This year when Paul Ince became manager of Blackburn he was very careful not to be too critical of the white chairmen who for years avoided employed black managers, after all, he would not wish to bite the hand that feeds him, but there is no question that British Football Fraternity have been very sloth in recognize the ability of people of colour to become managers of high profile teams.

When Morell Maison was sacked as manager of Kettering Town FC in 2005 he bounced back with a new job at Halesowen Town FC in 2007 and not only kept his managerial career alive but also raised the flag for the scarce black presence among English football managers in the UK.

Morell was brought in to rescue the side's season after ex-England midfielder Paul Gascoigne had been sacked as manager of Kettering in December 2005. He excelled himself by winning 11 of the remaining 12 matches, steering them to within one league place of the lucrative Blue Square North League play-offs.

Success like this is nothing new for Morell. Born in Hackney to Guyanese parents, he fell in love with the game when he was five and had enjoyed a consistently successful managerial career at Sunday League level before being ensured that his future was at Kettering. Whether or not qualification into the play-offs would have guaranteed his stay is not clear, but his harsh and surprising disposal didn't stub his reputation and Halesowen FC saw in him a man with shrewd intellect and an acute eye for young talent.

Among a handful of black English managers in the game today, coverage of his success has inevitably provoked the question of why there are so few. The highest placed black manager in the Football League is Paul Ince - the first black player to captain England - who last season took Milton Keynes Dons into the third tier of English football and in doing so landed him the vacant role at Premier League Blackburn.

The fact that white contemporaries such as Roy Keane or Gareth Southgate, who, arguably, boast of no more accomplished careers, started in management at the country's top clubs, while Ince has had to learn his trade from the bottom, is an indication of the up-hill struggle demanded of black football managers in the UK today.

Though the sport's reputation has been severely scarred by an ugly history of racism, many feel that this is no longer a racial issue. In unison with America's civil rights movement, the game began increasingly (if begrudgingly at first) accepting more black players.

During the 1966 World Cup, Pele and Eusebio's achievements on the pitch turned them into role models, sparking a change in attitude. The 70s and 80s saw a 'black explosion' that drastically increased the presence of black people in all sports, but, generally speaking, spectators resisted, taunting black players with monkey chants while throwing peanuts and bananas onto the pitch.

While the Italian and Spanish leagues are still combating intolerance, in England the game has generally stepped into the light, as signified by the increasing support for the Lets Kick Racism Out Of Football campaign.

The English game is exemplary in its condemnation of prejudice, but while black players make up 25% of professionals, black managers, coaches or owners are usually confined to the lower leagues. This is highlighted by the fact that fewer than 1% of senior coaching staff at the 92 league clubs in the top four leagues are black.

It is a well documented problem and initiatives are being put in place to encourage more equal opportunities. The Premier League has introduced a 'racial equality standard' which 14 of the 20 participating clubs have signed up to, while England's governing body, the Football Association, has been more proactive in setting up a black coach's forum whereby black players nearing retirement can seek advice on moving into management.

Such earnest attempts to improve the number of black English managers can only do so much when undermined by the infrequency of successful black managers like Paul Ince or Morell Maison.

Not one to shy from expressing his opinions, Morell, a father of three, has on more than one occasion articulated the need for more retired black players to bring their success with them into management or ownership.

"People get confused when they see how represented we are in terms of players”, he says, “but the number of black managers and coaches in English football is not prolific. I can only think of about a dozen."

With the likes of Ronaldinho and Thiery Henry raising the profile of the black player on the international stage and equal opportunities being encouraged, aspiring black players should be able to continue their career into management uninhibited.

But, in his typically astute manner, Morell points out that in reality football is an extremely competitive business. Even black ex-England international John Barnes floundered when appointed manager of Celtic in Scotland and has since stepped back into punditry instead.

"People from all walks of life struggle to get into football. You've got to be very careful when racial undertones are used to justify the reputation of any group where talent inevitably rises to the top.

"I strongly believe that chairmen or owners of clubs will employ the people who will do the best for them, and I don't for one minute think that they will be discriminative.

"There are complex logistical issues and there is also the fact that there aren't many black managers to choose from. Most black players go home when they retire."

He believes that established black personalities like John Barnes must take more responsibility on such an issue.

"Black stars like Luther Blissett, John Barnes and Les Ferdinand excelled in their playing careers, but they didn't become owners or managers. How can you shout out at that system if you're not playing a part yourself?"

Morell, who resides in Milton Keynes, is certainly playing his part, not just by being a black manager, but, more importantly, by being successful as well. Ignoring the allure of interested clubs in the leagues above, he hopes to build on a positive first season with Halesowen Town FC and take them onwards and upwards himself.

Despite shining like a beacon for change and, moreover, representing the triumph of potential over disappointment, Morell Maison is hesitant to see his success as the possible catalyst for large scale transformation of the attitudes and possibilities of Black English football managers.

"I think there are others better placed than me to make a change, but as a manager it is naturally part of my profile to inspire others.

"In terms of inspiring other black managers, nothing highlights a manager like success, but I want to encourage people to think, 'if he can do it, then I can do it too.'"

By Joe Henegan

Image copyright: joshuamaisonphotography.co.uk 2008

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