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A coaching role that was part of a Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme has been removed from the club's website following criticism from Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe for allegedly excluding white male applicants.
Why it matters: The removal of the role comes after Lowe, an independent MP for Great Yarmouth, described the Academy Coach role for the club's Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme as "disgusting anti-white racism" because it was open only to "coaches who are currently under-represented within English Professional Football."
This includes "male coaches from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, and Female coaches from all backgrounds".
The details: The job posting, which was for a fixed-term 23-month contract with a salary of up to £30,000 per annum, is part of a scheme with the Premier League that seeks to "improve the diversity of football coaches in the professional game to make this area more representative of society and the playing population".
It appeared to be lost on Lowe that hiring a white, male applicant wouldn't achieve the scheme's intended purpose, as he questioned why white men should be "discriminated against" and noted that "the vast majority of paying Ipswich fans, who are indeed white men" might be surprised by the exclusion.
On the roles removal: The club has not publicly commented on the removal of the job listing or Lowe's criticism, and was unable to provide a statement at the time of publication.
This didn't stop Lowe claiming the victory: "Good news - this role has now been rightfully deleted," he wrote on X. "Anti-white racism must not be tolerated," he added. "They should now advertise the job, and allow everybody to apply. Including white men!"
The bottom line: The job posting has been removed from the club's website, and it remains unclear whether Ipswich Town will advertise a revised version of the position or re-advertise the original one.
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