The Premier League have refused to reveal the diversity of their employees despite other football bodies releasing figures and vowing to improve.
As part of an i investigation into the diversity of English football’s stakeholders, the Football Association, the English Football League and the Professional Footballers’ Association released diversity figures. While in most cases they have low representation of staff from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, the organisations indicated they are striving for better.
The EFL say that they are working towards a “wider cultural shift amongst the League” and the FA have a three-year “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan” with a set number of diversity targets, which concludes next year.
Premier League will not share data externally
However, despite the Premier League’s recent strong public stance in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, including a lengthy statement on Tuesday indicating that the “Premier League stands alongside players, clubs, the FA, EFL, PFA, LMA, PGMOL and all those who have come together in recent weeks to reject racism and to show support for the message that black lives matter”, the League is refusing to reveal the makeup of their own organisation.
The Premier League say that they collect and monitor the information internally, but do not share it externally. They declined to comment.
Businesses and organisations do not legally have to monitor the equality of their workforce but it has been recommended practice by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for several years.
Only 6% of FA leadership team from BAME backgrounds
As of November 2019, 12 per cent of all FA employees were from BAME backgrounds, a one per cent drop from the previous year, although the governing body claim that they have significantly improved their rate of hiring BAME staff to around 20 per cent and are confident they will reach their 2021 target of 16 per cent.
Even more of a concern is that only six per cent of the staff in “leadership roles” at the FA are from BAME backgrounds. It is an increase by one per cent from 2018, but the target of almost doubling that to 11 per cent by next year seems optimistic.
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The figures read better in regards to coaching staff, although clearly there is still much work to do. In 2018, only 13 per cent of coaches were not white, but that has leapt to 20 per cent as of November 2019 – reaching their 2021 target – and the FA say that has already increased to 22 per cent.
The second annual report of their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan is due out later this year.
EFL aiming for ‘cultural shift’
To put these numbers into context, while the latest census figures – from 2011, so likely higher now – suggest that 14 per cent of the UK population are from BAME backgrounds, the diversity of professional footballers is far higher, at around 30 per cent.
The EFL, meanwhile, revealed that, as of 1 June 2020, only six per cent of their workforce are from BAME backgrounds. The EFL admit that their statistics do not reflect the communities in which they work and are committed to improving the diversity of their staff in the long-term.
They say that they regularly assess the demographic of their workforce and have introduced new training with the aim that staff become ‘allies’ and own the culture of an inclusive and progressive organisation.
“The EFL has engaged with a number of employees to discuss issues of equality in the workforce, in respect of next steps to improve representation, including new initiatives and training and development opportunities as we look to embed a wider cultural shift amongst the League,” an EFL spokesman told i.
“This is change for the long term and therefore the EFL will reflect and review practices to ensure that progressive and sustainable change is implemented for the benefit of all.”
PFA reveal most positive numbers
At the PFA, 24 per cent of all staff and 43 per cent of their trustees are from BAME backgrounds, and though their management committee is at only seven per cent, they have committed to addressing the issue in their next cohort.
More than 28 per cent of the senior management team are black, Asian or minority ethnic, the executive team are at more than 36 per cent and so are more than a quarter of coach educators.
Historically they have had three black chairmen: Garth Crooks, Chris Powell and Clarke Carlisle.
Moral, not political
On Monday morning, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee and reiterated their support for the BLM movement, describing it as a moral cause, not political.
“We are drawing a clear distinction between a moral cause and a political movement or agenda,” Masters said. “Whilst there may be a difficulty sometimes, dividing the two, our position is clear: politics no, moral causes yes – when agreed.”
He added: “I think we are living in unprecedented times. Players are used to being the message board for other people’s messages and on this occasion they wanted to make two very clear statements as players, supported by the Premier League and the clubs: thanking the NHS and also recognising the issues that are going around the world and the support of the sentiment of Black Lives Matter.
“We listened and are happy to support them. I don’t think it sets any particular precedent. I think it is perfectly possible to support Black Lives Matter the sentiment without being seen to support any political organisation.”
The Premier League released a statement later in the day saying: “The Premier League stands alongside players, clubs, The FA, EFL, PFA, LMA, PGMOL and all those who have come together in recent weeks to reject racism and to show support for the message that black lives matter. These three words have become an expression of unity for people from all communities who believe it is unacceptable to treat black people differently to anyone else.
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“In an unprecedented move, Premier League players from all 20 clubs united in solidarity with this message and the Premier League supported their request to replace their names on the back of playing shirts with ‘Black Lives Matter’.
“The Premier League offered this backing as we wholly agree with the players’ single objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists. And we are unequivocal in the belief that there is no room for racism in our competition, football as a whole, or the wider community. Together, all professional football bodies and the players and managers recognise the importance of the message that black lives matter. However, we do not endorse any political organisation or movement, nor support any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity.”
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