The Football League is looking to introduce a version of American football's 'Rooney Rule' to increase the amount of black managers in the English game.
The rule will mean at least one BME (Black Minority Ethnic) candidate must be interviewed for a vacant position managerial position or coach role from the 2016/17 season.
Currently, there are only six BME managers in the 72 football league clubs. Chris Ramsey at QPR; Brighton's Chris Hughton; Huddersfield's Chris Powell; Burton Albion's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink; Notts County's Ricardo Moniz; and Carlisle United's Keith Curle.
"Our clubs will provide the majority of employment opportunities," said League chairman Greg Clarke.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Football League said that clubs had backed proposals to increase employment opportunities for black minority ethnicity candidates.
The proposals will be finalised before being voted on at the 2016 annual general meeting for the Football League. Proposals being:
- Five to 10 clubs will pilot a "voluntary recruitment code" to interview a BME candidate for any first-team managerial or coaching position.
- Clubs must interview at least one BME candidate for all youth development roles requiring a minimum of a Uefa B coaching licence.
- A 'ready-list' will be created of identified current BME coaches and players "with the potential and aspiration to coach in professional football.
- Networking to improve
The Premier League will not be implementing a similar rule, though. Richard Scudamore said in November that there was no need for England's top flight to adopt the rule after new measures designed to have more top-flight coaches from BME background were already introduced.
