Football League clubs should be fined, or even docked points, if they fail to take steps to appoint a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) manager, according to a report.
The EFL requires its clubs to interview at least one BAME candidate when hiring a first-team coach after a change in regulations this summer. A version of the Rooney rule used in American sports, the initiative is the first of its kind in English club football. But a study that looked at the regulation during a voluntary trial found a lack of transparency and the nature of the “first-team bubble” meant it was almost impossible to track externally whether the rule was implemented. There are currently only four BAME managers across England’s top four divisions.
The study – entitled An Open Goal – claims rigorous recruitment procedures are far more common at academy than first-team level, where decisions are often taken quickly and by small numbers of people. Clubs that had appointed a sporting director were more likely to apply common procedures across all levels, the report found. There was also concern over access to data, with the EFL opting out from collaborating with the report, and only 16 EFL clubs completing a survey sent to all 72 members.
“The EFL is missing an open goal with its adoption of the Rooney rule,” said Dr Patrick McGurk, who worked on the report as part of a team at Greenwich University. “The under-representation problem is simply dire and not improving, and clubs are just waiting to be led on this issue.
“The league deserves credit for its initiative so far, but now needs to relaunch the code in a bold and positive way so that clubs can embrace the new measure and show that they are responsible and inclusive employers.
“Although regrettable, sanctions may be the single most important measure to ensure that inclusive shortlisting is taken seriously by club directors, like they do in American football.”
McGurk said the most striking aspect of the research was how first-team appointments were made in such a different manner from those in academies, which are more tightly regulated. “The first-team bubble does seem to be very removed from normal recruitment processes,” he said. “Not just in terms of the coach but the whole of the entourage; assistant managers, coaches and so on. It’s often done secretively, often by one or two directors only and then announced suddenly. We think that is part of the problem.
“The advent of sporting directors is a positive development. More appointments of that kind can help reduce volatility in clubs, which can only be a good thing. There is no evidence that frequent changes have any long-term positive impact on performance.”
A spokesperson for the EFL said: “This report will contribute to what is an important debate and we will study its findings to establish what can be learnt.
“It is early days for the use of positive action measures in professional football and we will continue to evaluate and develop our approach so that we can make progress on tackling the under-representation of minority managers and coaches.”
Meanwhile the anti-discrimination organisation Kick it Out, which has called for sanctions to effect change in recruitment, has named Sanjay Bhandari as its new chairman. Bhandari was a lawyer and partner at the accountancy firms KPMG and EY, before going on to sit on the Premier League’s equality standard independent panel. The Premier League does not apply any form of the Rooney rule.
“I am absolutely delighted to join the Board of Kick It Out as its chair,” Bhandari said. “I have been a football fan all of my life and a vocal advocate for inclusion. I am passionate about helping football to be a game where people of all backgrounds feel welcome and included from the terraces to the pitch, to the boardroom.”
