Chris Ramsey insists there is a ‘glass ceiling’ for black coaches that would take an entire QPR training session to explain.
The man tasked with keeping Hoops in the Premier League indicated he’s been turned down for so many coaching jobs due to the colour of his skin that: “if I was to bring this up now, I’d probably miss training.”
Rangers laid a football milestone when Ramsey was given the go ahead until the end of the season, with club legend Les Ferdinand presiding as director of football answering to chairman Tony Fernandes. It's the first time the three top jobs at a Football League club have been taken by black men.
But the coach filling the hot seat vacated by Harry Redknapp is uncomfortable as a black hero ready to smash the glass ceiling ex-England international Cyrille Regis reckons is endemic in the game.
“I wouldn’t say it was a bold move by the owners (to appoint me), because your race shouldn’t be taken into consideration," Ramsey said.
“You have to look who the best man for the job is. And if I’m the best man then I should be in this position, and Les should be in the position he is.
“Of course, you would consider yourself to be a role model, but what you don’t want be is the person with all the hopes and dreams of every black coach. The stakes might be different, but they shouldn’t be should they? That’s the indictment on our system."
Stricken Leroy Fer reckons he would likely walk off a pitch in the middle of a game if he was on the end of any racist abuse.
Fer will play no part for the next two months while he recovers from medial collateral ligament damage sustained in the 2-0 win at Sunderland last week, in which he scored a cracking header.
But the Dutch international thinks he would walk off any pitch should the colour of his skin become a target for mindless morons.
Fer was infamously on the end of vicious taunts after innocently posting a pic of black Dutch internationals last season on Instagram. He has also suffered abroad when representing his country in Ukraine - but never in England, a point that makes him proud to play in the Premier League.
“It’s what I like about England and the Premier League, and I think it’s the best and the nicest league in the world,” he said.
“Racist abuse during a game? Maybe I would walk off or tell the manager, or play the whole game and tell everybody on interviews and stuff after.”
