The Football Black List has become the most respected celebration of African and Caribbean achievement in the British game – with our very own Michael Hamilton being rewarded for his dedication.
According to the Black Footballers partnership 43% of professional players in the Premier League are Black, and in the EFL the 34% are from Black communities. Despite this level of representation on the pitch in the men’s game – there is a worrying lack of representation in decision making positions across all areas of the game. In the women’s game representation on the pitch is significantly lower but the issues of under-representation off the pitch are similar.
To help address this and pay tribute to those in influential positions – the Football Black List shines a light on those who are inspiring the next generation.
Household names and highly respected people from the industry including – Rio Ferdinand OBE, Dame Heather Rabbatts CBE, Yaya Toure, Hope Powell CBE, Lord Ouseley, Marcus Rashford MBE, Eniola Aluko, Raheem Sterling MBE and Rachel Yankey OBE – have all featured on the list. They have been highlighted for their efforts away from the pitch, not their achievements on it.
We believe by highlighting role models – working across a wide range of positions in football – young people will be more encouraged to think about how they can get involved in the sport beyond the field of play.
The initiative, which has been supported by The FA, Premier League, Professional Footballers Association, English Football League, PGMOL, LMA and Kick It Out, also provides an opportunity to reflect on how diverse the football industry is, discuss the under representation of people from African and Caribbean backgrounds – and, most importantly, how to address this issue.
Vitally, the Football Black List also pays tribute to individuals making a difference within the community and at the grassroots level of the game.
Michael Hamilton said:
"To be nominated for the award is a great honour and when you look at some of the other names that have won it, it highlights the significance of the award. As you can imagine it came as a bit of a surprise, I found out on the eve of the FA Youth Cup game vs Leeds so didn’t really process it, until the day after.
"The award is an accumulation of hard work, high challenge, high support and great opportunities, every one that you work with and have done in the past adds to your growth and development and for that I want to thank everyone that has been part of my journey so far.
"The purpose of the award is brilliant, however it’s still a huge concern that we have to have an award that is specific to representing those of under-representation / ethnic minorities, this is bigger than football and is a societal issue that football just ‘exposes’ there is still so much work to do."
2022 Football Black List winners:
Players
Andre Gray, Aris and Jamaica; Bukayo Saka, Arsenal FC and England; Charlotte Lynch, Leyton Orient Women; Marcus Rashford, Manchester United and England; Raheem Sterling, Chelsea FC and England
Administration
Deji Davies, The FA; Jobi McAnuff, The FA; Les Ferdinand, QPR; Maheta Molango, PFA; Sarah Gregorius, FIFPRO
Coaching and Management
Aubrey Rogers, Liverpool FC; Danetta Powell, Birmingham City FC; Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace FC; Paul Nevin, West Ham United and England; Vincent Kompany, Burnley FC
Commercial
Akinola Fashola, West Ham United FC; Akua Agyemfra, Merky and The Balley Consultancy
Freda Ayisi, Content Creator; Liseli Sitali, Sky Sports; Sofia Thomas, Juno Sports Tax
Community and Grassroots
Andrew Lovelace, Watford Ladies FC.
Habib Olorukoba-Oseni, Cray Wanderers and Welling United Deaf FC; Kerry Phillips, Saving Souls FC; Simon Hyacinth, FURD; Trisha Lewis, Romance FC
LGBTQ+
Dr. Michael Seeraj, Charlton Athletic Community Trust; Lianne Sanderson, talkSPORT
Media
Carl Anka, The Athletic; Fatou Jeng, BT Sport; Jemma Archer, Whisper Productions; Pippa Monique, The Football Mum Podcast; Nelson Kumah, BBC Sport
Practitioners
Ciaran Baxendale, Football Beyond Borders; Iffy Onoura, Premier League
Lauren Impey, PGMOL; Michael Hamilton, AFC Wimbledon; Dr. Paul Campbell, University of Leicester
Ugo Ehiogu's Ones To Watch
Cordell Lake-Benjamin, Palace for Life Foundation; Debra Nelson, Football Beyond Borders; J'nae Ward, Refresh Sport Consultancy and Productions; Siham Abdullahi, Buzz 16; Tyra Mills, Kinetic Foundation