A fresh drive aimed at increasing the number of black and Asian coaches in management positions is currently under way, with the spotlight on both the professional and grass roots game.
Around 20 per cent of professional footballers come from black and ethnic minority communities, yet just 4.8 per cent of the 1,300 coaches who hold a UEFA B licence or higher are from BME backgrounds.
At governing body level, The FA is spearheading efforts to redress the balance with the launch of ‘Coach’, an aptly titled DVD Outlining Pathways into the game for aspiring managers.
Meanwhile, the Black and Asian Coaches Association (BACA), is making inroads in the amateur arena. Its ‘Developing Coaches for the Future’ day in July saw hundreds descend on London’s Soccerdome for sessions by Chelsea Technical Director, Michael Emanelo, and England Under-19 coach, Noel Blake.
Noel, who also appears in ‘Coach’, is keen on stressing the importance of getting qualified:
“There is a massive shortage in BME coaches. What I would say is, get out there and get your qualifications. You may not get to the senior level of coaching but you are the first port of call for grass roots kids. The information you instill in them is massively important, and will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”
He contributes alongside Hope Powell, Chris Hughton and Trevor Brooking amongst others in the 11 minute film, many of whom draw on their respective journeys into coaching, with suggested pathways for those aspiring to follow in their footsteps. The DVD was launched at Wembley Stadium on 3 August and has received widespread support from the game’s major governing organisations.
Brendon Batson produced the film, which has a strong emphasis on securing relevant qualifications and highlighting subsequent opportunities available in the game. David Bernstein, Chairman of The FA, elaborated after being quizzed on the day by host, Garth Crooks:
“Coach highlights the need for coaches to gain their qualifications and make the most of the opportunities available to them. We want football to be able to draw on coaches from the widest possible talent pool and I hope that the film will inspire a new generation of BME coaches to follow in Noel and Hope’s footsteps.”
Kick It Out chair, Lord Herman Ouseley, joined Bobby Barnes from the PFA, in welcoming the film. “It is refreshing,” said Herman, “to find all the football authorities and leagues united in their desire to encourage, nurture, guide and develop individuals from all backgrounds to use their skills and experiences as coaches to put something back and bring benefits to the game.”
Bobby, who as Deputy Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, is the game’s highest placed black administrator, said: “As the players representative we have long been aware of the frustrations of previous generations of excellent former black players unable to make the step from the pitch to the dugout.
“As long ago as 2003 we launched the Black Players Coaching Forum with the aim of encouraging players to gain the necessary qualifications to pursue a career in coaching and management. We applaud any effort to make the game more inclusive and accessible to all.”
A key figure in raising the debate about the lack of black faces in dugouts, Bobby knows only too well that organisations like BACA, consisting of current black and Asian coaches and former players driving for greater representation at all levels of game, are crucial to underpinning initiatives like ‘Coach’.
Dr Colin King and Butch Fazal, two of BACA’s founders, hope to take the blueprint set by the London Soccerdome event to other parts of the country. The mix of practical and classroom sessions, which saw 45 participants gain qualifications in safeguarding and emergency first aid on the day, provides a tangible method of upskilling coaches from black and minority ethnic communities.
Encouraging attendees to make a big push in order to break into the industry, Colin said:
“We need to be more proactive in our community. We need to stand up and start challenging. We need to be involved in the political governance and those democratic processes to sit alongside the county structures and The FA to make sure that if any recruitment is made, we are involved in that process.”
