Keith Alexander: Trailblazing Black Manager Remembered — SkimNews
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- Keith Alexander died in 2010 aged 53 while managing Macclesfield, with England players wearing black armbands at Wembley in his honour and clubs across the country observing a minute's silence.
- Alexander managed Lincoln City across two spells as well as Peterborough United, Ilkeston Town and Northwich Victoria, guiding Lincoln from administration to the League Two play-off places in four successive seasons on a tight budget.
- Born in Nottingham in 1956 to St Lucian parents, Alexander spoke openly about monkey chants and bananas being thrown at him during his playing career, though his sons say race was rarely discussed at home.
- Tony Collins (not Alexander) was the first permanent black manager in the Football League when he took charge of Rochdale in 1960, with Alexander credited with inspiring a new generation that followed.
- The Football Black List gives out a Keith Alexander Award in his memory, with past recipients including Yaya Touré, Shaka Hislop and Kerry Davis, the first black woman to play for the England women's team.
- Alexander founded the Sacred Sports Foundation in St Lucia to help young people through sport, and his legacy also includes giving opportunities to non-league players, according to former striker Franny Green.
Why it matters: Alexander is credited with helping pave the way for the current generation of black managers in English professional football, and the Football Black List's annual award in his name — previously given to Yaya Touré and Shaka Hislop — keeps that pathway visible. His story also highlights the racism he personally endured as a player, from monkey chants to thrown bananas, underscoring how much attitudes had to shift for managers of colour to reach the dugout at all.
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