FA Board members Deji Davies and Jobi McAnuff have been named on the Football Black List 2022, an initiative shining a light on the most influential Black people in British football.
Davies joined as Chair of the our inclusion advisory board in October 2022 and is also a non-executive director at Brentford FC, making him the only Black board member at a Premier League club.
And McAnuff was appointed as an independent non-executive member of the FA Board in May 2022, after a career which saw him play in all four professional divisions in England as well as non-League and on the international stage for Jamaica.
Current England men's senior players Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, coach Paul Nevin and former Lioness Lianne Sanderson were also named on the list, which was first founded back in 2008 by sports journalists Leon Mann and Rodney Hinds to highlight leaders working across all areas of the game from the Black community.
A panel of experts drawn from the football industry and the Black community independently vote on nominations made by the public to determine who makes the list. The panel includes representation from the Premier League, the FA, League Managers Association, English Football League, PGMOL, BCOMS and Kick It Out.
The Voice Newspaper is the exclusive home of the Football Black List which creates an opportunity to celebrate the Black communities contribution to the industry, while also encouraging debate and discussion on how best to address the ongoing under-representation of people from African-Caribbean backgrounds off the pitch.
“We are delighted to be sharing another incredible and inspirational Football Black List. Black excellence shines so brightly in the game and this list underlines that," said Leon Mann, following the announcement.
“I'm particularly proud to see the list now feature Board members, and managers at the top of the game but clearly we still have a long way to go to see better representation in football. However, we are highlighting those leading the way. We are proud of these individuals and the impact they are making.”
Congratulations to #ThreeLions trio @BukayoSaka87, @MarcusRashford and @sterling7, who have all been included on The Football Black List 2022! 👏 pic.twitter.com/tbpf17TuSM
— England (@England) February 2, 2023
Please find the full Football Black List 2022 below:
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
