ABSTRACT

This article offers an original empirical and theoretically grounded examination of the English Football League’s (EFL) Voluntary Recruitment Code (VRC): a positive action intervention designed to establish inclusive practices of coach recruitment and increase the representation of minoritised coaches in first team coaching operations at men’s professional football clubs in England. In doing so, it draws on semi-structured interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) at clubs (n = 5), football stakeholder representatives (n = 14) and minoritised coaches (n = 26) to ascertain their perceptions, experiences, and reflections in relation to three inter-connected areas of focus. Firstly, the operational and attitudinal implementation of the VRC at clubs. Secondly, the effectiveness of the VRC in engendering its intended operational and representational impacts at clubs. Thirdly, critical reflections as to the ways in which the VRC might be reformulated and reimplemented to stimulate the conditions through which equality of opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for minoritised coaches might be realised. Finally, the article will conclude from a Critical Race Theory (CRT) perspective that racial equality measures of this kind should be strongly interventionist and transformational in their policy intentions and ideological scope, and seek to challenge and disrupt dominant liberal discourses of meritocracy, race-neutrality, colour-blindness, and the normativity of Whiteness in professional football coaching contexts. In doing so, the article calls on the EFL to work consultatively with member clubs, football stakeholders, and minoritised coaches to develop a holistic legislative and pedagogical approach to tackling racialised inequities in football coaching, which incorporate strongly regulated and reformatory positive actions.

摘要

本文提供了对英国足球联盟 (EFL) 自愿招募守则 (VRC) 的原始实证和理论基础检验：一种积极的行动干预，旨在建立教练招募的包容性实践，并增加少数族裔教练在一线队教练操作中的代表性英格兰的男子职业足球俱乐部。在此过程中，它利用对俱乐部首席执行官 (CEO) (n = 5)、足球利益相关者代表 (n = 14) 和少数派教练 (n = 26) 的半结构化访谈来确定他们的看法、经历和三个相互关联的重点领域的思考。首先，VRC 在俱乐部的操作和态度实施。其次，有效性VRC 在俱乐部中产生其预期的运营和代表性影响。三、批判性反思关于如何重新制定和重新实施 VRC 以刺激条件，通过这些条件可以实现少数派教练的机会、经验和结果的平等。最后，本文将从批判种族理论 (CRT) 的角度得出结论，此类种族平等措施在其政策意图和意识形态范围上应具有强烈的干预性和变革性，并寻求挑战和破坏精英统治、种族歧视的占主导地位的自由主义话语。中立性、色盲和白人在职业足球教练环境中的规范性。为此，文章呼吁 EFL 与会员俱乐部、足球利益相关者、