A good idea but a load of politically correct nonsense

FOLLOWERS of English football will be alarmed to discover that American Football leans heavily on something called the ‘Rooney Rule’.

By the same token, you might be strangely reassured to discover that — just like the Manchester United striker after whom it wasn’t named — the rule is perennially divisive, a source of ongoing controversy which forces critics and advocates alike to hop across the hot coals of its idealistic aims and real-world results.

The NFL brought in the ‘Rooney Rule’ in 2003 in order to compel teams to interview black candidates for coaching positions.