FIRST BLACK PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER A GHANAIAN, HONOURED IN DONCASTER

The people of Doncaster in the UK have honoured one of Ghana’s most outstanding sons, Arthur Wharton, who has been almost forgotten in the modern era.

At the Doncaster’s Museum and Art Gallery, an impressive exhibition entitled “In A league of His Own” was held in his memory.

The exhibition organised by the Education, Culture, Museum and Art Gallery of the Doncaster Metropolitan Borough, was attended by a large number of people in and outside Doncaster. Vividly displayed were a collection of sporting gadgets used by Arthur Wharton.

Born in 1635 in the Gold Coast, Arthur Wharton was the world’s first black professional footballer, and played for a number of football clubs, namely, Sheffield United, Preston North End, Darlington, Rotherham Town, Stockport County and Stalybridge Rovers. He was also the 100 yards world record holder and probably the first African to play professional cricket in the Yorkshire and Lancashire leagues.

The tall Ghanaian was an extreme irritation to many white supremacists because his education and sporting triumphs refuted their theories. In the late Victorian era, when Britain’s economic and political power reached its zenith and when the dominant ideas of the age labelled all blacks as inferior, it was simply not expedient to proclaim the exploits of an African sportsman. This shaped the way Wharton was forgotten.

As his sporting powers waned, so did his fame and earning power. He died a penniless coal-miner, and his grave remained unmarked until 1997 when a campaign launched by Football Unites, Racism Divides of the UK raised enough money for a fitting memorial.

Opening the exhibition in Arthur Wharton’s honour, Ghana’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Kwabena Baah-Duodu, thanked all those who have helped to keep the Arthur Wharton message alive-that with “hardwork, dedication and perseverance every human being can achieve his objective, no matter the obstacles placed in his way”. He said the message also underscored the need for every human being to be judged according to his worth or abilities and not by skin pigmentation.

Mr Baah-Duodu pointed out that Arthur could have led a comfortable life if he had decided to parasite on his uncle, the late F.C. Grant, one of the leading lights of the Gold Coast, - a newspaper owner who had helped found the Fante Confederacy. He added that, Ghana and Wharton’s adopted town, Doncaster, are now all trail-blazers. He said the celebration of the achievement of Arthur Wharton, who had his initial upbringing in Ghana, should encourage the youth of today to learn from his strive for excellence.

He declared: “Let the people of today learn to kick racism out not only from sports but from our entire lives. Let us appreciate excellence and grant every man or woman his/her due”.

Mr Martin Winter, First Executive Mayor of Doncaster said the exploits of Arthur Wharton during that difficult era should encourage the present generation to help kick out racism from sports.

He said “if racism is kicked out of football and society and when people of any colour and creed from around the world live together in harmony, the contribution of Arthur Wharton would be regarded as having been completed.”

Ms Sheila Leeson, the oldest surviving relation of Arthur Wharton, described the exhibition as a ‘tribute to memory’ and thanked all the sponsors for helping to bring into the forefront the immense contribution of a dedicated black footballer for breaking into a field which hitherto was white dominated.