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My first thought was Steve Mokone, probably our first African player.
But then I remembered Tommy Best from the late 1940's. Wikipedia states that he was the first black player at Chester and Hereford United but doesn't say he was our first black player. Was there someone before him?
I would have said Tommy Best, but, although the photos I've seen of him hardly suggest it, I've read that Derrick Sullivan was of mixed race and he made his debut for us in 47/48, the season before Tommy Best played his first match for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by alan_corneli
That's a surprise!Quote:
Originally Posted by the other bob wilson
I was wondering after seeing the Cardiff Coty Foundation pieve on Black History Month.
There's a new book out detailing the first back player at every one of the 92 league clubs (Football's Black Pioneers, published by Conker Editions), just wondered who they have for Cardiff City.
I always understood it was Tommy Best. in 1948. Apparently he had a West Indian father and a Welsh mother and his nickname at Cardiff was, and I am quoting, "Darkie"!! Never heard that rumour about Derek Sullivan, I thought he had ginger hair! Steve Mokone was about 1957 and the next I remember was probably Clive Charles.Quote:
Originally Posted by the other bob wilson
I'm not convinced about it either, but it's something I either heard or read somewhere - as I say, the photos I've seen of Sullivan hardly suggest he was of mixed race.Quote:
Originally Posted by cardiff55
Not Derek Sullivan, no way.....first true black player for CCFC was Steve Mokone. I remember him making his debut....
The Black Pioneers book seems to point to Tommy Best.Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice Swan
Yes, I think I'd go with that too.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
True black? What scale are you using out of interest?Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice Swan
So do I. 🤒Quote:
Originally Posted by Maurice Swan
I got Derek Sullivan's autograph in 1960 and he had brown fingers mind, not genetically brown but from his sixty a day Capstan Full Strength consumption, he liked a steamed pasty or three at the old cafe down by Ninian Park Halt too. Hope this helps.
The Railway Tavern run by Jimmy Hassan, now he had a bit of colour in him.Quote:
Originally Posted by lincoln blue
I was surprised to see that he settled in Hereford in the 50s and lived there for the rest of his life as it wouldn't have been the most accepting of places in those days to black people and had a completely different culture to Cardiff.
Hereford has become very cosmopolitan in the last decade or so.
Going by the title of the thread, i’d hazard a guess at the “colour” scale. 😁Quote:
Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays
Somali fellaQuote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
Hereford and Shrewsbury, being so close to Wolverhampton have always had a small ethnic minority population but as you say I understand things have changed latelyQuote:
Originally Posted by B. Oddie