News of this rule has recently blown onto headlines after its failure within the NFL over the last 20 years. But is this rule a solution to the lack of BAME representation in sport hierarchy or is it a way for clubs to tick boxes without tackling racism issues within organisations?
The Rooney rule is a National Football League policy, established in 2003, that requires league teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. It’s an example of affirmative action. However, the rule has no hiring quota or hiring preference given to minorities, only an interviewing quota. Since 2003, variations of the rule have been put in place across other industries. The Football Association and English Football League both adopted versions of the Rooney Rule in 2018 and 2019, but have things changed? Since implementing these rules, only four of the 39 EFL appointments have been BAME managers. To put this into context, black and minority ethnic players account for an estimated 25% of players in the 92 professional football clubs of the Premier League and the Football League. These figures highlight the sheer lack of diversity among the football hierarchy today, especially since implementing this rule.
Since adopting this rule, the FA has also come under scrutiny. Concerns have been raised that the rule does not carry enough weight, resulting in its lack of success, and the numbers can prove this. Furthermore, with no data being released from both the FA and the EFL on the adherence to the rule, we can’t know for certain if the policy is being followed correctly. But, what else can work? In addition to the Rooney rule, work needs to be done within football boardrooms and hierarchy to ensure that the system in place improves and becomes a fairer place for aspiring BAME coaches. People of colour are not a tick in a box, instead they are the future of football and deserve the same representation as others. We Stand as One was created to challenge and ultimately help to end racism and discrimination in sport, and this is just one of the issues we want to raise. We need to intervene and change the way sport hierarchy works, we need to challenge football associations and make them see that Rooney rules and alike, are a mere tick in a box and not the solution to ongoing issues for BAME footballers and fans.
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