LEON MANN

Time to embrace mixed-race heritage

2009-07-11T16:15:00.002+01:00

It was a moment that will live long in our memories and be cemented in history. The inauguration of Barack Obama means many things to many people, not least those who have struggled against racism and inequality in their lives.

Maybe the racism I have experienced, as the son of a white father and a black mother, explained why this moment was so profound to me. The verbal abuse I once suffered from ignorant strangers will never leave me. Nor will the treatment of my ancestors - and the legacy that left.
I certainly never envisioned ever seeing a non-white as the American President in my lifetime. Like many, I think this offered real hope to the marginalised.

As President Obama said in his speech, if someone who may not have been served in a restaurant 50 years ago can become President the ambitions of those once persecuted for their ethnicity surely can know no bounds.

Now the most powerful man in the world, President Obama has also helped to open up the discussion on people of mixed race.

Much has been made of his background - it is now well known that his mother was from Kansas and his father from Kenya.

However, the media have variously described him as black, mixed-race and African-American - frustrating sections of communities for different reasons.

Those in favour of mixed-race felt using black ignored his white heritage. Others preferred black, feeling mixed-race was a divisive term and a way of downplaying black achievement. Some went as far as to tell me that it was a term used to divide and rule.

"African-American" appeared to be a safe bet. At his first press conference as President Elect, Obama threw in the term "mutt" to cause greater confusion. Self-deprecation or taking ownership of an abusive term? Only he really knows.

As someone with a black mother and white father I felt a personal frustration that there was no agreed way of describing him across the media at the time. I wondered, had no one asked him? Or Lewis Hamilton, when he won the F1 Championship for that matter?

Rarely was I ever asked to define myself - instead I was offered various labels by others who seemed to see broaching this subject as too sensitive, maybe expecting a horror story about my conception.

I grew up in north London. My father Terry is from England, and my mother Beverley was born in Jamaica.

Speaking to my parents about the term "mixed race" I learnt even they had differing views on the issue. My father felt dual heritage was a better term than mixed-race; my mother preferred black in my case.

Obama himself used the term "mutt" to describe his ethnicityMy father said: "Certainly there were nowhere near the numbers of children from mixed-race relationships around when we got together in the early 1970s. The whole self-esteem thing is a crucial thing for me; [it's about] having a positive identity."

I've always felt most comfortable describing myself as black politically, but mixed-race culturally. Promoting the positive sides of both of my heritages was an important issue for my parents.

My mother told me: "When I made a cake, I made sure I put a black character image on it."

I was a product of the 70s. My friends Josh and Natalie have a mixed-race child whom they only see as "Ruby". At six, she's a product of the new millennium.

"I see Ruby as Ruby - no colour, no race, even though I know in my mind she is mixed-race," says Josh.

"Obviously I want her to feel comfortable describing herself as she wants to," adds Natalie. "But I would just like her to be aware of her history."

But, pushed to define her in racial terms when filling out forms, they are unequivocal that she is mixed-race - a possibility census forms did not allow me until 2001. I had to make do with "other" - whatever that meant.

Organisations including the Multiple Heritage Project, People in Harmony and Intermix have been working hard to encourage discussion and awareness around mixed people - not just those from African-Caribbean backgrounds but other mixed backgrounds too.

Their work has been questioned by some, but welcomed by many who are ready to discuss their identity and experience as different to that of "mono-racial" friends and colleagues.

I cannot help but wonder if people who are role models for young people today -such as Hamilton, Rio Ferdinand, and Leona Lewis (all mixed-race) - started talking more about their backgrounds, it would breed more confidence in youngsters to feel comfortable defining themselves - instead of being told what they should be.

I certainly would have appreciated more discussion about people of mixed race as a youngster.
Mixed-race is the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the country, some figures projecting that by 2020 this group will be the largest minority in the UK.

A study released as recently as last week claimed that one in 10 children in the UK lives in a mixed-race family. If that isn't good enough reason to start talking about this issue, then I'm not sure what is.

Published on BBC News website

What makes Usain Bolt tick?

2009-07-11T16:09:00.002+01:00

The Beijing Olympics could not have asked for a more captivating character than Usain Bolt.

Three gold medals, three world records and some memorably exuberant celebrations provided a potent cocktail of athletic excellence and uninhibited emotion that just blew us away.

Most people know that Bolt hates training - and loves fast food and late-night partying. But as he gets his 2009 outdoor season under way, does anyone know what really makes him tick?

After spending the best part of a week with the triple Olympic champion in Jamaica recently, meeting his friends and family, I got a chance to find out.

Music is a big part of Jamaican culture and perhaps unsurprisingly, Bolt was at his most relaxed at The Quad nightclub in Kingston.

To say the 22-year-old was in his element is an understatement. With his sunglasses perched on top of his head, singing along to his favourite tracks and calling out for a "reload!", he could not have been happier.

And it's fair to say that Bolt takes his dancing almost as seriously as his sprinting!

While he is travelling the world competing he practises his moves in the mirror, listening to the latest reggae dancehall tracks on his iPod, sent to him by his brother.

It helps him relax away from the rigours of training and intense competition. Bolt is a man who values downtime.

The partying doesn't bother those closest to him. His manager and mentor Norman Peart could not help but smile broadly as he told me: "He partied a lot last year and look at the success!

"I guess it works for him. He arrives at the club at two in the morning and leaves at five - so it's not like 10 hours wild partying or anything."

