John Walker (footballer, born 1876)

John Walker (20 June 1876 – 1 August 1900) was a Scottish footballer whose position was outside left. He was possibly the first black player to play in both the Scottish Football League and the English Football League, featuring for Leith Athletic and Heart of Midlothian for brief spells in his home country, followed by another short period with Lincoln City in England before returning due to ill health.[1]

Not to be confused with John Walker (footballer, born 1873) or John Walker (footballer, born 1902).

John Walker
Personal information
Birth name John Walkin[1]
Date of birth 20 June 1876[1]
Place of birth Leith, Scotland[2]
Date of death 1 August 1900(1900-08-01) (aged 24)
Place of death Leith, Scotland
Position(s) Outside left[3]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Leith Primrose
1898 Leith Athletic 9 (5)
1898–1899 Heart of Midlothian 6 (0)
1899–1900 Lincoln City 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Born in Leith, Walker began his playing career with local Junior team Leith Primrose,[3][4] moving on to second-tier SFL club Leith Athletic in March 1898.[3][4][5] His performances at the end of the 1897–98 season and the outset of 1898–99 drew the attention of Heart of Midlothian, and he signed for the Tynecastle club in October 1898 for a fee quoted as £50[2] or £80.[3] He made six Division One appearances for Hearts[2] and featured in an East of Scotland Shield win over local rivals Hibernian,[3] but his overall form did not impress the hierarchy and he was allowed to leave the club at the end of the season.[2][3]

Walker joined Lincoln City of the English Football League Second Division for the 1899–1900 season and made six league appearances for the Imps during the first half of the campaign[3] before being released in January 1900 returning home to Scotland in a poor state of health and dying around six months later.[2][6]

Personal life

According to the 1881 census, Walker's mother Sarah was born in Leith (one of Scotland's main ports), and his father, also named John, was a dock worker born in "India, West" with mention of "Spain" (presumed to be the West Indies, possibly Port of Spain in Trinidad or a Spanish colony such as Cuba).[1][2][6] During his playing career he was often referred to by the nickname 'Darkie',[2][3][4] although this term did not have the same weight as an insult as in later times.

He died of consumption (tuberculosis) in August 1900, aged 24.[1]

Walker was not the first black footballer, being preceded by the likes of Robert Walker (no relation), Andrew Watson and Arthur Wharton,[2][7] but he was among the first to play in the Scottish Football League, and to appear for league clubs in both Scotland and England – alongside his contemporary Willie Clarke.[8]

References
  1. John Walker, a black professional in the Scottish and English Leagues, Andy Mitchell, Scottish Sport History, 1 October 2020
  2. Stephen Wynn (2018). Against All Odds: Walter Tull the Black Lieutenant. Pen and Sword Books. p. 30. ISBN 9781526704078. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. Phil Vasili (2000). Colouring Over the White Line: The History of Black Footballers in Britain. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 9781840182965. Retrieved 17 September 2018 – via London Hearts Supporters Club.
  4. Ben Carrington; Ian McDonald (2001). 'Race', Sport, and British Society. Psychology Press. p. 38. ISBN 9780415246293. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  5. [A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012
  6. "The other John Walker..." Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. Chris Arnot (20 October 1998). "The beautiful game's fear of a black face". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. Dave Pendleton (6 July 2011). "Celebrating 106 Years of Black Footballers at Valley Parade". Boy From Brazil. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
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