The Voice Newspaper

 by Leon Mann

Why We Still Need Football’s Black List

Black List Awards 2010It’s the end of the season, so time for Football’s Black List to be revealed.

 

The list highlights those who the black community sees as its most influential and powerful in the game. It is divided into the following sections – coaching and management, community and grassroots, commercial, administration, media and players contributions off the pitch (charity work, sitting on boards etc).

 

It is a democratic voting system that decides the final list. The judges this year were myself and Rodney Hinds – as founders, sports reporter Jess Creighton, and former footballer Michael Johnson. The judges all submitted their lists separately.

 

I personally found it very difficult to come up with my own list. And, as with all the judges, not everyone we put forward individually made the final list. There are so many deserving people from the community – but I hope, in time, everyone feels rightly recognized.

 

Every year there are those who suggest the list is divisive as it only celebrates black achievement. So let me explain… The minority experience in many walks of life is different to what many others face. In football it is particularly hard. The lack of diversity across the football industry – away from the pitch – reflects this reality.

 

One day there may be no need to recognize a minority struggle – but today there most certainly is. If you are struggling to understand this, then it may be because you find it hard to connect with being a minority. If you are a minority who would prefer not to talk about struggles – then I will not judge you – but I ask that in turn you leave others to address these issues in their own way too.

 

We have had non-black people celebrated at the Black List Awards in the past and will continue to do so. All contributions to the struggles the black community face in football are hugely appreciated.

 

However, the Black List is designed to celebrate talented people from the black community, make them more visible and, in the process, inspire others to join the industry and help address huge under representation.

 

The very concept of a Black List can be uncomfortable, but I won’t apologise for that – the alternative is we all sit back, shake our heads about a problem and do nothing for fear of a difficult conversation. Instead I’d prefer we get real, understand diversity is not a threat and show some serious commitment to achieving genuine equality across football.

 

— Football’s Black List will be revealed in The Voice Newspaper on 15th May 2014 —

 

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 by Leon Mann

Women Finally Getting Recognition In Sport

I’ve found myself getting genuinely excited about sport these last few weeks – but not because of the World Cup qualifiers, Ashes series or Rugby League World Cup.

I’m excited because I’m finally seeing women’s sport and women in sport gain some ridiculously overdue recognition.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a long, long way to go but when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was named the IAAF female athlete of the year, the interview that followed made me sit up. Shelly was asked about an incredible year that saw her win three gold medals at the World Champs in Moscow, but to my amazement Usain Bolt – who picked up male athlete of the year – was asked about the pocket rocket too!

I’ve interviewed Fraser-Pryce on a number of occasions in Jamaica, and she has a remarkable story to tell. She is also a great talker. So I’ve always wondered why we have seen such little coverage of her? Google her and check the achievements, then tell me she shouldn’t be one of the globes biggest sporting names. Maybe the penny is beginning to drop.

Away from athletics, I saw a great documentary as part of ITV Sports Life Story series about Nicola Adams MBE. It celebrated her journey to winning a historic gold medal – the first for any female boxer – at the London Olympics. Adams is another sportswoman I’ve got to know over the years. I’m pleased the boxer’s story sat prominently in such a high profile series.

Away from my media role, as a sports consultant, I witnessed the Professional Footballers Association vote the England women’s captain, Casey Stoney, onto it’s management committee, at the union’s AGM. In doing so she became the first female player to take up such a position. Highly significant.

Meanwhile, Kick It Out recently held a mentoring conference specifically aimed at helping and encouraging women to find work in football, and the Women In Football network continues to go from strength to strength. Check both organisations out.

In short – this column can be summarised as follows… It’s been a struggle, and will no doubt continue to be, but women are taking their rightful places in sport and I am all up for that.

– This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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 by Leon Mann

Exotic Destinations And Amateur Boxing’s Evolution

One of the perks of being a sports journalist is I get to travel to some awesome places, but I had never considered the prospect of going to the land of ‘Borat!’. However, the World Amateur Boxing Championships were in Kazakhstan, so as the ringside reporter for BBC TV – I was sent there.

The country was really interesting – home to more than 130 ethnicities (talk about diverse!). And the people were welcoming and hospitable. The boxing wasn’t bad either as GB boxing came away with two bronze medals – after Andrew Selby and Anthony Fowler both made it to the last four in their weight divisions.

The home nation took it to another level though, winning four golds, two silvers and two bronze medals. They really are a boxing super power.

In my column a few weeks back I touched on the fact that there would be no head guards at the championships. Well, the change certainly caused a stir. A number of top boxers were eliminated in the early rounds because of cuts, and other top fighters complained about having to fight five bouts in 10 days without protection.

Of course the chorus of displeasure came from those who did not medal, but despite AIBA, the world boxing governing body, telling me that the number of cuts was not hugely significant, I can see a serious debate coming about whether to bring the head guards back. Watch this space…

– This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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Usain Bolt and Leon
 by Leon Mann

Beauty Of The BOLT!

Usain Bolt recently confirmed he will retire after the Rio Olympics in 2016 and I ain’t gonna lie my heart sank a little.

The news hardly came as a shock but the realization that one of the true legends of sport will soon no longer do his thing suddenly hit home.

I never saw Pele play football, Muhammad Ali in the ring or Michael Jordan dominate the basketball court – but I have seen Usain Bolt destroy the 100m and 200m when it mattered most.

I was there to see him break records at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, World Championships in Berlin a year later and then defend his titles at the London games in 2012. And I’ve got to know him along the way too.

As one of the few journalists to spend time a good amount of time with the global superstar – both on and off the track – while making two films about him for the BBC (‘The Fastest Man Who Has Ever Lived’ and ‘Can Anyone Beat Bolt?’) I’ve got to see the real Usain at fairly close quarters.

