At QPR, we pride ourselves on arguably being the most diverse football club in the country.
When it comes to BAME representation across all areas of the business - from the owners, to the boardroom, to first-team coaches, academy coaches and office staff.
Our board is in fact 100 per cent BAME, while 23.72 per cent of all club staff, including our respected Community Trust, are BAME employees.
We wholeheartedly endorse the FLDC because its aims are tangible and can be judged.
Paul Elliott stated at its launch that: ‘We must ensure that our boardrooms and leadership positions reflect the society that we live in and the people who play the game.’
At QPR, we already have this in place and not only do we want this to continue within our own club, we back the Code which encourages it to be replicated elsewhere.
Our CEO Lee Hoos and director of football Les Ferdinand recently explained why some members of our first team will no longer be “taking the knee” before matches.
It is because we want to see actions rather than gestures. FLDC is calling for actions.
If successfully implemented, FLDC will help drive forward the need for change within all areas of football clubs.
By raising the percentage of BAME and female representations within boardrooms, senior management and at coaching levels, it will help create a pathway for the next generation.
Our own Les Ferdinand often cites Cyrille Regis as a man who showed him that Black people can achieve success as professional footballers.
We hope FLDC will have a similar effect for the next generation when it comes to working in management and dugouts across the country.
