Football

 by Leon Mann

Celebrating British Players’ African Roots

AFRI-BRIT XI TEAM LINE UP HI RES

A celebration of British players with African roots

African communities in the UK love their football and have made a big contribution to the game over the years. So I came up with a tribute that unearthed a few surprises.

 

AFRI-BRIT is a simple concept. Essentially, it is a team of current British players with African roots. Researching and picking my squad was a lot of fun and I hope it will open up debates and lead to some reflection.

 

Allegiances to one nationality can be ferocious at times, and as a result it can be difficult for players to celebrate a more complex identity. But in a truly multicultural society that strikes me as totally unreasonable. For example, could an England player be seen wearing a Ghana shirt to cheer on his mother’s country? I say – why not. So I decided to put AFRI-BRIT out there.

 

First off – what an incredible team. Even if my formation leaves the defence a little exposed (*cough!), I don’t think I would have any trouble filling a Premier League ground to watch these ballers do their thing. This is testament to the growing numbers of players from African communities coming through in the UK.

 

I have to confess that I was a little worried about finding a keeper, but a tweet asking for help was met within seconds by the great folk at Africa Football Shop. Wolves’ Carl Ikeme – who has Nigerian roots – soon took the number 1 jersey. A fellow tweeter even delivered a sub keeper in Rochdale youngster, Jonathan Diba Masunga.

 

The midfield and front line offered up an embarrassment of riches. Welbeck, Berahino, Agbonlahor, Cole, Anichebe, Aluko, Bolasie, Zaha, Ibe… I could go on.

 

Where I did get creative was in the centre of midfield. I had been told that England’s Ross Barkley has Nigerian roots – so for me, he had to go in. What I unexpectedly stumbled upon was Leon Osman’s eligibility. According to the internet – his grandfather is Somali. And having grown up playing with many, many hugely talented Somali players, in North London, I know those guys can play!!

 

But the thing is, I know that I will have missed a few gems – such is the vast array of talent coming through. African communities in the UK are making huge contributions to our society. We rarely acknowledge this – let alone celebrate it. Football presents the perfect opportunity to right that wrong.

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 by Leon Mann

Leon McKenzie: A Fighter Who Won’t Let His Guard Down

LEON, CLINTON, ME

TEAM MCKENZIE: Leon McKenzie, his father and trainer, Clinton and Leon Mann

 

Leon McKenzie chose football as a young man, outpacing Premier League defences with Crystal Palace and Norwich City, today he is an undefeated professional boxer on the verge of a first title.

 

As I watch Leon thumping the bags in his father’s gym, opposite the changing rooms in the bowels of Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, it is clear why the South Londoner made the grade in two ultra competitive fields. His dad, Clinton McKenzie, a former British and European light welterweight champion, confirms my observations: “Leon’s greatest strength is his heart”, he then pauses and smiles, “…and he whacks! I wouldn’t like to fight him”.

 

FILMING MCKENZIE

Leon is action… captured by PFA TV

On the 14th March at York Hall, the 36 year old will need to use his heart, and head, to take home his first title. Tickets are almost sold out and the venue will be packed with former teammates from his playing days. He is, and has always been, a popular man.

 

Sat opposite the former footballer nicknamed ‘Big McK’, about to start our interview for PFA TV – the Professional Footballers Association online platform, I am nervous. I am not here just to talk boxing and football. Leon’s biggest battle has been with depression – a taboo topic in society, particularly for men.

 

I soon find out the nerves are only in my corner. Leon talks with confidence and calmness. He puts me at such ease, and I begin to question why I was so nervous.

 

Leon is a realist. He tells me he hasn’t necessarily beaten depression – instead, it is about learning how to manage it. He wants to use his experience of the illness to encourage others to come forward to get help. Five years after a suicide attempt, he aims to use the positivity from that came from that situation, to reach out to people who may be struggling.

 

Michael Bennett, Head of Wellbeing at the PFA, says Leon is a great example to someone suffering that there is hope when you decide to seek help.

 

The PFA TV episode will share his story with footballers across the country – and regardless of how things go at York Hall, we know he will keep fighting and not to let his guard down.

 

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 by Leon Mann

Diversity Guide Must Be Catalyst For Change In Sports Media

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FINDING SOLUTIONS: Leon Mann, BCOMS founder, opens The D Word conference in 2014

There comes a point when things need to be said to be able to move on. For the Black Collective Of Media in Sport (BCOMS), a network of sports journalists from African and Caribbean backgrounds, that moment has arrived.

 

First the facts.

 

In 2014, not one national newspaper sent a black sports writer to the World Cup. While in TV land, across all of the major sporting events in the summer just one black presenter and one editor were involved. Speaking more broadly – the mainstream press have never had a black sports columnist, who hasn’t played sports at the highest level, and away from specialist newspapers such as The Voice and The Morning Star, there has never been a black sports editor in charge of the back pages.

 

What makes all of the above a bigger deal is the fact that our community is incredibly well represented on the pitch, track and in the ring. It is estimated that 30% of professional footballers are black, while there is also high levels of representation in sports including athletics and boxing.

 

BCOMS response was to hold a national conference looking for solutions to address a disturbing lack of diversity across the sports media. More than 150 delegates attended.

 

The day was a success and thanks to funding from FARE, European football’s anti-discrimination network, BCOMS were able to use the contributions from the day to develop a good practice guide to help the industry deliver greater diversity.

 

The response to the guide has been overwhelmingly positive so far. But my hope is that the guide is not filed away under ‘things to do’ or left with a red flag next to it in an inbox. The sports media must move with urgency to reflect our nation and the interest and participation our community has in sport.

