‘WE NEED EQUALITY AT WORK’
JACK CORK was in a rush to complete his £10million move to Burnley and join his new team-mates at their Irish training camp.
Cork, 28, finalised the paperwork of his switch from Swansea with Clarets officials at Manchester Airport before jetting to Dublin.
The midfielder (left), who had two loan spells with the Clarets, has agreed a four-year deal. CHRIS POWELL admits he is able to understand the growing anger surrounding the continued lack of interviews for black managers.
Kick It Out chairman Lord Herman Ouseley has called for sanctions for clubs still overlooking black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates for jobs.
A BAME pilot project saw 11 academy jobs go to their candidates last season.
And while praising the introduction of the scheme, Lord Ouseley has called the lack of progress higher up the chain “shameful”.
Ex-England defender Powell left Derby in March, and said: “People are unhappy. I can see why they are pushing for sanctions. This is about equality in the workplace.
“The EFL have made a positive move, but it’s quite clear that some clubs are aspiring to it and others are not. Some are saying the right things, but are clearly doing the same things they have always done.
“Look, the pilot has helped some BAME coaches to get employment, but that has been at academy level. I have been interviewed since I left Derby. I’d like to think that’s because of my experience but I don’t know. They went a different way. I’ve got no problem with that. But so many people are not even getting the interviews.”
All 72 clubs in the EFL signed up to the version of the Rooney Rule being trialled in England last season for academy vacancies. Ten clubs volunteered to extend it to first-team jobs. Of those 10, only Birmingham, Chesterfield, Coventry and Wolves changed managers during the 2016-17 season.
While those clubs made eight managerial changes during the season there were just two occasions when the rule was put into effect and a BAME coach was interviewed.
Powell added: “My heart sinks. It really does. And it will do again next year when we will be no further forward.”