19/10/2021
MEET ARTHUR WHARTON - the first black professional footballer from Ghana and one time world most fastest man.
Arthur Wharton (28 October 1865 – 12 December 1930) is
widely considered to be the first black professional
footballer in the world.
Though not the first black
player outright – the amateurs Robert Walker, of Queen's
Park, and Scotland international player, Andrew Watson ,
predate him (possibly a professional before Arthur Wharton
for Bootle F.C. in 1887) Wharton may have been the
first black professional and the first to play in the Football
League .
Early life, ancestry and early
career
Wharton was born in Jamestown , Gold Coast (now Accra,
Ghana ). His father Henry Wharton was Grenadian, while his
mother, Annie Florence Egyriba was a member of the Fante
Ghanaian royalty. Wharton moved to England in 1882 at
age 19, to train as a Methodist missionary , but soon
abandoned this in favour of becoming a full-time athlete.
He was an all-round sportsman – in 1886, he equalled the
amateur world record of 10 seconds for the 100-yard sprint
in the AAA championship. He was also a keen cyclist and
cricketer , playing for local teams in Yorkshire and
Lancashire . However, Wharton is best remembered for his
exploits as a footballer; while he was not the first mixed-
heritage footballer in the United Kingdom — leading
amateurs Robert Walker and Scotland international Andrew
Watson predate him, however Wharton was the first mixed-
heritage footballer to turn professional.
Football career
Wharton (seated second from left on front row) while
playing for Darlington F.C. (1887)
Wharton started as an amateur playing as a goalkeeper for
Darlington , where he was spotted by Preston North End
after playing against them. He joined them as an
amateur, and was part of the team that reached FA Cup
semi-finals in 1886–87. During the third round victory
against Renton , Wharton's clean sheet was described by
Athletic News as "one of the best exhibitions of goalkeeping
I have seen for a long time. He was consider world most fastest man with a record unbroken for 30 years.