[Albion] Sacking Hughton and racial implications

[Springal]

Would be nice to see something similar from that plank Darren Lewis.

He is a proper ****. He was being very vague in his link to this having a racial connotation... and denied making it. Yet somehow made a reference to Danny Rose saying recently that it was pointless to be a black player and do your coaching badges? Not sure how you tie together Danny Rose / Brighton / Hughton.

 

[Gazwag]

I guess Mr Townsend might be off to the jobcentre

 

[Eeyore]

Kick It Out have unreservedly apologised to Brighton & Hove Albion FC, its chairman Tony Bloom, and the club’s board of directors and staff for any inference in comments made in an interview in the Daily Telegraph by Troy Townsend, the organisation's head of development, that the club’s dismissal of Chris Hughton as its first-team manager on Monday was in any way linked to his ethnicity and also for the impact the comments have had on the club’s reputation and the reputation of its senior officials.

Kick It Out and Troy Townsend fully accept that through its current employment of BAME coaches at senior levels, and the club’s long term engagement with and support for Kick It Out’s various campaigns and events, Brighton & Hove Albion FC has fully demonstrated its commitment to eradicating discrimination of all types, and to consistently providing opportunities for BAME coaches. Nobody at Kick It Out will make any further comment on this matter.
Brighton & Hove Albion do not wish to comment further on this issue.

I didn't think the article was that bad really. The problem was the ambiguity of Townsend's frustrations. I wondered if the club might also respond to some of the carefully constructed subliminals coming from mischief makers elsewhere.

 

[El Presidente]

The club is pefectly entitled to defend themselves at the comments of Troy Tempest and Co. Regardless of the merits of the decision to sack Chris Hughton, the one thing that wasn't an issue was the colour of his skin, given that the same people recruited him and he was one of the longest serving managers in the game.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I think this is one to quickly move on from now there has been an apology. Kick It Out are a fine organisation, this was a mistake made in frustration and yes, it did cause reputational damage which is when it can get legal. But I suspect the club would have been very reluctant to go all the way (even if they would have won in court, which is never certain) because they believe and demonstrate the values Kick It Out espouse. As you were, lessons learned I should imagine.

 

[Leegull]

Would be nice to see something similar from that plank Darren Lewis.

Absolutely. Would be nice to see him acknowledge this statement on his Twitter account.

 

[sydney]

there are and were no racial implications in the letting go of CH.........of that i am certain.

 

[Eeyore]

I think this is one to quickly move on from now there has been an apology. Kick It Out are a fine organisation, this was a mistake made in frustration and yes, it did cause reputational damage which is when it can get legal. But I suspect the club would have been very reluctant to go all the way (even if they would have won in court, which is never certain) because they believe and demonstrate the values Kick It Out espouse. As you were, lessons learned I should imagine.

That was my thinking. Now it's best to let it go.

The unfortunate thing is it can give a flimsy platform for those who want to have a go at KIO.

 

[Nixonator]

Would be nice to see something similar from that plank Darren Lewis.

Doubt it, he is a proper ****.

Fairly sure I saw a #teamslikebrighton when sharing his wisdom.

 

[father_and_son]

No it's not. Managers come and go all the time, and it won't be long before CH gets another club. So no, its not a 'blow to BAME representation' because he is still a professional football manager, who is now doing what every other football manager on planet football does when it goes wrong at a club - find another one.

Bringing race into the sacking of CH is sending the wrong message out. If you sack a black manager your club will be labelled racist. Great job for motivating clubs to take on BAME managers, way to go.

The part that is damning is that two managers have lost their jobs at the same time and suddenly everyone asks the question, "where are the BAME managers?". The thing that is wrong here is that there should be enough BAME managers in the game and at the higher levels that two losing their jobs for entirely football related reasons doesn't generate this sort of attention, it's just two managers looking for a new club.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

The part that is damning is that two managers have lost their jobs at the same time and suddenly everyone asks the question, "where are the BAME managers?". The thing that is wrong here is that there should be enough BAME managers in the game and at the higher levels that two losing their jobs for entirely football related reasons doesn't generate this sort of attention, it's just two managers looking for a new club.

