# Kazim-Richards challenges glass ceiling at Crawley

> Black football coach Colin Kazim-Richards aims to break League Two's glass ceiling with Crawley Town.
- Title: Kazim-Richards challenges glass ceiling at Crawley | Shortify
- Summary: Black football coach Colin Kazim-Richards aims to break League Two's glass ceiling with Crawley Town. Colin Kazim-Richards, a black football coach, aims to…
- Keywords: colin kazim-richards, crawley town, league two, nfl, black coaches, football, english football, sports, Kazim-Richards, challenges, glass, ceiling
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/oct/01/colin-kazim-richards-julian-gray-crawley-town-league-two
- Author: Tusdiq Din
- Published: 2026-10-01T09:00:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: colin kazim-richards, crawley town, league two, nfl, black coaches, football, english football, sports
## Kazim-Richards and Gray on new standards
Crawley’s manager Colin Kazim-Richards and assistant Julian Gray say they are implementing a new standard within the club, not just the football side.

> implementing a new standard within the club, and not just the football side
## Kazim-Richards on team transformation
Kazim-Richards says 16 new players, eight to nine debuts, and changing player mentality will take time to show results.

> we’ve got 16 new players, eight nine debuts and different connections
## Kazim-Richards and Gray’s Arsenal roots
Kazim-Richards and Gray both came through Arsenal’s academy, with Gray making one first-team appearance.

> gray was part of the first-team squad from 1996 to 2000, making a single appearance
## Kazim-Richards on black coaches
Kazim-Richards says there’s a glass ceiling for black coaches but many are doing well in non-league football.

> there’s a lot of black coaches who are good and deserve an opportunity
## Kazim-Richards on Jermain Defoe
Kazim-Richards notes Jermain Defoe’s short tenure at Woking but says white managers fail too.

> kazim-richards knows defoe, the two did their coaching badges together, and feels the wrong conclusions could be drawn from that episode
## Kazim-Richards’ long-term vision
Kazim-Richards aims to take Crawley to the Championship within a few years, not overnight.

> short-term it’s about getting results, and then being able to get us up there
## Kazim-Richards on time needed
Kazim-Richards says it will take time to build a new club culture and achieve Championship promotion.

> i see this as the start of the journey, but i believe we can go far and achieve those objectives
## Kazim-Richards’ glass ceiling challenge
Kazim-Richards calls for more opportunities for black coaches in English football.

> is there still a glass ceiling? of course
## Key takeaway

Colin Kazim-Richards, a black football coach, aims to lift Crawley Town from League Two's bottom after becoming the third black head coach in England's top four tiers.