Professional Footballers’ Association Equalities and Education Executive Jason Lee has been named a leading practitioner in the 2020 Football Black List, a celebration of the most influential Black people in football.
Jason is an integral part of the PFA Equalities team who have highlighted several racial disparities in football this year. This includes a landmark PFA-funded study on racial bias in football commentary that found stark differences between the way commentators described players with lighter and darker skin tones. Following the publication of the study's findings, Jason helped train sporting broadcasters across the industry during a PFA and BBC Sport webinar focused on avoiding racial bias. Webinar attendees were made aware of the career-limiting impact racial stereotypes can have on players and encouraged to stop using racially insensitive words and phrases.
Founded in 2008 by sports journalists Leon Mann and Rodney Hinds, the Football Black List highlights positive Black role models across several different categories in the sport including Administration, Coaching & Management, Community and Media. Several current professional footballers join Jason on the list, under the Cyrille Regis Players category, primarily for their work highlighting pressing social issues.
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford deservedly makes the list for his tireless campaign against child food poverty in the UK. Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings and Watford striker Troy Deeney appear on the list for their work challenging racial injustice and Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha is commended for his support of NHS workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic.
Women feature heavily on the list too, with Crystal Palace Women's goalkeeper, Chloe Morgan, The FA’s Edleen John and Aston Villa Women sporting director Eniola Aluko all receiving mentions.
The list shines a light on deserving community representatives throughout football, including those at the grassroots level of the game who often go unnoticed. It is compiled by Black community and football industry leaders, who vote independently on nominations made by the public. The panel includes representation from across all football’s major stakeholders, with Head of Equalities Simone Pound representing the PFA.
Football Black List co-founder Leon Mann said, "The global Black Lives Matter protests have made the game reflect on its own diversity and relationship with Black communities. The Football Black List provides a snapshot of the wonderful contribution the Black community makes to the national sport. We hope it inspires the next generation of Black leaders to follow those listed and the initiative helps encourage the football industry to put diversity at the top of the agenda.”
All those on the list will receive an award at a soon to be announced online celebration.
Here is the full Football Black List 2020.
Cyrille Regis Players:
Chloe Morgan, Crystal Palace Women
Marcus Rashford MBE, Manchester United
Troy Deeney, Watford FC Tyrone Mings, Aston Villa
Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace
Administration:
Edleen John, Director of International Relations, Corporate Affairs and Diversity - The FA Eniola Aluko, Sporting Director - Aston Villa FC Women
Jade Morgan, General Manager - Leicester City Women
Les Ferdinand MBE, Director of Football - Queens Park Rangers
Marie Gabriel CBE, Trustee - West Ham United Foundation
Coaching and Management:
Alex Dyer, Manager - Kilmarnock FC
Ashley Bosah & Cornelius Nwadialor, Joint Managers - Tooting & Mitcham FC
Jason Euell, Under 23 Head Coach - Charlton Athletic FC
Karleigh Osborne, Women's Head Coach - Brentford FC
Tony Whelan, Assistant Academy Director - Manchester United
Commercial:
Ashanti George-Faure, Senior Talent Manager - Refresh Sports
Faïna Msellem, Sports Industry Advisory Board Member - Birkbeck Sport Business Centre Marvin Morgan, CEO - Fresh Ego Kid
Nathan Thompson, Commercial Director - West Ham United
Warren Haughton, Director, Haughton Consultancy
Community and Grassroots:
Diane Sawyers, Operations Manager - Holford Drive Community Sports Hub
Duke Harrison-Hunter, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer - Pompey in the Community
Emma Trent, Head of Programmes - Notts County Football in the Community
Harold Bennett, Founder - North London United
Dr Michael Seeraj, Head of Equality Diversity & Inclusion - Charlton Athletic FC
LGBT+:
Annette Nelson, Education Lead - Football v Homophobia
Media:
Carl Anka, Football Reporter - The Athletic
Charlene Gravesande, Special Projects Journalist - Sky Sports
Hugh Woozencroft, Sports Broadcaster - talkSPORT
Jessica Creighton, Sports Reporter - Sky Sports
Micah Richards, Freelance Broadcaster
Practitioners:
Hayley Bennett, Founder - WeAreNutmegs
Jason Lee, Equalities Education Executive - PFA
Marvin Robinson, CEO - Peterborough United Foundation
Dr Matt Ogunsanya, Club Doctor - Watford FC
Sam Allison, National Group Referee - PGMOL
The PFA would like to congratulate Jason Lee, the current and former players and all the other worthy football leaders who made this years list.