Few know Bolt as well as Peart. It seems like he's the cog that holds the Bolt engine together. A full-time government tax auditor, he's very much been an unsung hero in the world-record holder's story.

Peart has mentored Bolt since the age of 15, helping him with his studies as well as his training. He always knew Bolt had a gift, although there were times he questioned his application.
But after seeing his young protégé run 20.25 seconds in the 200m final of the Jamaican High School Championships in 2003, he began to plan out a strategy.

"After that 20.25 you dream big and I thought he needed a certain structure around him. We kept it small but effective," Peart enthused.

The plans certainly paid dividends. His strategy has seen disciplinarian coach Glen Mills take charge of Bolt's training and PACE Sports Management's Ricky Simms become the young star's competition agent.

Bolt was born with scoliosis - a condition in which the spine is curved from side to side and something that has led to a series of injuries in his career.

Peart paid particular attention to addressing the problem and keeping Bolt's engine well oiled.
A masseuse never leaves the sprinter's side, travelling all over the world with him, warming him up before and after training and at every race.

"We don't let anyone else touch him, and to keep on top of [the condition] he has two or three check-ups a year with a specialist in Germany," said Peart.

Before Peart took on a young Usain he insisted on meeting with his parents to get a measure of where the youngster was coming from. I travelled back to where that first meeting took place, the Bolt family home.

Outside the house there are signs of their son's success. An extension is being finished off, doubling the size of the house, and a new wall is being built by the road.

Inside, the house is modest with Usain's trophies and medals won as a youngster taking pride of place beside the television.

His mother, Jennifer, recalled her earliest memories of Usain.

"He was very strong", she beamed. "At three weeks old he fell off the bed when I had left the room, and by the time I got back he was pushing himself around the place. It was from there that we noticed he was hyperactive!"

Down the road at the family's grocery shop his father, Wellesley, sported a President Obama baseball cap and, between serving customers rice, vegetables and fish, told me his son's hyperactivity as a child was a cause for concern.

"Once I had to take him to the doctor because I did not realise what was happening.

"But the doctor reassured me that he was just hyperactive and I should be careful with him by the road."

Bolt regularly goes home to Sherwood Content in Trelawny to visit his parents and confesses it's one of the places he can "just go and be himself".

They are humble people from the countryside - respect, good manners and honesty are important to them.

The post-race showboating doesn't worry his parents. He earned the right to be a little flashy - and guess who taught him how to dance so well...

The influence of his parents is clear. He manages to succeed where so many sportsmen and women fail, combining confidence with a courteous manner.

The only cause for concern to those who know him best is his need for speed. Not on the track, but on the road.

Peart and Simms were so worried that they insisted Bolt took specialist driving lessons in Germany to learn how to handle a powerful BMW.

Despite this, those fears were realised last month when the man known to Jamaican taxi drivers as 'lead foot' had a narrow escape from a serious car accident. The BMW is no more.

Since Beijing, Bolt has become a national treasure and the Jamaican government have even assigned two undercover policemen to be by his side at all times.

The softly spoken officers, both the same age as Bolt, wear trainers, jeans and baggy T-shirts.
They told me no-one would dare trouble Bolt; the people love him too much.

The bulk of their work is making sure his fans don't get too excited when they see him and ensuring Bolt doesn't spend too much time signing autographs.

In many ways Bolt is the archetypal 20-something, finding his way in life while having a good time so, given his position of fame, it makes the roles of those around him that much more important.

The talents he possesses are a combination of fortune and hard work. But essentially it is the combination of the individuals around him that have kept him on track.
From his parents and mentor to his agent and coach they've all played a part in keeping Bolt ticking.

Published on BBC Sport wesbite

Charity begins at home for NBA star

2009-07-11T16:05:00.001+01:00

One of the NBA’s most celebrated stars arrived in the USA from the Democratic Republic of Congo as a lanky teenager with dreams of becoming a doctor. In 2007 he returned with $10 million of his own money to build the country’s first new hospital in more than 40 years.

Dikembe Mutombo is to basketball what Paolo Maldini is to football. A defensive rock, and at 42 one of the oldest players in the league. The Congolese star currently plays for the Houston Rockets and has won NBA defensive player of the year on 4 occasions. He is also the second most prolific shot blocker in the NBA’s history.

Speaking exclusively to the Voice of Sport, Mutombo, declares proudly, “I love America, but I never forget home.” But it is his actions, not just his words that truly reflect the dedication of the 7ft 2 basketball stars commitment to ‘home’.

In 1997 he set up the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation. A charitable organization dedicated to raising money and awareness of the plight of the people of the Congo – a country where civil war has seen millions killed and TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS are a constant threat.

Through relentless campaigning and the support of organizations including the NBA Mutombo realized a life long dream and flew back to Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo, to open the Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital, named after his mother. He had fundraised $19 million and donated $10 million from his own pocket to make his dream a reality.

However, the Rockets defensive veteran insists he still has more work to do.

“I’m just doing my best as an international basketball player from Congo and I believe if each of us tries to do a little bit more beyond the court then we can be part of a solution.

“It would be great if the world powers could help to bring together all the different parties who are warring against each other. To help them try and find a resolution to the problems. There is so much killing going on, and raping of women – it’s not good.”

So what was it like growing up in the Congo for Mutombo?

“Despite some of the problems there were then I enjoyed growing up there. I didn’t play too much basketball back then – just a little bit in my senior year at high school. A lot of things have changed now. When I was there, there were no elections. Now there are democratic elections to elect government. So that has been a positive.”

