the lack of black coaches and managers in the game.
A BBC Sport investigation has revealed that less than 1% of senior coaching staff at Premiership and Football League clubs are black.
"It's shocking that Paul Ince and Keith Curle are the only black managers in the league," BBC reporter Crooks said.
"We can't afford to exclude a whole section of society from coaching."
Crooks, who won two FA Cups and the Uefa Cup with Spurs, is now a football adviser to the Commission for Racial Equality.
He says he had considered a career in management when he finished playing, but a lack of opportunities led to him pursuing a career in the media instead.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbgq><DIV><DIV class=mva>
The opportunities are not there for black players at the moment <BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Les Ferdinand</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"I made the decision a long time ago that I would be better off making a career in broadcasting rather than management," Crooks said.
"I don't see why I should suffer the humiliation of not even getting a reply (to an application)."
Former England striker Les Ferdinand says lack of opportunity is still stopping black players going into coaching.
Although more than 20% of players at the 92 league clubs are black, only two managers - Macclesfield's Ince and Torquay's Curle - are.
"Doing your badges can take five years. Players don't want to give up that amount of time when there's no prospect at the end," Ferdinand told BBC Sport.
"The opportunities are not quite there for black managers at the moment."
Ferdinand, who scored five goals in 17 appearances for England, is currently taking his Uefa B coaching licence and the certificate in applied management at Warwick University.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5></TD><TD class=sib606><DIV class=sihf>606: DEBATE </DIV><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>Should more be done to improve opportunities for black coaches? <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Simon Austin</DIV></DIV><DIV class=ibqlinks><DIV class=arr>606: Have your say </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
"You don't tend to see black players on the courses," Ferdinand, 40, said.
"Most black players I've spoken to say the reason they don't go into coaching is the lack of opportunity.
"There seems to be the same thinking about black coaches as there was about black player
</DIV></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=416><DIV class=mvb><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=416 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom><DIV class=mvb><SPAN class=byl>By Simon Austin </SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
Garth Crooks says English football should be "ashamed of itself" because of the lack of black coaches and managers in the game.
A BBC Sport investigation has revealed that less than 1% of senior coaching staff at Premiership and Football League clubs are black.
"It's shocking that Paul Ince and Keith Curle are the only black managers in the league," BBC reporter Crooks said.
"We can't afford to exclude a whole section of society from coaching."
Crooks, who won two FA Cups and the Uefa Cup with Spurs, is now a football adviser to the Commission for Racial Equality.
He says he had considered a career in management when he finished playing, but a lack of opportunities led to him pursuing a career in the media instead.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibtbgq><DIV><DIV class=mva> The opportunities are not there for black players at the moment <BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Les Ferdinand</DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>"I made the decision a long time ago that I would be better off making a career in broadcasting rather than management," Crooks said.
"I don't see why I should suffer the humiliation of not even getting a reply (to an application)."
Former England striker Les Ferdinand says lack of opportunity is still stopping black players going into coaching.
Although more than 20% of players at the 92 league clubs are black, only two managers - Macclesfield's Ince and Torquay's Curle - are.
"Doing your badges can take five years. Players don't want to give up that amount of time when there's no prospect at the end," Ferdinand told BBC Sport.
"The opportunities are not quite there for black managers at the moment."
Ferdinand, who scored five goals in 17 appearances for England, is currently taking his Uefa B coaching licence and the certificate in applied management at Warwick University.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sib606><DIV class=sihf>606: DEBATE </DIV><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>Should more be done to improve opportunities for black coaches? <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Simon Austin</DIV></DIV><DIV class=ibqlinks><DIV class=arr>606: Have your say </DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>"You don't tend to see black players on the courses," Ferdinand, 40, said.
"Most black players I've spoken to say the reason they don't go into coaching is the lack of opportunity.
"There seems to be the same thinking about black coaches as there was about black player
Comment