Addressing racialised inequities in coach recruitment in men’s professional football in England: a critical race theory analysis

Abstract

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) coaches in elite sport are underrepresented in Britain and other parts of the Western world compared to BAME athletes. Empirical research indicates that this underrepresentation is underpinned by a series of institutional barriers. This is especially the case in men’s professional football in England, where lack of access to coach education, racial biases and stereotypes in coaching workplaces, as well as networks-based approaches to coach recruitment have historically blocked the transition of BAME groups from playing to coaching.This thesis aims to identify and examine the levels of representation and experiences of BAME coaches in men’s professional football in England, and the effectiveness of the English Football League’s (EFL) voluntary and mandatory codes of coach recruitment in addressing racialised inequalities. [Continues.]