White men have been blocked from applying for coaching jobs at Premier League football clubs including Manchester United and Liverpool under a policy that appears to be a direct contravention of equality law. The Telegraph has more.
A potential legal error by the world’s richest league has led to a number of teams – including Manchester United and Liverpool – recruiting for coaching roles open “only” to ethnic minorities and women.
Telegraph Sport has found current or recent online job adverts that risk falling foul of the Equality Act despite being part of a centrally-funded drive to combat a lack of diversity off the pitch in English football.
An expired ad for a 23-month youth coaching role with United that ends next month said: “Coaches who are currently under-represented within the English professional game – individuals from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, including women from all backgrounds. This is a positive action scheme aimed at addressing under-represented groups in football coaching. Applications will only be accepted from individuals from those backgrounds.”
Another for a similar job at Liverpool said: “We will only consider coaches who are currently under-represented within the English professional game – individuals from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, including women from all backgrounds.”
Wording of that nature has also appeared in adverts for equivalent roles at Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle United, West Ham United, Leicester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth, as well as former Premier League teams Leeds United and Norwich City.
Several of the clubs involved have told Telegraph Sport the ads were created using a template supplied by the Premier League, one they said had been updated and no longer explicitly prohibited white men from applying.
Ipswich Town and Fulham have both been running the latest version but have still faced accusations of “disgusting anti-white racism” from Rupert Lowe, the Independent MP for Great Yarmouth and former Southampton chairman.
Ipswich subsequently removed the ad, with sources telling Telegraph Sport they did so after determining it had been poorly worded. Liverpool are expected to run a similar ad imminently.
Telegraph Sport has been told the various advert templates were provided by the Premier League as part of what is known as the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme (CIDS). …
Banning white men from applying for a job would appear to contravene “guidance on discriminatory adverts” published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
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