Playing alongside some of the richest stars in the NBA you could be forgiven for assuming all the talk is about the latest super cars and expensive holiday homes. But according to Mutombo this isn’t the case.

“The NBA is very international with players from all over the world. When there are problems (in Congo) reported in the media my team mates will ask me about the situation. They are interested. They ask questions about my project and a few players have been to different parts of Africa to help out where they can.”

An international player Mutombo speaks fondly of is British NBA star, Luol Deng. A Chicago Bulls player born in Sudan, who arrived with his family in South London seeking asylum as a teenager.

“He has shown the world that if you work very hard you can get to the NBA. I talk to him a lot and think he’s a very courageous young man. I think the pain and the suffering he went through has been one of the things that has helped him drive forward in the NBA. His background has taught him to be strong when things are tough.”

Find out more about the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation at www.dmf.org

Published in The Voice, 9/02/09

South Africa’s Golden Boy – Uniting a Country

2009-01-05T17:36:00.002Z

He is the fastest man in rugby, a World Champion, a record try scorer and last year’s International Rugby Board player of the year. Perhaps more importantly he is also a much needed ambassador for a country still overcoming a negative past.

Smiling broadly on a bitterly cold day in Berkshire, South African star Bryan Habana tells me that rugby is now playing a key role in helping to unify a country once torn apart by apartheid. He can think of no better example than the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final, where South Africa beat New Zealand on home soil.

“Being able to watch the final with my Dad at Ellis Park was very special to me”, he says reminiscing. “With those role models stood there I wanted to grow up and make my contribution to what is a great country, a unique country and a very diverse country and be the same type of person who was able to break down barriers and lend to the building of a better nation”.

An iconic image from that day was of Nelson Mandela proudly wearing a Springboks shirt and cap. When Mandela presented South Africa captain Francois Pieenar with the trophy - at a time when rugby was considered one of the last bastions of white supremacy in the country - this act transcended the game.

“The way he (Nelson Mandela) brought people together, the way he unassumingly put Pieenar’s jersey on … after spending 27 years in prison, with no grudges and just wanting to help South Africa become a better place - that was very special for me”, says the 25 year old.

That day South Africa had just one black player in the team. Today they field as many as eight and Habana is very much the golden boy. Both black and white fans idolize the man. The team are also led by Peter De Villiers - a black manager – and seven of their twelve backroom staff are non white. Habana believes the diversity of the team is on merit.

“It really is a true rainbow nation now. It all started with Jake White (former coach) – before his era there was a lot of talk about transformation and giving quotas (of non white players) a run but at the end of the day whether you are black or white you are playing for the Sprinboks and you don’t want to be called a quota.”

The South African Rugby Federation (SARF) haven’t always helped matters. Habana refuses to criticize them but at the time of De Villiers appointment the President of SARF told the media the decision was ‘not entirely made for rugby reasons’.

“People talk about a political appointment but besides Jake White, Peter was the only other South African coach to win an Under 21 World Cup, and that speaks for itself”, he says passionately. “The Springboks won for the first time ever in New Zealand this year, we got a record score against England at Twickenham and it’s the first time the Springboks won all their end of year tour games - which last happened in 1997. So he’s done well and at the end of the day when his report card is being looked at I think the guys upstairs will be very happy.”

As our interview continues you can see Habana is feeling the cold. He currently plays his club rugby for the Blue Bulls in South Africa and a number of Guinness Premiership sides are queuing up for his services. So will he swap the South African sunshine for the English winter weather?

“I’ll never say never. But I’ve still got a lot to contribute in my home country”, he says with a shiver.

I put it to him that his contribution means a lot to black people outside of his country too. But he doesn’t wish to focus on colour – he feels just by talking in those terms can breed further segregation.

“By doing what I do, hopefully I inspire a generation of South Africans and not a generation based on colour. We need to break down walls and achieve success as a nation”.

Cipriani’s role is BLACK and WHITE

2008-12-05T21:10:00.002Z

Lewis Hamilton, Theo Walcott, David Haye and Danny Cipriani are all leading mixed race sports stars.

Cipriani’s inclusion in that list may well raise a few eyebrows – although the familiar Trinidadian surname will give his background away to those from the island.

The England rugby star tells me, “most people look at me and think I’m Italian or something”, but it doesn’t take long before his straight talking and confidence clearly convey his West Indian roots. It is the same confidence which has helped to set him apart from his peers. The man tipped to replace Jonny Wilkinson as the golden boy of rugby union is more than a bit special.

Cipriani’s Trinidadian father, Jay, now lives in the West Indies and the England fly half says he is more than familiar with the Islands. “I spent a lot of my early years in Trinidad”, Cipriani enthuses. “I used to go in the school holidays for between six to eight weeks every year to see all my cousins, aunts and uncles. We used to have massive family get togethers and have the best time ever. My whole family on my Trinidadian side is black and I feel very mixed race and that's what I always put down on any forms because I'm very proud of it.”

And there is not a flicker of hesitation when asked what his favourite Trinidadian dish is, “Roti... Goat roti! I like that one best”, he beams.

It was his enthusiasm for Trinidad that brought him together with Touraid - a children's charity that brings schools and rugby clubs in the UK together with similar organisations around the globe that support disadvantaged young people. A team from Trinidad are involved for the first time this year and Cipriani was keen to be an ambassador for the youngsters visiting the UK.

“I think this is probably the first trip these guys from Trinidad have had outside of their own country so it's great that they'll spend a week with some other kids and experience a different culture”, he says.

