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ARTHUR WHARTON

Elaine Fearn

Saturday, December 3rd, 2005

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 He was Britains first black footballer
Arthur Wharton was his name.
Born Ghana, 1865,
his mother from royalty came.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Moved to England in 1882,
to train as a missionary, here.
He soon got bored and made his name,
in athletics with a new career.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 He set a new world record,
ten seconds for the hundred yard dash.
Appearance fees and tournaments,
brought in much needed cash.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 The skills he possessed brought attention,
from various football clubs.
His signing first for Preston North End,
was celebrated in many a pub.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 1887, the FA cup semi finals,
against West Bromwich Albion, faces glum.
They gave it all they had to give
but lost with the score 3-1.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Racial prejudice at that time,
lost him a place in the England team.
Good enough, he was never considered,
because he was black it would seem.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 He turned professional in 1889,
when he signed for Rotherham United.
Poached by Sheffield United 1894,
but by now, once were fans, weren’t excited.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 As a goalkeeper he was getting old,
competing with Bill Faulke, somewhat younger.
He started to drift from club to club,
for alcohol he would now hunger.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 He retired from football in 1902,
as a haulage hand down in a mine.
In 1930, he passed away,
forgotten legend of his time.

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 He was laid in a shabby, third class grave,
unmarked, just a shape on the floor.
Thanks to Football-United, Racism-Divides,
there’s a headstone, he’s remembered once more.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/arthur-wharton/