Paul Ince: Blazing a Trail?
Paul Ince this week became the Premier League’s first homegrown black manager following his appointment at Blackburn Rovers. Does this signal that change is finally coming to the English game’s attitude towards black coaches and managers, which has long lagged well behind the proportion of non-white players in the game?
Bitter complaints have long come from numerous black players about how hard it is for them to get the same opportunities as their white peers. Whilst each case should be taken on its merits, the collective dissent against this ongoing problem is best expressed by the ex-Chelsea player Paul Elliott, a renowned anti-racism campaigner:
“Thirty per cent of players in the game are black but there are only two black managers: Paul Ince and Keith Alexander. We have lost a generation of potentially good managers. Look at the multi-cultural country we live in, and the diversity within the game, and that has to be reflected in the boardrooms and administrative worlds. It isn’t.
“Wrighty [Ian Wright] and Les Ferdinand have spoken out against it. A lot of those in the system say: ‘If that is what is happening at the top level, I don’t see any chance for me.’ They feel disillusioned, disenfranchised and they walk away. Paul Ince is a role model. It will breed confidence in others.
“When Laurie Cunningham and Viv Anderson came into the game, they were key role models, and that created confidence. They showed the stereotypical managers at the time they could do a job at the top level. That breaks down an insular mind.”
“If you want to get there on your own merits, you have to be qualified. Then you are in shark-infested waters and you have to work hard, get connected to people and when the right opportunities come, you are in the frame for the job.”
Ince’s success or failure at Blackburn is, perhaps unfortunately, of critical importance. Many black players have said that a lack of a role model to show a black English player will be given a fair shot at a top job has put many of their peers off going into the profession. Brendon Batson, one of the first top black footballers said last year that “There haven’t been any role models for young black coaches, which has led to a mindset among black players of ‘this isn’t for us’,”
Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, also sees Ince’s appointment as a step forward for those running the game.
But while Ince’s colour didn’t get him the job, he could easily have been denied the chance. Though campaigns such as Kick It Out and Show Racism the Red Card have turned British football into a European role model for tolerance in sport, the transformation hasn’t taken place within the game’s back rooms or on the touchlines.
At the last count, fewer than one in 100 of the senior coaching staff in the game are non-white. A report published three years ago by the Commission for Racial Equality took a blowtorch to the failure of the professional game to muster more than a handful of black coaches - most of whom were from abroad - when one third of players were non-white.
I know that the publication of that report wasn’t a pleasant moment for the game. But many of its leaders - Richard Scudamore of the Premier League and Brian Barwick of the Football Association particularly - responded energetically. Ince’s appointment at Blackburn is a clear demonstration that change has started.
It is possible to be less sanguine about this, however. The CRE’s report (which was actually almost four years ago) came at a time when there were more black coaches and managers than today. Still, much good work is being done at various levels, particularly by Paul Davis at the Professional Footballers’ Association, who set-up a black coaches forum and proactively helps black players ending their careers get into coaching.
Getting more black players actively training to coach is a critical need, though it becomes a chicken-and-egg problem, as many feel they would be unwanted as managers and choose other careers after retirement.
Perhaps the biggest problem lies higher-up: Keith Alexander, the only other black British manager in the game, asked rhetorically how much diversity there was amongst the criticial positions of those picking and training the next generation of managers.
“How many black chairmen or board members are there? I don’t know of any.”
“How many of the FA coaching courses are run by black people? Only Noel Blake.”
The fact that so few black managers are getting a chance at the highest level puts unfair pressure on the likes of Ince to blaze a trail; deeper change within the game is still undoubtedly needed.
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I was thinking maybe the Premier League could adopt something like the Rooney rule in the NFL, where teams have to interview (or at least consider) one minority canidate before making a hiring decison.
While Paul Ince has clearly showed himself capable as a manager in his short career, the problem is that this appointment as Blackburn manager will now be seen as a litmus test. If he does well, more power to black English coaches and managers. However if he fails for whatever reason (and bear in mind several of their best players are already eyeing up moves elsewhere) it will be looked upon as a failure for black managers as a whole, which is totally unfair both on Ince and the people he is said to be representing.
Ultimately, in my opinion, he should be scrutinised as an individual and not as some sort of representative for a very broad set of people. I wish him all the best.
The chicken and egg issue seems to be the problem here. It is probably undeniable that there is a mentality against hiring black managers due to them being who they are, but it also leads to most of them giving up when they should try even harder. It is not fair obviously that they have to do that to prove themselves, but Ince has also showed that if you get the results, you can ultimately get the chance. Let’s just hope that less of them give up early, and that Ince does well too, to open up minds.
