Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination campaigning group, have apologised to Brighton today in the wake of comments made to the Daily Telegraph by Troy Townsend, the group's head of development.
Following Chris Hughton's dismissal as manager of the club, Townsend told the publication:
We are now at worse than square one. What people don't understand is the real difficulties for black managers getting through the bottle neck at the top of football. We are talking about measly numbers.
In a statement today, the organisation apologised "unreservedly" for the comments that appeared to link the manager's sacking with his ethnicity.
📝 Kick It Out have unreservedly apologised to the club's board of directors and staff for any inference in comments made in an interview in the Daily Telegraph by Troy Townsend.#BHAFC 🔵⚪️
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 15, 2019
They said:
Kick It Out and Troy Townsend fully accept that through its current employment of BAME coaches at senior levels, and the club’s long term engagement with, and support for Kick It Out’s various campaigns and events, Brighton & Hove Albion FC has fully demonstrated its commitment to eradicating discrimination of all types, and consistently provided opportunities for BAME coaches. Nobody at Kick It Out will make any further comment on this matter.
Hughton was dismissed by the club yesterday morning, less than 24 hours after the side played their final game of the season.
Already, Graham Potter, the Swansea City manager, is being tipped to succeed the 60-year-old.
