Clegg seeks true equality for football’s black players

Published on Thursday 24 November 2011 00:00

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will today highlight a racial “ceiling” in football, which allows black players to become stars on the pitch, but very few to make it through into management or administration.

The sport is typical of private-sector industries across the country, where ethnic minorities still face hurdles to achieving the level of success their white counterparts enjoy, Mr Clegg will say.

He will call for moves to promote “economic opportunity” for ethnic minorities, urging private businesses to make the same progress as the public sector in offering equal opportunities to black people.

And he will mount a staunch defence of Labour’s Equality Act, which protects equal opportunities in the workplace, as “a cornerstone of the UK’s rights architecture”, which is “not going away”.

In a speech in south London to mark 30 years since the Brixton riots, Mr Clegg will say: “In football, fans adore their heroes for their talent and character, whether they are black or white, and when Sepp Blatter dares trivialise racism on the pitch, his comments are rightly met with public outcry.

“But how many black managers are there in the Premier League? Zero.

“And in the top four divisions? There are just two, despite the fact a quarter of all players are black.”