Yup, exactly.

 

[Seasider78]

I understand their frustrations Hughton is a great example to any aspiring BAME managers but as an organisation they should be championing clubs like the Albion as great examples of where colour will not hold you back if you want to progress.

The thinly veiled digs at the club in the article were very misguided and has resulted in a pretty embarrassing situation for an organisation that is already under pressure from players to be more effective.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Have you heard of unconscious bias, look it up its not just football it happens at big firms too. CH should not have got sacked for what he has achieved at a minimum he should have been given ten games at the start of the next season. Chris has been made a scapegoat, the recruiting method is shocking which Chris has little say on. He cracked on with what he was given and met his goals.

So what's your unconscious bias?

 

[Eeyore]

Absolutely. Would be nice to see him acknowledge this statement on his Twitter account.

He hasn't said it was racially motivated.

'Chris Hughton's sacking at Brighton was not because of the colour of his skin - but his exit leaves us with just two black managers in 92 clubs'

He, like Townsend, was showing their frustration at where an (in their view) poor decision has scuppered the flagship for BAME involvement.

I get it. That's why I'm not going to get angry about it. The debate is on the dismissal itself (Possibly the correct one- time will tell) and the timing of the announcement (I thought a bit poor).

 

[Doc Lynam]

Let’s see how much of the media follows up with the apologies piece!

It must be so counterproductive to employing managers of colour if you’re going to get hammered by elements of the media and campaign groups when a club makes a call to move on!

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

The part that is damning is that two managers have lost their jobs at the same time and suddenly everyone asks the question, "where are the BAME managers?". The thing that is wrong here is that there should be enough BAME managers in the game and at the higher levels that two losing their jobs for entirely football related reasons doesn't generate this sort of attention, it's just two managers looking for a new club.

I keep wondering about this element. What is enough? In 2011, 86% of the country was white. Now that may very well have changed (in fact, I imagine it has!), but that equates to around 10 BAME managers across the 72 clubs. Funnily enough, only 3.3% of the population was from black ethnic groups which equates to about 2.5 jobs, which were easily covered for much of this season by Campbell, Hughton, Chris Powell and Moore. The group who are most affected are the Asian community who don't have anyone managing in this country as far as I can tell. So what is enough? And how can coaches of other ethnicities be encouraged into management?

 

[Djmiles]

Let’s see how much of the media follows up with the apologies piece!

I’ll give you a hint. They won’t.

Spineless.

 

[Leegull]

He hasn't said it was racially motivated.

'Chris Hughton's sacking at Brighton was not because of the colour of his skin - but his exit leaves us with just two black managers in 92 clubs'

He, like Townsend, was showing their frustration at where an (in their view) poor decision has scuppered the flagship for BAME involvement.

I get it. That's why I'm not going to get angry about it. The debate is on the dismissal itself (Possibly the correct one- time will tell) and the timing of the announcement (I thought a bit poor).

“When players like Danny Rose say there is no point taking your badges, here’s an example of the reasons why”

For me that was the point that he crossed the line and implied that the sacking of Chris could have been linked to the colour of his skin. We all know that Danny Rose was talking solely about racism in football..

I’ve no problem with anything else that Darren has said on the subject, he’s entitled to his opinion like we all are but I personally think that the direction taken here in directly linking the sacking to that Danny Rose interview was wrong.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

I’ll give you a hint. They won’t.

Spineless.

BBC SE News just mentioned it

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Bold Seagull]

Let’s see how much of the media follows up with the apologies piece!

I didn't see anyone else even insinuate a link to our motivation for the sacking? Even Troy's was tenuous. The only media I have seen that has linked it conclusively is NSC.