Arthur Wharton: A sporting pioneer and trailblazer

In the first of a six-part series championing football's black pioneers, we shine the spotlight on Arthur Wharton, the first black professional footballer in England. 

The Arthur Wharton Foundation chronicles his life by telling the story of a truly remarkable man.

Arthur Wharton

Born in Ghana on 28 October 1865, Arthur moved to England in 1883 to train as a missionary at Cleveland College, Darlington, following in the footsteps of his father, Henry, who was a minister and missionary.

Arthur began his incredible sporting career at college, and he was first spotted at Darlington FC, where he was selected to play as goalkeeper. 

At that time there was no league championship; the FA Cup was the main competition along with district and county matches.

Arthur's goalkeeping prowess was recognised, and he was selected for the prestigious Newcastle and District team in the 1885/86 season while competing as an amateur.

Described as "magnificent", "invincible" and "superb", Arthur apparently had a unique way of guarding his net - he would wait in a crouching position at the side of the goal before rushing out to save the ball!

World-record holder

His sensational burst of pace proved such that on 3 July 1886, Arthur became the first sprinter to run 100 yards in 10 seconds in authentic championship conditions. His world record stood for over 30 years.

Arthur was also the first black Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) champion and proud recipient of the Prince Hassan Cup, a trophy presented to the winner of the 100 metres (or in pre-metrication days, the 100 yards) at the AAA.

Still an amateur footballer, he moved to Preston North End and was key as the team reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1886/87.

Arthur, who on occasion also played as a winger, left Preston in 1888 to concentrate on his running, but returned to football 12 months later, joining Rotherham Town, and in doing so he became England's first black professional footballer.

History-maker

A further spell followed at Sheffield United, where he was understudy to regular No 1 William “Fatty” Foulke - but that did not stop Arthur as he continued to blaze a trail in the face of systemic racism.

In the 1894/95 season, one of Arthur's three appearances for United came against Sunderland in a First Division match - making him the first black player in the world to play in the top flight. 

He later played for Stalybridge Rovers (twice) and Ashton North End, before seeing out his career playing for Second Division Stockport County in 1901/02. 

While best remembered for his career as a footballer, Arthur also proved outstanding at rugby and cricket.

Indeed, from 1889 he played cricket professionally during the football close season, and in 1896 he signed as a professional for Stalybridge Cricket Club.

After retiring from football and returning to Yorkshire, cricket took pride of place in Arthur’s affections, and he continued playing and running. Even in his fifties an eyewitness reported that “he could catch pigeons”. 

Arthur died penniless on 12 December 1930 in the Springwell Sanatorium, Balby, and was buried in an unmarked grave in Edlington Cemetery, Doncaster.

Recognition overdue

His achievements in the face of adversity, his contribution to the communities he lived in and the scale of his successes made him a unique figurehead - but it is only in recent years that Arthur's achievements have been recognised.

A campaign led by Football Unites Racism Divides finally resulted in Arthur’s grave being marked with a headstone in May 1997, and in 20023 he was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.

In 2012, a small statue of Wharton was presented to Sepp Blatter at the headquarters of FIFA, where it remains on permanent display

There is also a sculpture of Arthur at St George's Park, the home of England's national football teams - a poignant reminder to the current and future generations of the struggles he faced.

With thanks to the Arthur Wharton Foundation. Further information about the Foundation's work and aims can be found here.

Also in this series