Aware of both sides of his heritage, Cipriani nods his head and chuckles as we discuss having to tick the box labeled ‘other’ when filling out forms that fail to recognize mixed race people. He’s proud of his background and hopes he and other black rugby stars can attract more members of the community to play the game.

“I would love to be a role model for the black community - but obviously people look at me and don't see it. But there are also a lot of black and mixed race people who can see it. I hope I can be a role model in the community because I would have been in a completely different place if it wasn't for both my mum and my dad.”

But the 20 year old, who has just returned from a career threatening injury, hasn’t always made the headlines for sporting reasons. A catalogue of kiss and tell stories in the tabloid press, getting dropped from the England team after being pictured at a wine bar the night before a game and his relationship with television star Kelly Brook have dominated the front pages.

Despite all of this he comes across as sensible, grounded and uninterested in what others may think. He looks just as comfortable chatting away to starry eyed youngsters while signing autographs as he does answering questions from the press. He says he owes his success to his parents, particularly his mother, Anne, a black cab driver who worked long hours to find the money to send him to private school.

“If it wasn't for my mum then I wouldn't have gone to the nice school and been able to take part in what I wanted to do. She wanted me to be a doctor and I always wanted to play rugby so that's where we had our slight differences. But I owe her everything.”

Rio Ferdinand - Living the Dream

2008-06-25T13:49:00.004+01:00

Most Premier League footballers are stretched out on a beach now, so it’s hardly an unfamiliar sight to see Manchester United and England defender, Rio Ferdinand, in the departure lounge Heathrow. His destination would have raised a few eyebrows though.

Ferdinand, who won the Champions League and Premier League double this year, was heading to one of Africa’s largest and busiest cities - Lagos in Nigeria. He was on a mission to use the power of the game to help raise the aspirations of millions of young people, but why Africa? “I’ve always been aware and conscious of Africa and other parts of the world,” he says.

Not since the visit of football icon Pelé over 30 years ago had a top international football star come to the West African country – home of the Super-Eagles. I was given exclusive access to the most expensive defender in the world on the trip courtesy of NVA Management.

A weary Ferdinand, flanked by security guards, landed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in the early hours. He was immediately mobbed by hundreds of fans and members of the Nigerian media as he attempted to make his way from the arrivals gate to a car, waiting to whisk him away to his hotel. Officials from the Lagos State say that it is the kind of reception very few dignitaries or celebrities receive in Nigeria, but Ferdinand is already a very special man here – so special that within 36 hours of touching down Ferdinand received yet another title.

The traditional ruler of Lagos, King Rilwan Akiolu, bestowed the title “Chief Fiwagboye,” on Ferdinand at his palace in Lagos. Fiwagboye means: “Character maketh wealth,” explained the King explained to his most recent Chief. “To be honest, I was a little embarrassed to be named a Chief,” says Ferdinand. “I'm not sure I’m worthy but it is something to be proud of really. It’s something to tell the lads. I’m sure they’ll be very happy to call me Chief.”

Having visited an orphanage and launched a Street Soccer tournament, aimed at encouraging young Nigerians to exercise more regularly, he finds time in his busy schedule to explain to me why he chose to come to Nigeria and where his motivation to work with young people comes from.

“I came here to inspire children, I feel obliged to give them hope that they can become important people, not only in football but in life as well,” he says. “I could always see myself doing something like this, even when I was a lot younger. I always had a vision of setting up an academy or community based project in different parts of England and then try to take that model into other countries. I’ve always thought about stuff like this. I’m sure lots of other people have too, but it’s about doing it. I think now is the right time for me to start making these ideas become a reality.”

And what of the reception he received from the Nigerian public? “I’ve found Nigeria very warm and welcoming,” he says with affection. “The people have been very, very nice to me since I arrived. I think they are somewhat surprised that I’ve come over here and didn’t really expect it to happen. But as I’ve said to those who thought I wouldn’t come, I grew up in Peckham – which is like a mini Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, Caribbean island all in one. It’s nice to come and see different parts of the world and see what all my mates have been talking about as kids growing up.”

Ferdinand always makes a point of not only posing for pictures but making a speech at the projects he visits in Nigeria. He speaks from the heart with confidence and talks at length about his home – Peckham. “Having grown up on the estates I’ve always said I would never forget about my area and where I was from,” he says. He still returns to South London regularly. His experiences of growing up on his estate shaped the vision for a charitable organization the “Rio Ferdinand - Live the Dream Foundation” that he will launch later this year.

“Going back to my estate and keeping in contact with people I grew up with is important to me,” he says explaining why this is a mission very dear to him. “On my estate there were a lot of people that worked with children, most who did it for free. It was those people I found inspiring. They used their own time and interrupted their own lives to help young people on the estates on the adventure playgrounds and in youth clubs. I always said if I didn’t make it as a footballer I’d like to do something involving sports and young people – become a community worker. A lot of my mates work for Southwark borough - where I’m from – working with young people. I’m sure if I hadn’t become a footballer I’d be there with them.”

Ferdinand hopes to make similar trips to Asia, the Middle East, deprived areas of Europe and other parts of Africa in the coming years to continue to inspire young people in other parts of the world.

Growing up in multicultural Peckham, the England defender has had a number of different cultural influences on his life and reflects on his own personal experience of being of mixed race. It is an issue he has never been asked about in his career, but has always been ‘more than happy’ to speak about. “Being mixed race I think I’ve had the best of both worlds,” he says. “My mum and dad were both really strong on making sure I knew everything about where my dad was from and the family roots and the same goes for my mum’s side. I’ve never spent time with just one side of the family. I’ve always spent just as much time with each side, so I’ve always had a good understanding of who I am and where I’m from. I think some problems come when you have people who don’t have a good understanding of both sides of their culture – just one. It’s important that when you’re from a mixed background you know exactly where you’re from.”

