The First Black Professional Footballer 1865 to 1930

The First Black Professional Footballer1865 to 1930

Who was Arthur? (2)

Arthur Wharton

• The first man to run 100yards in 10 seconds

• The first black professional footballer

• A multi-talented sportsman, pioneer and celebrity of his day

Image: Arthur with the Princess Hassan Cup after breaking the World Record for the 100 Yard Sprint 1886

Early Years

Members of Arthur’s family and Accra, The Gold Coast

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Arthur’s Heritage

World map from 1897 when Arthur had moved to England.British Empire possession is show in redThe blue triangle marks Arthur’s immediate heritage, his parents being of African and European decent on both sides.

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Arthur the Runner

Front and back of postcard sent to Arthur: “To Arthur Wharton, won 2 years in succession, time- 100 Yards in 10 seconds. First man in England to accomplish it. Challenged the world. Nobody took the challenge”.

June 1988 (Sender unclear - Assan of India).

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Arthur the Runner (6)

“He has neither system nor style, but he runs like an express engine with full steam on from first to last with a result that makes both system and style unnecessary”.

(Darlington & Stockton Times, 5/6/1886) ).

Arthur the Runner (7)

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3546714 Video clip about Arthur’s win at Stamford Bridge from ‘The Arthur Wharton Story’ and drawn sketch of Arthur breaking the World Record (1886)

Arthur the Runner (8)

“I recollect a man once offering me £20 to lose a race. I asked him if he knew who he was speaking to, and he said, of course he did, but I told him I would run and if he ever made an offer like that again, I would report him to the Athletics Association”. £20 was a huge amount of money in those days and no doubt much needed by Arthur to supplement his poor wage.

(Athletics Journal, 21/6/1887)

Arthur the Footballer (9)

Arthur at Darlington F C, circa 1885

Arthur the Footballer (10)

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3546760Video clip about Arthur’s time at Preston North End from ‘The Arthur Wharton Story’ and Arthur at Preston North End 1887

Arthur the Footballer (11)

Arthur the Footballer (12)

Arthur, official shot in football kit | At Stalybridge Rovers 1898

On pitch antics (13)

Arthur’s famous goalie moves, by Archie Birch

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3546870Video clip about Arthur’s footballing moves from ‘The Arthur Wharton Story’

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‘Is the darkie’s pate too thick for it to dawn upon him that between the posts is no place for a skylark? By some it’s called coolness – bosh!’

(Football News and Athletic Journal, 29 October 1887)

‘Stalybridge Rovers have bagged a real nigger as goalkeeper in Wharton'

(Northern Daily Telegraph, 18th January, 1896)

On pitch antics

(15)On pitch antics

“In a match between Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday at Olive Grove, I saw Wharton jump, take hold of the crossbar, catch the ball between his legs and cause three onrushing forwards to fall into the net. I have never seen a similar save since and I havebeen watching football for over fifty years”

(Sheffield Telegraph & Independent, 12/1/1942)

(16)On pitch antics

“Wharton is without doubt one of the most capable goal custodians in the country, and is undoubtedly deserving of a place in any international team.”

(Northern Echo, 26 Feb 1887)

Arthur at Darlington FC, circa 1885

(17)Arthur the Cricketer

There are no known photos of Arthur playing cricket. This is a sketch from ‘Arthur Wharton Victoria Sporting Superstar’ comic illustrated by Archie birch

(18)Arthur the Cricketer

Cricket c.1882-1916 1882 – 84Cannock Town CC 1885 Darlington C&FC 1885 - 95 Greasbrough CC 1892 Rawmarsh CC 1892- 1893 - 94 Rotherham Borough Police CC 1893 -1895 Rawmarsh CC 1894 - 1896 Stalybridge CC 1895 - 1897 Ashton CC 1896 - 1907 Rotherham Town CC Various Colliery teams

(19)Arthur the Cricketer

“…the ‘coloured gentleman’…played a wonderful innings of forceful cricket…he put on 16 runs in one over, and he hit two successive balls out of the ground, for six each…I never thought Arthur could hit so hard, and play such sound and merry cricket”.

(Rotherham Advertiser 10/8/1907)

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3546912Video clip about Arthur’s most famous cricket win from The Arthur Wharton Story)

(20)Arthur’s life in Victorian Britain

Composing Rooms with Linotype Machines in Sheffield Telegraph & Star Newspaper Offices.Soup kitchen and Bentley Miners during 1926 strike by Peter Tuffrey.

All with kind permission of Sheffield Newspapers.

Effects of the Industrial Revolution: Manning machine, low wages, hardship, strikes and soup kitchens.

Arthur’s life in Victorian Britain

Left: Arthur’s first pub the Albert Tavern, Masborough, Rotherham (1892-93). His third pub, the Plough Inn, Greasborough Road, Rotherham from The First Black Footballer by Phil Vasili.

Pubs in Rotherham that were managed byArthur. Given as sport ‘sweeteners’ to keep players happy

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Family Life

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3546944Video clip talking to Arthur’s Granddaughter, Sheila Leeson, from ‘The

Arthur Wharton Story’ and Sheila at Wembley Stadium in 2011

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Retirement from Sport

During the First World War (1914-1918), Arthur became a soldier and served as a corporal in the Reserves (the

Territorial Force), acting as a Home Guard.

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Arthur the Miner

When Arthur retired from his sporting career, like other working class athletes of his time, he needed to find work to survive. Unsurprisingly, he became a miner and went ‘down the pit’ like so many men during that time in the North of England.

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Left: Arthur during his mining days, Yorkshire Minersc.1910 courtesy of National Coal Mining museum of England

Arthur the Miner (25)

Miners worked long hours in the dark and wet with little ventilation. Many got injured or ill. Stunted growth, crippled legs, curvature of the spine, skin irritations, heart disease, ruptures, asthma, bronchitis and rheumatism were caused by a life of mining.

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3544336

Video clip about Arthur’s time as a miner from

‘The Arthur Wharton Story’

Arthur the Miner (26)

Left: Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, 1926 miners strike protest. Soup Kitchen. Local men manning soup kitchen during strike, all courtesy of Sheffield Newspapers

Many miners were on strike for months in protest at plans to increase hours and reduce pay. Terrible hardship and poverty was experienced in mining communities as a result.

General Strike of 1926.

Arthur’s death (27)

In 1996, FURD launched an appeal to raise money to pay for a headstone for Arthur’s unmarked grave and in May 1997 they unveiled a headstone at a special ceremony

Stone inscription: ‘The dust of his toil laid traces that will never be forgotten.’

Arthur’s death (28)

“There was no fat on him, it were all muscle. It were like looking at a greyhound. They always used to say he could catch pigeons.”

Alwyn Tatum, remembering Arthur when he was a lad, video clip of Alwyn from BBC Black Britain programme 1997

Watch: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3547913