Friday 14 November 2014 11:25, UK
The Premier League is to fund an initiative aiming to help increase the number of coaches from black and ethnic minority (BME) communities in football.
A meeting of 20 club chairmen on Thursday agreed unanimously to finance a scheme that every year will see six of 23 coach apprentice places reserved for coaches from BME backgrounds.
A further three places will be given to female coaches and it is hoped the scheme will boost the number of new coaches with the UEFA Pro Licence qualification and from the BME communities as well.
The announcement comes after increasing pressure on the sport to respond to alarming figures of the low number of black coaches and managers in the game.
A report carried out by the Sports People's Think Tank on Monday revealed BME coaches fill only 3.4 per cent of positions in England, despite making up 25 per cent of professional players.
The report said English football should set a target of at least 20 per cent of professional coaches being from BME backgrounds by 2020 and should consider introducing a form of the 'Rooney rule' which would oblige clubs to have at least one BME candidate on shortlists for every coaching vacancy.
The Football Association is also preparing measures to drive towards its target of 10 per cent of coaches coming from a BME background.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink this week became only the third black manager in the Football League alongside Huddersfield's Chris Powell and Carlisle's Keith Curle.