Given the – now ritual – pre race fooling around and elaborate victory celebrations you could easily assume the fastest man in the world is loud, cocky and possibly a bit arrogant. But trust me, that is very far from the truth.

The guy you see at that point is selling the brand. People like winners. People also tend to like folk who smile a lot, dance and appear to be enjoying a good time. This isn’t to suggest it is totally staged though. Bolt definitely likes to live it up! I’ve seen him on the dance floor – it’s a home from home for him. But delving a little deeper, through my extensive interviews and also just observing the big guy with his friends and family, I have found a very humble country boy from Jamaica.

Given his continued dominance on the track, maybe we should all be a bit bored with him by now. I will hold my hands up and say I wasn’t particularly buzzing about the prospect of Bolt versus the clock at the World Championships in Moscow this summer. However, yet again, I was up on my feet and totally captivated by his performances.

The guy is just ridiculously infectious. So I have decided that I’m going to enjoy his next, and final, three years. Sportspeople like him don’t come along very often.

– This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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 by Leon Mann

The Highs And Lows Of Transfer Deadline Day

I’ve worked on a fair few transfer deadline days and the buzz in the newsroom is something else.

The very premise of the day is just perfect for us journalists. It allows us to flex our muscles by breaking news first, showing the rest of the industry just how good our contacts are and really make a name for ourselves.

I’ve broken a few transfer stories and can tell you it is pretty awesome. Especially when you feel like you’re swimming against the tide and the club is denying your information is on point.

However, there is a humungous down side. Getting it wrong – and I’ve been there. A shoddy look to say the least.

My one moment of shame came a couple of seasons back when the agent of a player told me, that despite the rumours, his client would definitely not be moving. I took him on his word. He was a great contact who had come up trumps before. But moments after I had smugly told the world this news, the competing broadcaster had footage of the said player entering negotiations with a club.

This is where I saw the worst of transfer deadline day. I couldn’t look my colleagues in the eye. I genuinely felt that I had let my team down. I had.

I later found out that what happened was the player had left the agent I was speaking with that day – as he was unable to get him a move. He found another agent, who got the deal did! My contact had lied through his teeth to save telling me a difficult truth.

So I can tell you from experience that when you see those journalists breaking news, they will be seriously sweating on those deals going through. You can be made or broken in 24 hours of unpredictable transfer madness. Only the strong survive…

 

HOPE POWELL WORKED MIRACLES

Following her sacking as the England women’s boss, Hope Powell has taken a fair bit of stick.

To be a black person in football is tough. To be a black woman in football is tougher than tough. So to stick around for 15 years and develop women’s football like Hope did is miraculous.

– This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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 by Leon Mann

The Toughest Black List Ever!

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

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 by Leon Mann

The Black List 2013

SHOW ME a Black List everyone agrees with and I’ll show you a liar.

This statement pretty much sums up just how difficult it was for the panel to pull together the 30 names of our community’s most powerful, respected and influential people in football for the 2013 Black List.

Much of the discussion and debate was about how those with power had used their positions over the last 18 months. Had we heard from our leaders when our community needed them the most? How did they represent the community when they did use their influence? The feelings amongst the panel varied.
But after some searching debates we can now reveal who made the cut.

The list highlights those at all levels of the game, from people working at the heart of our communities to the administrators sitting at football’s top table and shaping the future of the sport.

As those who are familiar with the Black List will know, the initiative is not a tool to thank our footballers for what they have achieved on the field. Instead, it is to recognise contributions off the pitch, acknowledge the different experiences and struggles in finding power and influence in the game, and also encourage young people in our community to become involved in all areas of football.

While we proudly celebrate the Black List, we should never forget that it is about far more than 30 names. It is designed to inspire future generations and bring the community together to review where we are and how we get to a much better place.

– CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BLACK LIST 2013 – http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/football-black-list-2013

– This editorial comment first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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 by Leon Mann

Forget your badge, remember the issues

What a summer 2012 served up for sports fans!

The remarkable climax to the Premier League season, Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France victory, the Ryder Cup team and Andy Murray’s success stateside and the phenomenal London Olympics and Paralympics – made it an unrivalled period.

But I fear despite all these highs, the blows the black community – actually, scrap that, ALL communities – have been dealt over the last 12 months have left many of us feeling winded and detached from the sport we consume the most. Football.

We have had to become accustomed to seeing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and QPR’s Anton Ferdinand routinely booed and abused by rival supporters for daring to stand up against racism.

Meanwhile campaigners such as Lord Ouseley, from Kick It Out, have been sent hundreds of abusive emails for suggesting all is not right in our game.

But perhaps most worryingly, tribal loyalties in football seem to have clouded the judgement of fans, as well as some former and current players amongst others.

What are the black community supposed to make of all this? Is your club badge more important than challenging racism?

The response to this situation from our communities is essential. Shared experience and anger unite like little else and in recent months the will from some seriously powerful voices to stand together is gathering momentum.

This is why the two major football awards evenings – organised by black communities, for black communities – are coming together.

The Black List awards and Best of Africa celebration will hold a humungous celebratory event at the end of the season to show solidarity with those who have had to fight racism on and off the pitch, while making the big noise our achievements deserve.

If British expats can get together in countless countries around the globe to celebrate their culture as minorities – why can’t we?

But I’ve wasted enough energy on those against us. Both The Black List awards and Best of Africa have always rightly celebrated those from other communities who have contributed to our successes too. We will always do this. Because we believe in equality – regardless of our respective club badge.

This column first appeared in The Voice Newspaper

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