Positive discrimination may have its place in ensuring that prejudice and discrimination are addressed in society but it has no place when it comes to the appointment to the top position in a football club. Next they will be telling clubs that there must be a certain number of black players in the team or that there are not enough black keepers in the Premiership. Surely clubs should be forced to play an Asian? What about the differently abled, shouldn't every team include a player with a prosthetic leg? How about the blind, let's put bells in the balls to give blind players a chance and remove the goal posts in case their dogs stop to cock their legs mid match.
West Ham have done their bit by appointing somebody from an ethnic minority - the Jewish Grant - and look where that got us! Appointments should be based on ability only. Full stop. Batson should take his Rooney Rule and shove it where the sun don't shine. Garth Crooks shows what you get when tokenism is employed and who can stand listening to that fat ex Spud pompously opining on the beautiful game? But can the BBC sack him? Can they hell because of the colour of his skin.
A great black manager will emerge in the game based on ability. If Obama can become President of the United States, why do we need artificial devices to lever black faces into football management? The whole concept is demeaning to the very people that it is supposedly designed to help.
Your last paragraph summed it up perfectly and for once I totaly agree
ReplyDeleteGordon Taylor at his most pompous.
ReplyDeleteVertically challenged, less than average footballer with several large socialist chips on his shoulders.
He should be sectioned without delay.
Probably the most sensible thing you have written all year. Like you say, a manager should be picked on ability alone. why deny a talented white manager a shot at a managerial post purely to offer it to a black man with any skillset.
ReplyDeleteBesides, none of my black friends play football manger anyway
Here here!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree in principle HF that any hiring should be based on ability alone. However, here in the USA both Major League Baseball and The National Throwegg League (no way I call it football) have had similar rules for a very long time and they have actually "worked". Likely, teams interviewed black candidates they might not otherwise have spoken to and lo and behold, they liked them. Particularly in the NFL. All major sports have their little cliques, and its very hard to break into them. These rules have helped a bit.
ReplyDeleteNot a judgement on the rule, by the way. Just a bit of info.
They can keep this affirmative action garbage back in the US for their american"football" garbage which is quite frankly the biggest abomination of a "sport" ever created. If a black man is good enough, someone will hire him (Chris Powell is doing well at Charlton and good luck to him).
ReplyDeleteThey've got the same rule in American Football. Utter bullshit. Forced equality is condescending and counterproductive.
ReplyDeleteSo you don't think that racism and sexism is a problem at board level at football clubs in this country then?
ReplyDeleteI am sure there is racism in the boardroom Deane but adding a black man to the interviewed candidates for the sake of interviewing a black man aint going to make any difference is it? Tokenism at its worst.
ReplyDeleteno you're right all thatdoes is highlight the problem and really the problem needs fixing maybe there should be some searching questions at the fit and proper stage
ReplyDeletespazzzzzzzzzzz
ReplyDeleteActually the Rooney Rule has helped teams get to know minorities that they would otherwise overlook. The fact of being able to sit through the process has helped teams and minority coaches get more comfortable with each other. no minorities have been hired because they are minorities. They have been hired because in the process ofmsitting through several interviews some owner has realized that the minority candidate is, in fact, the best candidate. Football could benefit from things like the Rooney Rule: the best candidates emerge from the deepest pools.
ReplyDeleteHow will many black coaches feel in this interview knowing they are almost certainly there because they have to be. Knowing chances are they wont be offered the job. This is almost as ridiculous as the five subs rule, get it together!
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