Another “black” manager is out of the trade, Sol Campbell has left Macclesfield Town and is no longer in charge. A payment puzzle is said to be the reason for Sol’s resignation.
Sol had set his eyes on management and to start with Macclesfield Town might have been a good idea, learning the trade from the bottom of the league as so many others have done before him.
Macclesfield Town were guided to safety in League 2 last season after Campbell’s introduction in November and hope was probably to keep on going, before the next step would be taken either with a push for promotion with The Silkmen, or aiming higher with another club.
Just two games into the season and with a win and a defeat at their hands it must be sad to leave at this moment. A number of new faces were also added to the squad as others left, but all in all it looked like a good summer transfer window.
This could again ignite the talk of black skinned managers and their difficulties and problems to sustain a job for a longer period of time, with other examples such as Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbank, Edgar Davids, Paul Ince and several others all seen themselves leaving this trade without really getting anywhere.
The fact that a manager is sacked or leaves his job in football management is nothing new and especially in England you see departures faster than lightning at times, but that has nothing to do with skin colors, as it is more a normal face than an unusual act to sack a manager in football, or see someone depart in the way Sol Campbell did this time.
Brian Deane, not really known for management in English football, but so in Norway, guiding Sarpsborg into the top flight and keeping a great momentum at the club, really being influential, also jumped ship, because he had other plans and didn’t want to continue a ride that another manager took over and seen a great development playing in the top flight consistent for a number of seasons and last year reaching the group stages of the Europa League.
Chris Hughton and Patrick Vieira are good examples of “black colored” men with a great reputation, and they are both in demand, despite the shocking sacking of Hughton at Brighton & Hove Albion. Vieira is currently in charge of Nice and has been linked with a number of possible jobs in England. Chris Hughton has also been in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion and has earlier been in charge of Newcastle United, Norwich City and Birmingham City.
Nuno Santo is at the moment the only BAME boss in Premier League football and last seasons sackings of Darren Moore (West Bromwich Albion) and Chris Hughton (Brighton & Hove Albion) has been described as a brutal and a major blow to black managers in football.
Another survivor in the trade of management and football coaching is Terry Connor. Previously in charge at Wolverhampton, but mostly been an assistant or a coach. Currently the assistant of Republic of Ireland and previously been in those jobs at Ipswich Town and Wolves as well.
The football are, according to an article in The Sun, described as alarmingly under-represented by black and minority ethnic men. Danny Rose who we all know from Tottenham Hotspur has even said there is no idea to study for your coaching badges as so few places are open for “black colored”.
Macclesfield Town did not appoint their first black manager when Sol Campbell arrived, they had done so before and back in 2008, when Keith Alexander was taking charge. Alexander had a good reputation and had earlier been in charge at Lincoln City (two periods) and Peterborugh United.
Alexander’s story is one special as he tragically died on duty for Macclesfield Town back in 2010, and at the age of only 53, was sadly gone. Alexander left a trademark for BAME bosses as he showed that color doesn’t matter if you are skilled and a well liked person and again only measured by results as this game is all about.
The fact that less than 4% of the English population are black colored, and mostly based in large City’s makes it difficult to judge this as a major case in football, since the % of white colored who wants a job in football management are having more difficulties to hunt down one of those 92 jobs available.
Claude Makelele previuosly assistant at Swansea City is now in charge of Belgian club Eupen. He describes the situation basically not being a color issue as you would not expect it to be, since winning and being able to adapt is likely more important.
The boss of Senegal, this years African Nations Cup finalist, Aliou Cisse, is another defending the statement of Claude Makelele, looking at this as everything else than skin color, so hopefully that will be addressed as well.
There are of course questions marks and issues to be spoken about, and you should never let these talks be silenced, because it’s vitally important that any job appointment in the professional game of football should be judged on merit and skills and nothing else.
Over the years a number of black colored managers and football coaches have been seen in the EFL and PL. Some have done well and gone from jobs to jobs, as others have faded out after finding life in this trade difficult, below you find a good list of them.
- Black Colored (English Football Related)
- Managers & Coaches
- Darren Moore
- Chris Hughton
- Paul Ince
- Sol Campbell
- Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink
- John Barnes
- Keith Alexander †
- Chris Kamara
- Chris Powell
- Thiery Henry
- Patrick Vieira
- Ruud Gullit
- Edgar Davids
- Keith Curle
- Terry Connor
- Viv Anderson
- Claude Makalele
- Kolo Toure
- Brian Deane
- Tony Whelan
- Paul Davis
- Carlos Alberto †
- Junior Lewis
- Clyde Best
- Managers & Coaches
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