Hideously diverse Britain: why so few black football managers?
America has found a way to give minority coaches a leg-up.
Perhaps we should try it too  Tea-time in a north London cafe
and I'm learning things. The Rooney rule applies to football,
not British but American, and it has nothing to do with the hulk
who plays for Manchester United. It is, Paul Davis tells me, the
basis of a sporting revolution and marks the contribution of Dan
Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Rooney, chair of
the diversity committee for the NFL – which runs football in the
US – was the prime mover towards a system that says shortlists
to fill head coach vacancies must include minority candidates.
No obligation to employ them. Just an obligation to ensure they
get a look in. The Rooney rule was established in 2003. By 2006,
the number of minority coaches had shot up from 6% to 22%.  So
how do we fare in our national game? Not well, says Davis, who
speaks with the authority and precision he once displayed in
midfield fo