YORKSHIRE HAS LOST ITS SPARK
I THINK Patrick Vieira (right) really is an amazing man.
He was a truly great player and he is a decent coach.
He was proud to be named on the Football Black List this week, a recognition for the professional work of aspiring black personalities working in football.
Whilst clearly some progress has been made, isn’t it embarrassing that whilst 43 per cent of Premier League players in the men’s game are black, Vieira is the only black top-flight manager.
Zero
And there is absolutely zero representation for black professional managers in the WSL.
I think British football needs to stop looking (below) to say the right things to garner positive headlines and needs to start working seriously at addressing this issue.
England was at its imperial worst when it was white men calling the shots and top-flight football can only truly take off when the positions of power in the boardrooms and dugouts reflect the gender and race of the country.
I CAN’T BELIEVE people aren’t talking about how England’s biggest county, Yorkshire — which is a massive 15,000 square kilometres and home to some of England’s most famous football clubs — has turned into the home for Yorkshire puddings when it comes to winning football trophies.
Did you know that no team from Yorkshire has ever won the Premier League.
That’s extraordinary when you consider the home of Leeds United and cities such as Sheffield, Bradford, Hull call Yorkshire home.
Let’s face it, even little old Huddersfield Town won an incredible hat-trick of consecutive First Division titles under the management of the brilliant Herbert Chapman, who then went on to work his magic at Arsenal.
Third
Many people don’t know that Middlesbrough is in Yorkshire.
It took Middlesbrough 128 years to win their first ever trophy.
Surely Leeds and the Sheffield clubs don’t just have an ambition to compete, but to win silverware.
But let’s remember, Sheffield Wednesday are in the third division, League One.
Sold
And whilst Sheffield United are close to being sold to a billionaire and will be back in the Premier League next season, it’s now over half a century since a Yorkshire club even won the FA Cup — when Leeds’ Alan Clarke sniffed out a 53rd minute winner against Arsenal in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley.
Yorkshire clubs need to stop being Yorkshire puddings and find a way to get back to winning trophies.
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