 

Football’s Problem

A black man is racially abused and prevented from getting on Paris Metro by Chelsea fans

Football brings people together. We hear it all the time. I proudly say it on TV a lot – when reporting on the games good causes. But with the good, can also come the bad.

 

Football brought racist thugs together with a black man on the Paris Metro, who was subsequently abused. Therefore, for me, those running the sport must take responsibility for what happened and double their efforts to ensure that the customers coming to deposit money in football’s pockets behave themselves.

– This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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 by Leon Mann

Premier League Prediction Time

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Me… with a trophy I didn’t get for coming second!

Football is back and the temptation to join a trillion fantasy leagues, for yet another whooping, is as strong as ever! Rather predictably – I’m very excited!

 

I go into this season with a renewed sense of confidence, when it comes to predicting who will do what this season, after I picked up a Silver medal at the Premier League’s annual pre-season gathering of football writers and broadcasters.

 

Yes – somehow I managed to finish second having predicted the final 2013/14 table more accurately than the vast majority of the industry’s finest. Duncan Wright, Sports editor of the Daily Star took the Gold and Paddy Barclay, the Bronze – so I was in decent company at the top, too.

 

This season, to prove it was probably a fluke (or maybe not), I thought I’d share my table prediction for 2014/15.

 

CHAMPIONS: Chelsea

 

I thought Mourinho may do it on his first season back and he failed. He won’t fail twice – will he?

 

RUNNERS UP: Arsenal

 

Arsenal will come at this season with some serious confidence after their FA Cup victory . They’ve also added quality to a team that spent the longest period at the top of the table last season. Wenger will fancy his chances.

 

THIRD: Manchester City

 

Last season’s champions have class in every department, but my gut says they won’t up their game enough to defend their title.

 

FOURTH: Manchester United

 

Football fans all over the country had a bit of a giggle at United’s expense last season. Louis Van Gaal will bring back that winning mentality and make Old Trafford a difficult place to get three points once again.

 

FIFTH: Tottenham Hotspur

 

Mauricio Pochettino told me the Spurs Chairman had not set him any targets outside of getting the team playing good football this season. I’m not sure I believe him, however – implementing his philosophy, getting the team playing attractive football and avoiding embarrassing defeats will set a solid foundation to build on.

 

SIXTH: Liverpool

 

It is too obvious to say Liverpool won’t be the same without Suarez… but they won’t and I can only see them taking a step backwards without him. This prediction is my riskiest – maybe it’s based on watching a lot of Bale-less Spurs last season.

 

7th: Everton

8th: Newcastle United

9th: Swansea City

10th: Stoke City

11th: Crystal Palace

12th: Hull City

13th: Southampton

14th: Leicester City

15th: Aston Villa

16th: Sunderland

17th: Queen’s Park Rangers

 

EIGHTEENTH: West Ham

 

Much will depend on how their new signings settle in, but I’m going with a gut feeling here. As I live in East London (well, North East) I hope I’m wrong.

 

NINETEENTH: Burnley

 

Sean Dyche got his team playing some lovely football last season in the Championship. But can they “out football” Premier League teams every week? I’ve got a pal in the Burnley team, so would love them to stay up but can’t see it.

 

BOTTOM: West Bromwich Albion

 

There was a time when West Brom would have never been anywhere near my bottom three, having established themselves as a mid table team for three seasons on the bounce. The 17th place finish last season may well have been a one off dip, but I’m not so sure.

 

*Disclaimer: Last season I tipped Hull, Crystal Palace and Stoke to go down!!

 

Reckon I’ve lost the plot with my table predictions? Tweet me a picture of your table and I’ll retweet, so you can take some stick too!! Get at me @Leon_Mann 

 

 

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 by Leon Mann

Jamaica, Lawn Bowls and Loyalties

photo copy 4This month I will realise a dream. I will pull on a Jamaican jersey at an international tournament. The sport? Lawn bowls.

 

Yep, you read it correctly. I will be playing lawn bowls for Jamaica at a test event for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

 

It all came about when Jamaica’s best lawn bowls player, Andrew Newell, reached out to me on twitter. He wanted to raise awareness about the sport and make it accessible for all communities. But the big plan was to see a Jamaican lawn bowls team at the next Commonwealth Games in Queensland, Australia.

 

It’s a wildly ambitious target, but I loved the idea. So did former WBC, European, British, and Commonwealth light welterweight champion, Junior Witter! He’s also signed up for the first ever team.

 

I cannot wait to get out on the green and represent Jamaica, and where better to prepare than the back “home”. Yes, I’m back on the island this week filming for BBC Sport. Keep an eye on the BBC’s Commonwealth Games coverage to see these features.

 

I’m also looking forward to exploring how modern day Jamaica feels about the Commonwealth. Does it mean anything anymore?

 

This question, and England football manager, Roy Hodgson’s recent demand that all his players sing the national anthem got me thinking about identity, and question if people understand how it has evolved.

 

As a kid I supported England at football and the West Indies in Cricket. When neither were involved I’d adopt Ireland as my team, because of my Irish grandmother. I used to get all sorts of stick for doing this from mates, who saw me as unpatriotic to the country of my birth.

 

But my feelings now are as strong as they were in the playground – why should I divide any so-called loyalties? It is entirely possible to feel a connection with many different countries and cultures.

 

However, I still struggle with anthems. The British one in particular. Coming from a family of Jamaican and Irish heritage, that may be unsurprising. I just feel some of the themes involved remind me of past we should never forget, but equally feel uncomfortable blindly celebrating. Google the subject. It makes for fascinating reading.

 

Yet despite the anthem, I’ll still be cheering on England – but with a Jamaican jersey on, while stood on a bowling green.

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