In 2003, the American National Football League, NFL, came up with a policy that made it mandatory for league teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs-the Rooney Rule. The rule is named after Dan Rooney, the former owner of Pittsburgh Steelers and former chairman of the league’s diversity committee. The rule was created as a reaction to the 2002 sacking of head coach Tony Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dennis Green of the Minnesota Vikings at a time when Dungy had a winning record and Green had just had his first losing season in 10 years. Needless to say, they were both African-Americans.
Reports came out in the US that black coaches were more likely to get the sack even though they have more success percentage than their white counterparts. The outcry was huge in the country so NFL had to come up with the rule that gave more opportunities and protection to black coaches in the game. That gave birth to the Rooney Rule.
Now, last year, the English FA came up with their own version of the Rooney Rule. That meant starting from this year, at least one Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) applicant will be interviewed by FA figures for coaching positions, from youth level up to senior teams for both men and women.
On face value, this is a welcome rule for black and other ethnic minority coaches in England as they have been systematically side-lined in the scheme of things. In the whole of English football top four divisions at the moment, there are currently only five BAME managers, which include Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at Northampton and Chris Hughton at Brighton. The story looks even darker when you realise that Gareth Southgate is now the English national team manager and Sol Campbell, his defensive partner at the 1996 Euro and 1998 world cup finals cannot even get an interview in the lowest of leagues in English football. Southgate played 57 times for England, Campbell was capped 73 times.
Stevie Gerrard is now a youth manager at Liverpool, being groomed one day to take over the first team, John Barnes, a legend at Anfield cannot get look in. So when the FA came up with the idea of introducing the Rooney Rule into English football, one was tempted to jump for joy at the chance of equal opportunities for everyone until you realise two things. One, the rule is limited to the national team only, the FA, unlike the NFL has not made it a requirement for all clubs under it. Secondly, the rule only says an ethnic minority applicant will be interviewed, it doesn’t guarantee employment.
Personally, I find this patronising. To be honest, I find it a bit offensive. In 2018, why would we need a law to force the FA to interview black managers just to make up the numbers and fulfil all righteousness? Why are not potential managers getting employed on merit? Why do you have to have the “right” colour before you are given a chance? English football does not need the Rooney Rule, it needs fair play and transparency. They should just cut off the hypocrisy and get real.
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