The rule is in fact a concept introduced across the pond in America in 2003 by NFL outfit the Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. It says that a candidate from a minority group should be guaranteed an interview for any available coaching role – and there are hefty fines for anyone who doesn’t adhere to the rules.
With only two black English managers currently plying their trade in the English Football League – Paul Ince at Notts County and Chris Powell at Charlton – PFA Chief Gordon Taylor thinks that this rule could help reinforce black coaching talent and reflect the diversity in modern football.
Taylor was quoted this week saying: "We have got to learn from other sports and other countries, and we saw how many top quality black gridiron players there were and how few black coaches.
"But they came in with that rule and it's made a difference, and now it's become assimilated into the culture of the NFL."
He said that introducing the rule in England would encourage the many black players out there to take up coaching qualifications at the end of their career because they would be given an opportunity?
In fulfilling the aim of attracting black coaches, the Rooney Rule has done its job. In the 2011 season there were seven African American coaches including Mike Tomlin at the Steelers who, as well as being pioneers in the rule, were runners up in the Superbowl.
However there are no guarantees that this idea would be equally as successful in England. Playing the game has not taken off with the Asian community, only one footballer in England came out as gay and he committed suicide and as recently as last week a banana was thrown onto the pitch in an international fixture.
It’s true that racism is incredibly rare in football these days, given how black players, both English and foreign, are key men for so many of our clubs, but football has a history of being one of the last sports to accept people from minority groups.
Away from that view, it could simply be a question of talent. I am not in a position to know how many black people have gone for Football League coaching roles but it could simply be a coincidence. If a black candidate is guaranteed an interview for a job, does that mean an equally credible white candidate misses out? Out of the two black managers currently working, Ince was sacked in charge of Blackburn when he was given a Premier League opportunity and yesterday was the first time Powell’s Charlton won in 12 games – so neither has set the world alight yet.
One black manager who was doing wonders for the reputation of black managers was Chris Hughton at Newcastle, but he was sacked earlier in the season in bizarre circumstances. At least the Rooney Rule could see him back in management a lot sooner.
If this rule is introduced I believe it will take a lot longer for us to see the results in England. The big clubs with big money will nearly always go for tried and tested managers and coaches in the lower leagues often move from one club to another, as indeed Paul Ince did. But it could only take one club to take a punt and start the ball rolling.
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