Having lifted the Premier League and Champions League trophies as stand-in captain this season and being given the captaincy for England against France, Ferdinand is aware that his achievements mean a lot to those who look up to him. “Where I’m from there is a mixed culture – black kids, white kids, Turkish kids, Asian kids, Chinese kids,” he says. “I think the kids from those areas, like Peckham, will be inspired and think ‘if I work hard and you put something in you’ll get your rewards.’ When I am wearing the armband – be it for club or country – I’m sure it does send a message to young people from the community who may be having a hard time.”

Playing devil’s advocate and to test his knowledge of black footballers achievements I ask him who the two previous black England captains were. “Incey did it and Sol Campbell did it,” he replies without hesitation. And with a wry smile he continues: “I read The Voice and am in touch with the black community, so I’m aware of these things.”

With the pending decision over who will become the next permanent England captain Ferdinand is keen to stress that he feels Manager Fabio Capello would never consider colour as part of the process. “At the end of the day the manager’s going to pick the right man for the job, whether you’re black, white, blue or green. If you’re the right man, he’ll pick you. I don’t think he’d ever judge you on your background.”

Despite what many would deem a phenomenal season, Ferdinand feels he has a lot more to achieve in the game. “The feeling you get when you win becomes an addiction,” Ferdinand explains. Nevertheless, he is very critical of performances that didn’t reach his high standards. “I take it as a personal insult, when you lose or draw a game when you felt you should have won - your pride is just beaten up.”

He picks out the FA Cup game against Portsmouth as a massive disappointment and tries to explain what it’s like to lose. “I can’t begin to tell you the stuff that goes on in a changing room after you’ve lost,” he says with an increased intensity to his voice. “Then when I get home I’m the worst company ever. I’ve got such a problem with losing – even in training. I’m such a bad loser, but more often that not I’ve been happy this year.”

There are more important things than football to him – much bigger. The one thing that always brings a smile to Ferdinand’s face is his young family. In a message he leaves in the orphanage message book he writes about a sense of perspective. He keenly talks about his daily routine of getting up early with his two-year old son, Lorenz, to practice the toddler’s ‘Ronaldo’ tricks. “When I tell him to ‘do Ronaldo,’ he knows that means to do loads of step-overs and skills,” says Ferdinand proudly. “He’s good at it as well and is working on it every day.”

Does he think that the perspective he’s gained from being a father has helped him grow as a person? “You go home and your little boy isn’t judging you on how you played or looking at you thinking my dad lost today,” Ferdinand tells me. “He’s just happy to have me back at home. Whereas I used to be on a massive downer after some games where we lost, it cheers you up to come home to a family. The way you approach life becomes completely different.”

By Leon Mann

Brent Sancho - Get up, Stand up

2008-06-01T14:15:00.000+01:00

The past two years have been like a roller-coaster ride for Trinidad and Tobago defender Brent Sancho - with more ups and downs that anyone would care to stomach. The former Gillingham and Dundee footballer has been blacklisted from the Trinidad and Tobago team, since October 2006, despite being one of the key performers at the 2006 World Cup in Germany - the islands’ first time at the tournament.

The reason for his omission from the team - Sancho dared to stand up to the game’s administration on the Caribbean islands after the players were offered a feeble tournament bonus of £500 each for their heroics in Germany. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) had previously promised them a significant pay out.

Sat in a café in Shepherds Bush, west London, he reflects on a nightmare eighteen months and the prospect of watching his beloved Soca Warriors take on England in Port of Spain without him on June 1st, but he still has his memories. He begins our interview by reflecting on what he says was the best time in his life.

“The way I saw it - just one good game against England and I’d be playing for Man U next season,” he jokes. “But in all seriousness, I did see it as a way to take a significant step up in my career, so at that point in time everything was focused to do well at the World Cup. It was all go. The whole of Trinidad was so excited and I was so happy to be part of it.”

Sancho remembers the reaction of his country to their achievement proudly. “Everyone you ever knew was calling to congratulate you,” he says. “You couldn’t walk anywhere in Trinidad! I’ve never ever seen anything like that for any sport or political event in Trinidad. The footballers were received as gods.”

He was euphoric at that time and so were the people of Trinidad - traditionally a cricket-loving island that produced the record-breaking great Brian Lara. “At that point in time everyone was happy,” says Sancho. “The vibe between the footballers and the administrators was a jovial one. Everyone was really excited about going to the World Cup. You could snap your fingers and get anything you wanted from the administrators at that point.”

They went to Germany and surprised a few pundits on the way. They returned from the World Cup to a hero’s welcome and they deserved it, but their joy proved short-lived. Just two months after a début World Cup campaign where the Soca Warriors were globally adopted as everyone’s second team, the players passed around a spreadsheet with details of their tournament bonus.
“We got the spreadsheet and it said our tournament bonus was £500 each,” says Sancho. “The boys were just gutted. We were all just puzzled. When you look at some of the sponsors - ten million US dollars from Adidas, another five million from a local company in Trinidad and many others all giving money - and to think we just got £500 each. We’ve calculated the boys are owed around £80-90,000 each and if not where is that money?”

