Football’s Black List is soon to be exclusively published in The Voice of Sport’s pages and boy do we need it!
It has been a turbulent 18 months or so for the black community in football, arguably the worst since bananas were routinely thrown at our players.
The blows just kept coming – thick and fast – from incidents of racist abuse on the pitch, to personal issues between former players being leaked to cause damage and division.
But while some have taken their opportunity to stick the boot in during this period, our community has actually become stronger. New voices have emerged to speak out about racism in football and self-organisation across all levels of the sport has stepped up.
That is why this year’s Black List isn’t just about the most recognised or powerful black people in football, but also those who the community feels it should pay tribute to for how they represented them in troubled times.
The list will be smaller too. Five names will be selected for the following categories – Administration, Community, Commercial, Players, Management and Coaching, and Media.
For greater transparency, the list of 30 will be compiled with the help of a panel of football experts.
As founders of the list, myself and Voice of Sport editor, Rodney Hinds will chair a group including Reading striker, Jason Roberts MBE, Chelsea and England Womens, Eniola Aluko, academic and community activist, Dr Colin King, diversity expert, Michelle Moore, Football Against Racism in Europe director, Piara Powar and football advisor, Francis Nkwain.
Trust me, this has been THE HARDEST list I have been involved in putting together.
When we first launched the Black List in 2008 it wrote itself in many ways. The candidates seemed fairly obvious. But now, so many leaders and talented individuals have risen up in their respective fields.
For further transparency – you can see there is a theme developing here – we have also taken the step of asking the public to decide who picks up the prizes when the 30 come together for the Black List Awards.
The list is very much there for the community, so we strongly believe it is only right that you chose who you would like to reward.
– The Leon Mann column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper