Greg Dyke: Rooney rule version needed in English game

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has reiterated his call for a version of the 'Rooney rule' to be brought into English football to boost coaching and management diversity.

The rule says clubs must interview a BME candidate for each manager job.
Dyke also believes clubs must give black and minority ethnic (BME) players greater opportunities in the boardroom.

"Clubs will recognise that they can't carry on in the way they've always done and they've got to change," he said.

"I'm not sure you need the Rooney rule but I think you need a version of it."
His comments come after research last year showed just 19 of 552 leading positions within English football were held by black and ethnic minority coaches.
"We've got an inclusion group that is looking at that and will come up soon with proposals for change," he continued.

What is the Rooney Rule?
Introduced into American football in 2002, the Rooney Rule mandates that teams interview at least one BME candidate when a head coach or general manager position becomes available.
You can download a podcast of Richard Conway's look at the history and impact of the Rooney Rule, and whether it could work in UK football, here.

Dyke was speaking at an event to celebrate 20 new graduates from the 'On The Board' scheme, which the FA runs in partnership with the Professional Footballers' Association and the Governance Forum.
With fewer than 1% of senior administrator positions within English football occupied by BME executives the course is designed to instruct under-represented groups with the skills to be effective in boardrooms.

Brighton manager Chris Hughton was among those to graduate from the course this year and believes such schemes are vital to correct historic underrepresentation levels.
"Football has a responsibility," he said. "If you look at the workplace, most companies are diverse these days. We certainly see that in football. I think most people would agree that it's the right thing to have more diversity at board level.

"It's something that's being spoken about far more now. It is now about the next stages. I don't think anyone in our industry wants to be speaking about the same issues in a few years time."
Les Ferdinand, who completed the course last year, is now director of football at QPR and credits his training with helping him land the role.

Jason Roberts, the former Reading striker who last year helped establish the Sports Persons' Think Tank, believes that despite Ferdinand's success the pace of change is still too slow.