Rise in online abuse leaving EFL players ‘numb’

The Premier League are also holding their No Room For Racism match rounds, which conclude this weekend, with players taking a knee before games.

Port Vale boss Darren Moore is part of the league’s Black Participants Advisory Group which looks to guide coaches from minority backgrounds through their careers.

Along with Moore, West Ham United’s Nuno Espirito Santo, Blackburn Rovers’ Valerien Ismael and Lee Grant at Huddersfield Town are the only black managers in the top four divisions.

“I look at myself and in the role – and hopefully I’m looked upon as somebody that is a representation of all British managers,” Moore, the former West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday boss said.

“That’s what you want it to get to. You want to push it towards that. You don’t want to be talking about me as a pioneer. You want it to be people looking at leadership and it’s a representation of all managers.

“That’s the bit I work towards. At the same time, if I’m looked upon as a mentor and good representation, then that’s great as well.”

The Premier League’s Professional Player to Coach Scheme [PPCS] and the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme [CIDS] have supported 100 coaches, and 91% are in full-time employment.

The PPCS is a joint programme between the Premier League, EFL and Professional Footballers’ Association and aims to support former players from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds who have an ambition to coach at Premier League and EFL clubs.

The CIDS supports coaches from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds by providing employment and training opportunities within Premier League and EFL academies.

“When you look at the pyramid of football, there are a lot when you go through the leagues and look at assistant coaches, first-team coaches – they are there,” Moore added.

“If you look in the Premier League, Nuno is there but Kolo Toure is [an assistant] at Man City, [assistant] Justin Cochrane is at Tottenham.”