BY AYODELE ODUMADE

Last Saturday I was due to cover the Queens Park Rangers V Southampton game until I succumbed to the flu.  The question I had intended to ask the caretaker manager of QPR at the post match press conference was if he was interested in the manager’s job at Loftus Road.   That question has been answered as the club owner; Tony Fernandes has appointed him as the Manager until the end of the season.

As usual when Harry Redknapp was sacked the media moved into overdrive by suggesting that Tim Sherwood was the favourite for the job.  That fell through and so did the alleged move for Michael Laudrup. It does not matter what option Ramsey was. The fact is he is now the man in charge.  This is a massive opportunity for him to prove himself at managerial level.  All we have ever campaigned for is that black people get the same opportunities that white coaches get in the football industry. What really irked me was the fact that Sherwood was being put forward for the job despite the fact that Ramsey has more years coaching experience than Sherwood has. Sherwood just happened to be put forward for the Tottenham job and the perception was that people like Ramsey would be better behind the scenes as part of the backroom staff.

Ramsey would be under no illusion about the job he now has. Although it is a massive opportunity for him, ultimately he would be judged like any other manager by the results he gets. 

Queens Park Rangers are breaking new ground and may not know how significant the appointment of Ramsey is. But I have always felt that for black coaches to get opportunities in coaching we might just have to be part of the decision making process. Ramsey’s appointment has come on the back of QPR legend, Les Ferdinand being named as the director of football at QPR.  What a powerful statement QPR have made. Both their Director of Football and Manager are BLACK!  They are not token appointments as they have been chosen on merit.

Today is indeed a historical day in the English Premier League.  This can only give confidence to other blacks that want to go down the same route that it can be done and that opportunities will be presented to them.

What would be the icing on the cake would be if Ramsey keeps QPR in the Premier League, he is offered the Manager’s job on a permanent basis!