Racialisation and the inequitable experiences of racialised minority coaches in men's professional football club youth academies in England

This article offers an empirical and theoretical examination of racialisation and the inequitable experiences of racialised minority coaches in men's professional football club youth academies in England. More specifically, it examines the ways in which the normative application of racialised ideologies, discourses and practices has engendered some inequitable interactions, representations, evaluations and outcomes for racialised minority coaches in the sports coaching context under review. In doing so, it draws on semi-structured interviews with racialised minority academy coaches ( n = 26) and academy managers ( n = 10) from dominant and marginalised ethnicities to ascertain their experiences and reflections on four inter-related areas of focus: firstly, club academies as racialised spaces; secondly, club academies and racialised stereotypes; thirdly, club academies and racialised assessments; fourthly, club academies and racialised outcomes. The article contextualises these findings from a Critical Race Theory perspective and draws clear linkages between the processes, experiences and outcomes of racialisation in club academies, and the ideological, definitional and discursive power of whiteness and racialised meaning making embedded in elite sports coaching contexts more broadly. The article concludes by outlining some operational implications for club academies and proposed educational activities designed to challenge racialised assumptions and encourage stronger cultural reflection amongst club academy staff

‘You just want the right person for the right job’: ‘race neutral’ and ‘race conscious’ rationales for the implementation of positive action measures in sports coaching

In recent years, a small number of sports bodies in the UK have developed new interventions designed to address racialised inequities in sports coaching. This article draws on interviews with CEOs and Youth Academy Managers (n = 14) to examine their approaches to conceptualising and operationalising one such positive action measure in men’s professional football in England. With particular respect to; (i) the ways in which these organisational actors adhere to ‘race-neutral’ or ‘race-conscious’ understandings of the racial equality landscape of football coaching, (ii) how such understandings inform and mediate their conceptual opposition or support for positive action measures, and (iii) how such rationales underpin the non-implementation or implementation of such measures in practice. Finally, the authors utilise Critical Race Theory (CRT) to draw linkages between the underpinning philosophies, rationales and implementation of such measures, and broader neo-liberal ideologies, notions of interest convergence, and the normative power of Whiteness in such settings

Meaningful change or ‘more of the same’: the voluntary recruitment code in men’s professional football coaching in England

This article offers an original empirical and theoretically grounded examination of the English Football League’s (EFL) Voluntary Recruitment Code (VRC): a positive action intervention designed to establish inclusive practices of coach recruitment and increase the representation of minoritised coaches in first team coaching operations at men’s professional football clubs in England. In doing so, it draws on semi-structured interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) at clubs (n = 5), football stakeholder representatives (n = 14) and minoritised coaches (n = 26) to ascertain their perceptions, experiences, and reflections in relation to three inter-connected areas of focus. Firstly, the operational and attitudinal implementation of the VRC at clubs. Secondly, the effectiveness of the VRC in engendering its intended operational and representational impacts at clubs. Thirdly, critical reflections as to the ways in which the VRC might be reformulated and reimplemented to stimulate the conditions through which equality of opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for minoritised coaches might be realised. Finally, the article will conclude from a Critical Race Theory (CRT) perspective that racial equality measures of this kind should be strongly interventionist and transformational in their policy intentions and ideological scope, and seek to challenge and disrupt dominant liberal discourses of meritocracy, race-neutrality, colour-blindness, and the normativity of Whiteness in professional football coaching contexts. In doing so, the article calls on the EFL to work consultatively with member clubs, football stakeholders, and minoritised coaches to develop a holistic legislative and pedagogical approach to tackling racialised inequities in football coaching, which incorporate strongly regulated and reformatory positive actions

Game changer or empty promise? The EFL mandatory code of coach recruitment in men’s professional football youth academies in England

Conference slides presented at the 5th Annual Sport and Discrimination Conference, University of Sunderland London, 17th June 2022.</p

Meaningful change or ‘more of the same’: the voluntary recruitment code in men’s professional football coaching in England

This article offers an original empirical and theoretically grounded examination of the English Football League’s (EFL) Voluntary Recruitment Code (VRC): a positive action intervention designed to establish inclusive practices of coach recruitment and increase the representation of minoritised coaches in first team coaching operations at men’s professional football clubs in England. In doing so, it draws on semi-structured interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) at clubs (n = 5), football stakeholder representatives (n = 14) and minoritised coaches (n = 26) to ascertain their perceptions, experiences, and reflections in relation to three inter-connected areas of focus. Firstly, the operational and attitudinal implementation of the VRC at clubs. Secondly, the effectiveness of the VRC in engendering its intended operational and representational impacts at clubs. Thirdly, critical reflections as to the ways in which the VRC might be reformulated and reimplemented to stimulate the conditions through which equality of opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for minoritised coaches might be realised. Finally, the article will conclude from a Critical Race Theory (CRT) perspective that racial equality measures of this kind should be strongly interventionist and transformational in their policy intentions and ideological scope, and seek to challenge and disrupt dominant liberal discourses of meritocracy, race-neutrality, colour-blindness, and the normativity of Whiteness in professional football coaching contexts. In doing so, the article calls on the EFL to work consultatively with member clubs, football stakeholders, and minoritised coaches to develop a holistic legislative and pedagogical approach to tackling racialised inequities in football coaching, which incorporate strongly regulated and reformatory positive actions

Game changer or empty promise? The EFL mandatory code of coach recruitment in men’s professional football youth academies in England

Conference slides presented at the 5th Annual Sport and Discrimination Conference, University of Sunderland London, 17th June 2022.</p

Meaningful change or ‘more of the same’: challenging racialised inequities in men’s professional football coaching in England

Conference slides presented at the World Congress of Sociology of Sport, Tübingen, Germany, 7th - 10th June 2022.</p

‘You just want the right person for the right job’: ‘race neutral’ and ‘race conscious’ rationales for the implementation of positive action measures in sports coaching.

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