BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : BRITAIN FIRST BLACK FOOTBALL PLAYERS :

It may have been possible to have seen the first Black Footballer playing for England or Scotland: Back in the 1920's with London-born Jack Leslie a prolific striker for Plymouth Argyle between 1020 and 1935 scoring over 400 goals. Leslie had been informed that one day he will play for England, but that was never to happen because of the racism at the time, he was never pick to represent England. A decade later saw the emergence of another great Hong Y. Frank Soo although born in Buxton, Derby-shire in 1914 he had a Chinese father. If it had not been for the out break of the war he would certainly have gained a full international honor for England as he was rated as one of the best inside forward of the pre-war era. He gained nine war time and victory caps.

The first Black player to play top level football in Britain was Andrew Watson, the son of a Scottish sugar planter Peter Miller and a local girl Rosa Watson, he was born in Georgetown Guyana in 1957, Watson was sent to England to be educated at Halifax Grammar school and Rugby College before enrolling at Glasgow University were he gained his degree. Andrew Watson was a talented player and joined Queens Park at the time, the best club in Scotland. On 12th March 1881 Watson won his first International cap as he was the Captain and led Scotland to victory 6-1 against England. When Watson moved to England he joined London Swifts in 1882, he was never pick for Scotland again because of there policy to play only Scottish home players. He became the first Black man to play in an FA Cup in 1884 for the elite amateur club Corinthians.