The question of where the money is remains unanswered. Sixteen of the twenty-three players in the squad, including Shaka Hislop, Stern John, Kelvin Jack and Chris Birchill, decided to approach the TTFF about the situation. They weren’t interested. “They wouldn’t listen to us,” says Sancho, “or talk - didn’t take our phone calls and basically just dismissed us.”

The sixteen players refused to be ignored and began to organise. They began legal proceedings and set up a players’ union with the help of Kevin Harrison from the Professional Footballers Association’s financial management team in the United Kingdom. “We didn’t want things to go this far,” says Sancho with obvious regret that it became necessary to take these steps. “I mean we are footballers and all we want to do is play the game, but we were left with no choice.”

Eighteen months later the players had taken the TTFF to arbitration in London and won. Each player is now expected to receive a reported £140,000, but for Sancho and those who took the TTFF to court, it was never about the money. It was about making a point about how the game on the islands was being run. The Trinidadian defender feels there is only one option for the current rulers at the TTFF.

“I think a lot of the current administrators need to step away and give new people a chance to take the football forward,” he says. “Things need to be sorted now. I really feel that the talent in Trinidad is phenomenal - just the administration let things down. The footballers are aspiring to be professional but the administrators are not.”

And the exile of the talented sixteen has clearly affected the progress of Trinidad and Tobago on the pitch. After the World Cup the tiny Caribbean nation rose to forty-four in FIFA’s rankings. They are down in the eighties now. Their federation recently celebrated their centenary with a politically charged match against England. Few can deny they felt the loss of those players keenly. Their performance proved that the current ranking was deserved.

Sancho believes that players’ unions can help to improve the game not just in the Caribbean but globally. “I think players’ unions are the most essential thing for the development of football in Trinidad and across the Caribbean Islands and African countries too,” he says. “The reason I say that is because I’m sure that our situation has happened elsewhere before.”

Honouring the payment of bonuses is indeed a vexed issue and Sancho is right. It has happened elsewhere. Togo’s players almost boycotted the World Cup itself over the failure to pay bonuses. It thoroughly disrupted their preparation for the African Cup of Nations in 2006 as well. A dismal performance in Egypt cost their Nigerian coach Stephen Keishi his job, despite the historic qualification for Germany at his homeland’s expense. Otto Pfister took over and almost resigned before arriving at the World Cup. He supported the players’ demands for the bonuses to be paid. They were led by Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor. He too was isolated over it, but Togo’s coaches - Pfister and later Keishi again - refused to be intimidated and continued to pick the rebels led by Adebayor. Nevertheless, it ruined what should have been a wonderful experience for them and their country.

“There needs to be a voice to represent the players to prevent the problems we in Trinidad and Tobago are facing now,” says Brent Sancho. “Probably some of us will never see a red shirt again in our life and we need to ensure this doesn’t happen again - to anyone. Caribbean and African countries need to realise that where there is unity there is strength. For example, look at the situation where the Togo players during the World Cup had to deal with non footballing issues instead of focusing on their game. With a union they would have not had to deal with that.”

Sancho clearly felt let down by the seven Trinidad and Tobago players who chose not to stand alongside the sixteen players who approached the TTFF. Although he names no one specifically, it’s hard not to question captain and star player, Dwight Yorke’s decision to take a back seat on the issue. “I must admit I’m extremely disappointed with the boys who didn’t stand up and that they didn’t show the same unity that got us to the World Cup and through the tournament,” he says. “If we had stood up as a team then this thing would have been done and dusted a long time ago, but because just sixteen of the twenty-three stood up, it’s taken a little bit longer.”

Nevertheless, they had support. The Soca Warriors’ fans stood united behind the exiled players throughout the ordeal. Before the arbitration result was made public, they had planned to wear black t-shirts to the England game to symbolically show their continued support.

“It is really heartening to see the fans supporting the blacklisted players,” says Sancho. “I spoke to Chris Birchill the other day. He’s twenty-three and his international career is almost effectively over because he stood up against the TTFF with us. He was practically in tears. It’s so frustrating that people like he, I and others are being prevented from representing our country. To see the fans acknowledge that the World Cup players should be there is touching. I’d love to meet the fans to say thanks.”

Having talked through issues off the pitch it’s appropriate to tackle a burning question regarding an incident on it. Did England striker Peter Crouch pull Sancho’s dreadlocks in the 2-0 defeat at the World Cup?

“He definitely did!” says Sancho. “After the game a reporter asked me if Crouch had pulled my dreadlocks, and I was surprised he saw it. I was so happy that someone had seen it, because at the time, I couldn’t believe it had happened. I was almost in denial! But it did happen and I’m sure Peter would say it was accidental, so I wouldn’t hold anything against him, but he definitely did pull them. I was very disappointed afterwards because up until that point I felt we could’ve held on for the point.” While Sancho doesn’t hold it against Crouch fans of the Soca Warriors clearly have long memories. Crouch came on as second half substitute in the match in Port of Spain. His every touch was loudly booed.

With little hope of ever playing for the Soca Warriors again, does Sancho believe he could help turn the TTFF around if he was able to move into the administration of the game in years to come? Would he even want to make this move?

“I think a lot of the problems we have is that many of the administrators we’ve had live in the ice age!” he says. “They need to realize that football is progressive and it is a business as well.” He wants to see them prepare better and utilise the talent that they have at their disposal. “One of the things they like doing is preparing for a tournament just one week before and stuff like that needs to go because we have the talent. For example, when people thought there wasn’t going to be a next Dwight Yorke, up steps Kenwyne Jones.”

