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Today’s Football 2019/20 Season

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Daniel Taylor did an article in The Athletic looking at how Fleetwood Town don't currently have any BAME players in the senior set up

To be fair the article wasn't an out right burial of the club and did mention some of the efforts the club is making to improve the level of diversity, but there was a real click bait styled headline of "In 2019, should there really be such a thing as an all-white football team?" and the article kind of inferred that there might be something a bit iffy going on

Cue Joey Barton actually writing a full reply on the article itself, which I'll post below (You'll have to sign up to the site to read Daniel's article)

Daniel, strange article.

Disappointed you have chosen that headline. Especially as the club has taken time to explain how this situation has come about. You were invited into our football club and we would show you the hard work being done by everybody at all levels within the club. You chose not to do this.

Since I became manager at Fleetwood Town, you haven't attended any of our games in a professional capacity. You haven't spent time in the area speaking directly with the people involved. You have decided to infer incorrectly, an undercurrent of racism at work within our football club.

You shook my hand in Barnsley Magistrates court (6 weeks ago) and never raised any of your concerns about the diversity within our football club. We could have discussed it then. I can't help but feel this is thinly veiled attack on me. I think this is linked to historical events which have nothing to do with me.

In the interest of fairness, I've just had a look at the contributors to this platform in the UK. 4 out of 57 listed (including club correspondents, senior writers and the editing team) would be classified as BAME. In comparison, 6 out of our 55 professional players (1st team, U23's and U18's) would fall into the BAME category.

Does this statistic mean The Athletic has an issue with diversity? Should I contact the NUJ for comment?

As a journalist with your reputation, would you not found it more helpful to visit the area before you decided to write this piece? To visit the football club? To come and spend time with us and see the culture we have here at Fleetwood Town. At least you would be writing with a lot more credibility than you have today. This type of journalism is what I signed up to this platform to avoid. I am not the only person judging by the comments on here.

To imply that I have a policy of not signing players because of the colour of their skin or ethnicity is an absolute disgrace. I sign players with one purpose in mind, to win games of football.

Invite to Fleetwood Town shall remain open. Look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Joey Barton
Manager Fleetwood Town FC
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