Sign code or face boycott

TYRONE MINGS has warned that black players could boycott clubs that have not signed up to the FA’S new Football Leadership Diversity Code.

More than 40 clubs across the country have signed up to the code – launched yesterday – with Southampton the only Premier League club yet to put their name to it.

Aston Villa and England defender Mings, 27, believes that black players in future could decide not to sign for clubs that are not on board with the code – which aims to bring in equality, diversity and opportunity across both management and coaching positions within the men’s and women’s game.

Mings said: “That may be an issue those clubs may have to deal with in the future.

“Those difficult conversations around, ‘ Why haven’t you signed up?’ “It is something that would come into a player’s mind.

“You would want to ask the question why – if they see that one club has alienated itself by choosing not to sign up. Everybody will live and die by their decisions. Hopefully I don’t have to get to that point.”

He added: “I don’t know what the reasons are why Southampton would not sign up. You’d have to think it is not because they don’t want to increase diversity. You’d like to think it is not anything sinister.”

Saints said in a statement: “In 2020 Southampton achieved the Premier League’s Advanced Equality Standard at the first time of asking, the only club to have achieved this to date.

“We are wholly supportive of the code objectives.

“At this time the club consider it the most appropriate course of action to wait and understand how a revised Premier League Equality Standard and the code will work together.”

As part of the new code, the FA aim to see that 15 per cent of people in senior leadership and operations roles within clubs will be of black, Asian or mixed heritage groups, and 30 per cent of new hires will be female.

In men’s coaching at professional clubs, 25 per cent of new hires will be from BAME backgrounds, with 50 per cent in women’s professional clubs being female, and 15 per cent BAME.

In recruitment, shortlists for interview will have at least one male and one female of BAME heritage.

Mings added: “It feels like we have made real progress.”