Premier League people represented on Football Black List 2022

The role of Black individuals from all areas of the football industry, including many from the Premier League and its clubs, have been celebrated in the latest Football Black List.

In its 13th edition, the 2022 Football Black List recognises the wide range of influential Black men and women across many categories: media, community & grassroots, coaching & management, administration, players (off-the-pitch), practitioners and commercial.

Saka, Rashford & Sterling named

Among the current players on the list are Premier League stars Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira and West Ham United’s assistant first-team coach Paul Nevin, are also on the list. Liverpool's Academy coach Aubrey Rogers features in the Coaching and Management section of the list.

West Ham have another representative in Partnerships manager, Akinola Fashola, as do Palace, where Cordell Lake-Benjamin, from the club’s charitable arm, the Palace for Life Foundation, is on the list as part of the Ugo Ehiogu's Ones To Watch category, for people aged under 30.

In the category of Practitioners is the Premier League's Head of Race Equality and Inclusion, Iffy Onuora. In Administration, Deji Davies, a non-executive director at Brentford, who is the only Black board member at a Premier League club, is also recognised. 

Celebration event returns

"I am 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," said Leon Mann, who founded the list in 2008 with fellow sports journalist Rodney Hinds. "However, we are highlighting those leading the way. We are proud of these individuals and the impact they are making.”

The Football Black List will host its first in-person event since 2019 in London in March, and it will be again proudly supported by the Premier League.  

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