Ferdinand: 'Managerial playing field uneven'

Les Ferdinand thinks that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to see more ethnic minority candidates given high profile roles within football management.

The recent appointment of former Arsenal, Tottenham and England defender Sol Campbell by Macclesfield town has sparked the discussion once more. 

Campbell follows in the footsteps of former Manchester United player Paul Ince, who also took his first role in management with the 'Silkmen', but QPR Director Les Ferdinand thinks that opportunities are not the same for BAME coaches in the professional game. 

Ferdinand told 'Goals on Sunday': "You see the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce all having glittering careers and get really good jobs [straight after retirement]. You look at Paul Ince and Sol Campbell, who equally had glittering careers, and you think what they did at those football clubs. No one ever mentions them as being good football managers. "

He continued: "These guys get pigeonholed as being good managers when they retire from football. The likes of Sol, myself and Ince never get mentioned. Let's be honest, Ince had to start at Macclesfield as well. The playing field is just not level at this moment in time."

Ferdinand then went on to suggest that he only got his Director of Football role at Queens Park Rangers, because the club's board of directors is ethnically diverse.

He added: ""I don't think it's any coincidence that I've been given my role by an ethnic minority board. I don't think we get the opportunity to get in front of people and relate what we know about football to the powers that be."

 

January 24, 2017

In spite of criticisinf the system, Ferdinand could offer a suggestion for improving the opportunities for BAME candidates for future roles.

He concluded: "I'm not going to change the mentality of the people in the boardrooms at the moment. The generation that are coming through can change the views of the people in the boardroom because it will be new, fresh people and we now have ethnic minorities that are running football clubs. I think that mentality may change the system."