Love of the game : the man who brought the Rooney Rule to the UK

Ricky Hill grew up beneath the shadow of Wembley Stadium, where he sold programmes at England games as a boy. When he was seven, he was told by a teacher that only two in every hundred boys could possibly make it as a professional footballer. Ricky told her he would be one of the two. Ten years later, this gifted midfielder scored on his debut for Luton Town. Ricky stayed with Luton for 14 years, made 508 appearances and became a club legend. Emerging at a time when racism was rife, he was only the fourth black player to represent England. Later, as a coach, he had to fight to smash down barriers holding back black managers, and devised an equivalent of the NFL's 'Rooney Rule' to help BAME applicants secure senior coaching jobs in English football. While Ricky has won trophies and awards overseas, he has been overlooked in this country. In __Love of the Game__, he tells the shocking story behind his short spell in charge of Luton, and reveals just how much the football decision-makers in England have ignored him and other black coaches. Ricky Hill grew up in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, where he sold programmes at England games as a boy. When he was seven, he was told by a teacher that only two in every hundred boys could possibly make it as a professional footballer. Ricky told her he would be one of the two. Ten years later, this gifted midfielder scored on his sensational debut for Luton Town. Ricky stayed with Luton for 14 years, made over 500 appearances and became a club legend. Emerging at a time when racism was rife in football, he was only the fourth black player to represent England. Later, as a coach, he had to fight to smash down barriers holding back black managers, and devised an equivalent of the NFL's 'Rooney Rule' to give black, Asian and minority ethnic applicants a better chance to secure senior coaching jobs in English football. While Rickey has won trophies and awards overseas, he has been largely overlooked in his home country. In Love of the Game, he tells the shocking story behind his ridiculously short spell in charge of his beloved Luton, and reveals just how much the football decision-makers in England have ignored him and other black coaches. -- from jacket Ricky Hill was a legend at Luton and became only the fourth black player to represent England. As a coach, he has won trophies and awards overseas but has been overlooked in his home country. In Love of the Game, he lifts the lid on how the decision-makers in English football have ignored him and other black coaches. Explosive and revelatory!