The Football Black List – celebrating African and Caribbean achievement in the British football game since 2008.
On the 24th April, 2025 the Emirates stadium hosted the Football Black List awards. Although the event has grown in the number of winners it acknowledges and the number of people who attend, the ethos has been consistent – to address the lack of representation in decision making positions across all areas of the game. According to the Black Footballers partnership 43% of professional players in the Premier League are Black, and in the EFL the 34% are from Black communities yet this diversity is not consistent off the pitch.
As with all of the awards, Black List award winners include household names as well as unsung heroes:
Players – Off the pitch
Raheem Sterling MBE – Arsenal and England
Tyrone Mings – Aston Villa and England
Lauren James – Chelsea Women and England
Kasha Petit – QPR Women
Richarlison – Tottenham Hotspur and Brazil
Coaching and Management
Nuno Espirito Santo – Head Coach, Nottingham Forest
Darren Moore – Manager, Port Vale
Carly Williams – Coach, Arsenal Women Under 21
Renée Hector – Head Coach, Watford Women
Ashley Cole – Assistant Head Coach, England Under 21
Practitioners
Maria Tavares – First Team Player Wellbeing and Support Coordinator, Manchester United
Darren Smith – Associate Dean and FA Course Tutor, UCFB
Melissa Forde – Head Chef, Wolves
Joel Mannix – Chairman, BAM Ref
André Thomas – Programme Co-ordinator, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
Administration
Lola Ogunbote – Executive Director and Head of Women’s Football, Burnley FC
Fleur Robinson – CEO, Burton Albion FC
Mark Esiri – Board member, Football Association
Pamela Lubowa – COO, FARE Network
Paul Elliott CBE – Vice-Chair, Charlton Athletic FC
Commercial
Liam Bowes – Managing Director, OYS Sports Management
Zeycan Rochelle Yildrim – Chief Marketing Officer, Samsunspor
Gemma Gallais – Senior Director of Global Communications, EA Sports
Sola Kasali – Football Partnerships Lead, EA Sports
Connor Malcolm – Founder, Dreamfruit
Community and Grassroots
Betty Mayaya – Coach, Black Footy Babes
Karla Parker – General Manager and Secretary, Haringey Borough Women FC
Chid Onokwai – Founder, Chidfit Community and Grassroots
Marcia Lewis – Founder, No1 Fan Club
Tara Tewarie – Head of Programmes, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
Media
Mayowa Quadri – Head of Brand, VERSUS
Darren Lewis – President, Sports Journalists Association
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk – Pundit and Co-Commentator, Sky Sports
Kate Scott – Presenter, CBS Sports
Femi Oridota – Floor Manager, Sky Sports
LGBTQIA+ award
Jahmal Howlett-Mundle – Footballer, Sevenoaks Town FC
Ugo Ehiogu Ones to Watch
Kelechi Okorie – Social Media Editor, UEFA
Nakeira Rori Westmaas – Presenter and Reporter, Freelance
Paul Gialo – Head of Academy Recruitment, Stevenage Borough FC
Mina Ibrahim – Content Creator and Reporter, Freelance
Helena Scotland – Footballer, England Women’s Futsal Team
The Football Black List Awards were founded by Leon Mann MBE and Rodney Hinds in 2008. For more information visit https://footballblacklist.com/
