Former English and Welsh Soccer Club Official Faces Backlash for Stereotyping Black Players
A former high-ranking official at soccer clubs in England and Wales, Stuart Webber, has been accused of employing callous and stereotypical language when referring to five Black players he had worked with. The accusations were made by Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination body in the sports industry, who described Webber’s words as “racial profiling” and “deeply offensive and concerning.”
Webber made these remarks during an interview with The Pink Un, a regional newspaper in Norwich, while discussing his upcoming charitable expedition to climb Mount Everest. He stated that the charitable efforts would be aimed at helping those in need rather than individuals who may be considered privileged. In the same breath, Webber mentioned the five Black players he had worked with – Jonny Rowe, Abu Kamara, Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis, and Raheem Sterling – and suggested that their backgrounds necessitated success in football due to potential alternative paths leading to jail or other negative outcomes.
Kick It Out was quick to condemn Webber’s remarks, stating that the language used was not only upsetting for the targeted players but also showed a complete lack of respect for their families. The organization emphasized that resorting to lazy stereotyping perpetuates a false narrative and is damaging to the progress made in treating individuals equally in sports.
Webber, along with his wife Zoe, co-founded The Summit Foundation, an organization that collaborates with other charities to create programs designed to help young people. According to the foundation’s Website, its primary goal is to help break the poverty cycle through education. In his interview with The Pink Un, Webber expressed the importance of inspiring young people in their community and continuing charitable efforts following his Mount Everest expedition.
Abu Kamara, a striker currently playing on loan for League One team Portsmouth from Norwich City, and Max Aarons’ mother, Amber, were among those who publicly expressed their disappointment and shock over Webber’s comments. Kamara took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his feelings, stating that it is essential not to stereotype young Black players and that there are alternative paths available for them besides professional sports or a life of crime.
Catrina Lewis, mother of Jamal Lewis, also shared her disapproval on X, describing Webber’s words as “very unprofessional.” Prior to his tenure at Norwich City, where his wife Zoe holds an executive director position, Webber held roles at Huddersfield Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Queens Park Rangers, Liverpool, and Wrexham.
Norwich City, which competes in the second tier of English soccer, has been contacted for comment regarding this matter.
