Source: TheGuardian
Pioneering black Britons in sport and politics | Letters
Norman Miller and Roy Bond on the professional footballers Andrew Watson and Walter Tull; and Colin Jones on the mayors Allan Glaisyer Minns and John Richard ArcherWhy the Anglocentric choice of Jack Leslie, who played for Plymouth Argyle from 1921 to 1935, when looking for pioneering British black professional footballers (Which black Britons should we be commemorating?, 12 June)? Forty years before Leslie, Andrew Watson carved out an amazing career as Britain’s first black professional footballer.Not only did Watson play for one of Britain’s then biggest teams – Queen’s Park FC – but he was also the first black British international player, capped several times for Scotland. Perhaps your Anglocentric choice was down to two of his 1880s games including captaining Scotland to a 6-1 trouncing of England on his international debut in 1881, followed by a 5-1 win in 1882. Continue reading......read full article
