As I've been saying for decades, as long as racism exists in society, it will exist in all facets of society. Until we eradicate it from society, football will be like any other industry.
John BarnesRead
There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a top coach because of the perception that surrounds people who look like them. They are black - which, for many, means they are good athletes but incapable of being anything above and beyond that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the barriers faced by Black athletes in transitioning to leadership roles due to societal perceptions.
John Barnes underscores the systemic racism that limits opportunities for talented Black individuals in coaching and management positions in sports. He points out that societal perceptions often confine Black players to roles as athletes, ignoring their potential for intelligence and leadership, which hinders diversity and progress within the sporting industry.
Themes
RaceLeadershipOpportunityAthleticsCoachingPerception
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on diversity in sports leadership.
More from John Barnes
All quotes →When you talk about kicking racism out of football, people automatically assume you are talking about on the terraces and on the football field. But all racists have to do is keep their mouth shut for 90 minutes and they're fine.
John BarnesRead
What I say about myself, black footballers or black pop stars is that we have been 'elevated out of blackness.' Because when people see us, they don't see us as being black. These are the issues that we should address.
John BarnesRead
There wasn't a game in the Eighties when you didn't get racial abuse as a black player.
John BarnesRead
How many black people are there in the higher echelons of any industry? We can talk about journalism, we can talk about politics. So why should football be any different?
John BarnesRead
The only fight worth fighting is to give all children equal opportunities regardless of race or gender, to judge individuals on their qualities and not their backgrounds. The victory won't come when nobody feels able to voice racist abuse, but when nobody thinks of doing so in the first place.
John BarnesRead
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