Sancho bears no grudges. “I’m a massive patriot at heart,” he says. “I’d do anything for my country and maybe at times that is my downfall. I would definitely go back to help out my country but only if things were done the right way. I’m a strong believer in hard work and in doing things the right way. I’ve been fortunate to come over here (England) and see how the structure of the game can work, so if those things are implemented correctly it would take Trinidad a long, long way.”

His international career may be over - hopefully not - but Sancho and his blacklisted colleagues have blazed a trail that should result in the reorganisation of the sport’s administration in the country and beyond. Their efforts have already been rewarded and not just at the arbitration hearing. They have won plaudits around the world for successfully standing up for their rights.

But perhaps their greatest legacy is that the Football Players’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago was not only established thanks to them, but is gathering support and strength as they being to sign up players across the islands. It would be no surprise to see these pioneers on the pitch help to resolve the issues that have bedevilled the administration of the game in Trinidad and Tobago in years to come and lead the nation to another World Cup adventure.

By Leon Mann

John Amaechi - No more martyrs

2008-05-25T14:09:00.000+01:00

It is hard to believe that 18 years after Justin Fashanu publicly announced he was gay, he remains the only professional footballer to have come out. On the ten year anniversary of his death, former British NBA basketball star, John Amaechi, who came out last year, has called for, “no more martyrs for the cause”.

Fashanu, a talented footballer who played for clubs including Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, West Ham United and Manchester City, committed suicide on the 2nd May 1998. Coming out in an interview with The Sun newspaper in 1990, he became the target for vile homophobic abuse from football fans across the country. After his retirement from the game, he was accused of a sexual assault – which he denied, before taking his own life.

In an exclusive interview, Amaechi, paid tribute to the bravery of Fashanu and admitted he took note of the former footballer’s negative experiences before making his own decision to come out .

“I don’t think you can take anything away from the abject bravery of what he did. I just think that he entered the storm completely alone.

“I looked at his experience as a bench mark for how bad it could get, because it wasn’t just the fans - a lot of what went on was the absolutely abominable news coverage.”

So one year on, having spoken about his homosexuality on globally popular television programmes such as the Opera Winfrey show, what has the response to his announcement been?

“90% of the response was overwhelmingly positive but the 10% that were negative were very, very negative – those people were very serious about me not being around.

“You have to be so on point to be able to handle questions, face criticism and be ready to handle the death threats.”

Debates around homosexuality in the black community have long since caused heated discussion and division. Amaechi believes the response he has received from the community has been largely positive. But he does identify some specific issues around being black and gay in sport.

“The juxtaposition of being gay and black in sports is especially powerful. Because if people were to guess who the gay people in sport were, they’d pick the white folk.

“The bad part about that is it leads to a double prejudice. So you’ve got the black people stereotype - that black people are strong, can jump high, are really quick and very masculine. Then because you’ve got this one stereotype of black people, that automatically means they can’t be gay, because you’ve got a stereotype about what gay people are. Which is absurd.”

The highly articulate Amaechi blames outside influences as being partly responsible for whipping up homophobia in the black community. He feels religion is often used to do this.

“There is a disconnect between the gay community and the black community. I think a lot of it is a political device especially in the US. One of the few ways you can get a black family to vote Conservative, or Republican, is to use religion and manipulate their views around gay and lesbian people.”

Reflecting further on Fashanu’s experience in football, the former NBA star feels the sport’s authorities let him down, “Institutionally speaking, where were the governing bodies on this”. He still thinks the likes of The FA and Premier League need to do more about addressing homophobia, and wider issues of equality in sport.

“They’d have to be complete idiots, I mean complete idiots to believe there are no gay players in the Premiership. And if you want to be a respected organization that governs football you’ve got to realize that you have to cater to all your demographics.”

So would Amaechi, who currently works as a psychologist to help businesses address issues of equality, consider helping the game’s governing bodies spear head a Kick Homophobia Out of Football campaign?

“Yes – if they were serious. Absolutely”, he replies without hesitation.

In the meantime Amaechi feels that gay sports stars should not feel pressured into coming out publicly unless they are ready to face an insensitive media pack and have broad enough shoulders to deal with homophobic feeling in society.

He concludes our interview by offering some advice to sports stars who are considering following Fashanu and Amaechi’s lead.

“I would say call me. I would also say that it’s important to have some connection, make sure that in your life there are people that you can come out to who respect and love you before you venture out to a point where essentially you are coming out to a bunch of people who don’t actually care about you.

“Whilst the impact that you have may be tremendous – I don’t want there to be any more martyrs for the cause.”

By Leon Mann

The Black List

2008-04-25T14:35:00.000+01:00

You need look no farther than Fabio Capello’s England squad to see the contribution that the black community is making to football. There were 12 black players in the party to face France, led by a black captain. But what impact are black Britons making away from the pitch?

The black community has had a long relationship with the game, dating back to the 19th century, when Arthur Wharton became the world’s first black professional footballer, making his debut for Preston North End in 1889. And it is nearly 30 years since Viv Anderson became the first black player to pull on a senior England shirt.

Today, about 30 per cent of the country’s professional footballers are black — and that figure will almost certainly increase.

In compiling a list of the most influential black people in football, one of the aims was to highlight the achievements of the African-Caribbean community on and off the field.

It would have been easy to have gone for the most recognisable or famous black people in football, but I felt that “The Black List” should acknowledge those helping to shape the future of the English game in all areas and proving that it is possible to break through the glass ceiling.
After canvassing the opinion of the FA, Premier League, Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and a number of other bodies and respected individuals in the sport, The Black List blossomed, unearthing some relatively unknown names.