“How many of the FA coaching courses are run by black people? Only Noel Blake.”
There are plenty of coaching courses run by Black & Ethnic Minority tutors. I worked with 3 (out of about a dozen regular tutors) in Surrey alone.
I imagine he is referring to the highest level, Jason. Blake runs UEFA Pro-License courses.
It would be a tragedy if the collective prospects of black coaches are pinned on Blackburn’s chances this season, particularly when Ince has to follow in Hughes’s footsteps. He’d be a hard act to follow for even the most experienced of coaches. He didn’t leave Blackburn because he had a poor season.
Whether Ince does well or not, regardless of who leaves Blackburn (I’m positive he will by the way), I’m not convinced people are so short-sighted to see him simply as some kind of litmus, surely we’re moving beyond this kind of thinking? Surely we need to be more optimistic? And is it not adding more pressure by having these kind of discussions?
Having said that, Tom I think you’re right to raise the point.
Kick all the racism out of all kind of sports!
Ince will be driving Rovers to success. His appointment at Blackburn was a good example…
First and foremost, it’s encouraging to see that a chance was taken with a British manager at a Premiership club.
In a way it’s appropriate that Paul Ince should be the first black manager in the top flight. He was also the first black England captain, back in 1993. I don’t recall too much media hype about it at the time.
“I was thinking maybe the Premier League could adopt something like the Rooney rule in the NFL, where teams have to interview (or at least consider) one minority canidate before making a hiring decison.”
I’m sorry but although I agree with the idea as a good way to promote people to jobs they might not usually get I can’t help thinking that its a sympathy vote.
Racism may still exist in the game but I honestly don’t think that its to do with chairman picking a manager. With the amounts of money to win in the game nowadays do you think that a chairman would prefer to pick a average white coach over a decent black coach?
I don’t think so.
The simple (and possibly unfortunate fact) is that there just isn’t that many quality black coaches. Look around Europe. Look around the world. It isn’t just here in the UK. Maybe black managers aren’t originally given the chance? The way Roy Keane got the Sunderland job and Ince the Macclesfield job is purely to do with Keanes connection with Quinn and not because he was white.
I agree with Vladimir, the Rooney rule is good in theory but when it comes down to it, it really doesnt work. When the Rooney rule was first put in to action coaches like Dennis Green were brought in for token interviews but were rarely taken seriously.
The only way to get minority candidates a fair shot is to have one or two have success, until then it will be a tough, uphill road but definitely worth the climb.
Having a quota of how many black people you must interview is a terrible idea. It is racism by definition even if well intentioned. Blacks of course should never be excluded based on color and I hardly think that most americans would disagree. But quotas are like putting out fire with fire. It’s the wrong idea and discredits any black man, however qualified, who lands the job. People will say that so and so got the job because he was black etc… It should always be based on merit and never ever, one way or another be based on race.
I think its the same idea as affirmative action.
Affirmative action if mishandled can be very patronising to those it is supposed to help. Nice post - a Stumble for your efforts
Affirmative action has long outlived its usefulness. It was a good idea back in the days of the dixiecrats like Strom Thurman and Robert Byrd but nowadays it’s just not useful. After all, we have a black president now.
Affirmative action should not be considered at all. I liked screens comment on having a black president.
I agree that having a quota of how many black people you must interview is a terrible idea. Success should be a function of ability not colour!
I wish Paul Ince the best of luck with Blackburn. He sure does have his work cut out for him with that squad.
I hadn’t even realised Paul Ince was the first black football manager. Does it have anything to do with the amount of black players wanting to go into management.
I stand together that having a member of how multitudinous ebony proletariat you requisite stop is a chancy idea. Success should mean a business of talent not color!
What exactly are the Commission for Racial Equality try to do? I don’t believe they speak about equality at all. Someone’s ethinic background should not be used for political tools and should not even be brought into the discussion. As the Black British population of England consists of 3% of the entire ethnic makeup, why is this an issue or even relevant? Must 3% of top flight managers be black by law??
3% of 20 premiership managers = 1 man
Affirmative action simply takes away from the accomplishments of all black people. Then when you see a successful black man you wonder, “Did he get there because he’s black or did he earn it and deserve it?”
Blacks don’t need any extra help getting ahead, only a racist would really think that.
I think its harder in the past compared to the present to have black people in the top league or in managerial position. Paul Ince is a good example, perhaps he has proven himself as a great footballer which thus paves the way for him to be a manager in the top leage. nevertheless, it takes time, and i think racism is to be challenged and kicked out in recent years, and more black people are being accepted even as club heroes in the clubs they are playing for.
I imagine he is referring to the highest level, Jason. Blake runs UEFA Pro-License courses.