You probably don’t recognise the name, Arthur Wharton. Not many people would these days. Yet he is one of the most significant footballers the sport has ever known.
He never played for England, he didn’t score goals, and he didn’t achieve a trophy full of silverware – so why is his story worth telling?
Arthur Wharton was the first black professional footballer in the country, and indeed the world.
He was part of Preston’s team of ‘Invincibles’ during the late 1880s, and although he wouldn’t have known it, his journey in football would open the door for every black player who came after him.
He was a superb sportsman outside of football too. He equalled a World Record for completing the 100m dash in 10 seconds and he was also a talented cricket player.
It’s his football career I will be discussing today though, so here goes.
Career and Life in Football
Wharton came to England aged 19 to become a Methodist missionary. However, it wasn’t long before his athletic abilities were noticed and he abandoned his studies to follow a life in sport.
As a footballer, he played mainly in goal but was also known to play out on the wing (these were very different times!).
He was first signed to Darlington as an amateur in 1885, but when he played in a match against Preston North End and did well, he was persuaded to join them instead.
With Preston, he played in the FA Cup semi-finals in 1886 and was an important part of their team of ‘Invincibles’, although he left to concentrate on his running in 1888. This meant he missed out on their Double winning season of 1888/89.
After a year out he returned to football, joining Rotherham in 1889 and spending 5 years at the club. This time he was signed as a professional, and it was at this point that he became the first professional black player in football league history.
He was also a pub landlord during his time in Rotherham, as well as meeting Emma Lister there, the woman who would become his wife.
A brief stint at Sheffield United ended badly, with age and a liking for alcohol beginning to affect Arthur’s form, and after a year he as back at Rotherham for a season.
After this he moved clubs every couple of seasons, spending 1896-1901 in Tameside between Stalybridge Rovers and Ashton North End. He ran a tobacconists in Ashton, and only left the club because it went under.
He finished his career with a season at Stockport County in the 2nd division.
Playing Style
By all existing accounts, despite being fairly reserved and mild mannered in person, Wharton was something of an eccentric on the pitch.
Going against the norm, he would crouch down at the side of the goal the ball was closest too, before rushing out to meet the attacking players or dashing across to save a shot.
His speed and athleticism allowed him to do this, while his initial crouching position gave him a good way to read the game.
He knew how to play to the crowd too.
One newspaper reporter wrote:
“I saw Wharton jump, take hold of the cross bar, catch the ball between his legs and cause three on rushing forwards to fall into the net. I have never seen a similar save since and I have been watching football for over 50 years.”
Other reports tell of him pulling down the crossbar so the ball would sail over it instead of hitting it or going into the back of the net. The goals were not as sturdy as they are today and in some cases the crossbar was little more than some tape tied across the two posts.
Later Years and Death
Sadly, Wharton’s drinking had got worse in the later stages of his career. Due to this, he retired from football in 1902.
These were very different times of course, so he didn’t have a fortune to fall back on like the players of today. Nor was he as widely well known as modern day football stars.
At 37 years old, there was plenty of life left in Arthur Wharton so he needed to get a job. He found work hauling coal in South Yorkshire, before going down the pit to actually mine the stuff.
At the outbreak of World War 1 Arthur was almost 50 years old, so much too old to go overseas. Instead, he signed up for the Volunteer Training Corp, which was a bit like the Old Home Guard of WW2 which is better known. If England were invaded, Arthur would be ready to fight in her defence.
That never happened of course, and the trail on him runs cold after this.
His death was recorded in 1930 though, showing him to have been 65 years old at the time. He was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave.
Legacy
Arthur was more or less forgotten for 70 years after his death, until anti-racism in football campaigners began to look up his history and bring it to wider attention.
Since then, there has been much recognition of his achievements, starting with a headstone for his grave, statues, and even a short film telling his story.
Social media has even caught on with many influencers highlighting his achievements:
@centrecircleapp Black History Month // Day 2 // Arthur Wharton #football #blackhistorymonth ♬ Countless – Official Sound Studio
The clubs he played for (those that still exist) celebrate him during events like Black History Month, and there is even a plaque in his memory at Curzon Ashton, a club that only came into existence in 1963.
In 2014, a brilliant statue of Wharton tipping the ball over the crossbar was unveiled in the gardens of the FA’s National Football Centre, and in 2020 a mural was painted on the side of a building in Darlington, with campaigns for a statue at Rotherham too.
There is even a foundation in Wharton’s name, so whilst he may not have got the recognition he deserved in life, he is now one of the few footballers of his time that people still talk about.