Here is a selection from the list of 30. That it features only one black chief executive and two managers across all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs is a stark reminder of how disproportionate is the involvement of the black community in the higher echelons of football.
Inevitably, there will be people who disagree with some of the choices. Indeed, some may feel I have got it completely wrong. But as long as there is a debate about who should be included, it means that there are more than 30 members of the black community contributing at the highest level of football.

My hope is that in years to come we will be debating a top 50 that will include a number of chairmen and chief executives — perhaps even an England manager.

Rio Ferdinand
England footballer and entrepreneur
Fans will be well-acquainted with the Manchester United and England defender’s talents on the pitch, but Ferdinand is the only active footballer included on the list because of his work off the field.

Ferdinand has set up a catalogue of companies, including a successful property company; his record label, White Chalk; and a television company, Next Generation TV and Film, with which he made his debut as a presenter and executive producer in Rio’s World Cup Wind-ups.

Away from commercial activities he is a supporter of The Prince’s Trust, the Respect Your Life, Not a Knife campaign run by the Damilola Taylor Trust, and an ambassador for football’s anti-racism campaign, Kick It Out.

Garth Crooks
Football consultant
Crooks is one of the most recognisable figures in the game and was appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1999 for his services to football. The former Tottenham Hotspur forward became the first black chairman of the PFA in 1988 before retiring from the game in 1990.

He has since been chairman of the Football Foundation’s grassroots advisory group, a special adviser on football to the Commission for Racial Equality and a committee member of the Independent Football Commission.

He has enjoyed a high-profile media career as a match analyst for the BBC since 1982, reporting from the leading international tournaments. He can be seen on the BBC’s Final Score programme every Saturday as a pundit.

Lord Ouseley
Chairman of Kick It Out
Herman Ouseley set up the Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football campaign in 1993, when he was chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality. The campaign, now called Kick It Out,
has been widely acknowledged as one of the most effective and well- respected in sport. Ouseley is a trustee on the Manchester United Foundation Board.

Heather Rabbatts
Executive deputy chairman, Millwall
Rabbatts was headhunted by Millwall’s millionaire plc chairman, Peter de Savary, as executive deputy chairman in May 2006. With a hugely impressive CV, the lawyer, businesswoman and broadcaster is now running the show at the New Den and few doubt that she will succeed in turning around the underachieving South London club.

Shortly after her appointment, she said: “My track record has always been about pushing back the boundaries and that’s what excites me. I have this saying: ‘It is better to live one day as a tiger than a hundred days as a sheep.’ ”

Chris Nathaniel
Football agent
One of the up-and-coming young agents on the scene. Having started out in the music industry, he began working in football after negotiating a seven-figure commercial deal for John Terry, the Chelsea and England centre half. He has gone on to work with Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards, Obafemi Martins and Ryan Babel.

Jason Rockett
Chief executive, Sheffield United
Rockett is the only black chief executive across all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs in England. He played for Rotherham United and Scarborough before retiring from the game in 1998.

In the latter years of his playing career, he began to develop skills that would lead to a full-time role in commercial property. From there he worked up to surveyor and director with the Scarborough Development Group, owned by Kevin McCabe, the Sheffield United chairman. He was appointed chief executive of Sheffield United in 2005.

Bobby Barnes
Assistant chief executive of the PFA
The highest-ranking member of the black community in the administration of the professional game. The former West Ham United winger has been tipped to progress further in years to come.

Having enjoyed a long playing career that also took him to Hong Kong, Barnes worked as a financial accountant for an insurance company when he retired before being appointed a financial executive by the PFA. He is now involved in a number of areas of the organisation’s operations, including helping members to negotiate new contracts with their clubs.

Brendon Batson
Sports consultant
A pioneer on and off the pitch, Batson has contributed a great deal to the game and it was no surprise when he was appointed MBE for services to football in 2000. He was one of most high-profile black footballers in the Seventies and Eighties, playing for teams including West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal and Cambridge United.

After retiring he established himself as one of the PFA’s senior administrators, rising to become deputy chief executive, and was instrumental in developing the organisation into one of the most important trade unions in the country.

In 2002, he returned to his beloved West Brom for a spell as managing director and is now a consultant on disciplinary and equality issues for the FA, as well as the executive chairman of the sports players’ union, the Professional Players Federation.

Chris Powell
PFA chairman and Charlton Athletic player-coach
When taking on the role of chairman of the players’ union, Powell said: “My aim is to represent all the players in the PFA and that includes all the divisions and even members in the Conference. The principle of the PFA is equality of treatment for all and I believe in it.”

One of the most well-liked players in the game, the former England left back is expected to move into football management when he decides to hang up his boots.

A big supporter of community initiatives set up by his clubs and the PFA, it is no surprise that an online petition was created to ask Gordon Brown to award Powell with a knighthood for his “work and support of his local communities”.

Paul Ince
Milton Keynes Dons manager and former England captain
The former hard man, known as “the Guv’nor”, is now proving his abilities off the pitch. One of only two black managers in senior professional football in England, he has recently been linked to managerial positions at Barclays Premier League clubs because of his success with MK Dons, having saved Macclesfield Town from relegation from Coca-Cola League Two last season.

Many in the game believe it is only a matter of time before England’s first black captain becomes the Premier League’s first black British manager.

- A list of the 30 most influential black people in football will be published in The Voice, Britain’s leading newspaper for the black community.