Statue of goalkeeper Arthur Wharton is unveiled at St George's Park
Thursday 16 October 2014 12:10, UK
A statue of goalkeeper Arthur Wharton, who was the world's first black professional footballer, has been unveiled at the St George's Park national football centre in Burton.
Wharton came to Britain from Ghana in the 1880s and was signed by Darlington at the age of 19 before going on to play in goal for Preston, Rotherham and Sheffield United.
St George's Park chairman David Sheepshanks said he hoped the 16ft high bronze statue by sculptor Vivien Mallock, depicting Wharton in action, would inspire coaches from ethnic minorities.
At St. George's Park we want to educate and inspire a new generation of coaches and players from all backgrounds.
Sheepshanks said: "At St George's Park, we want to educate and inspire a new generation of coaches and players from all backgrounds. This is a memorable day on our journey to doing so now the statue is up, but we don't stop here.
"Our job is to continue helping organisations like FURD (Football Unites Racism Divides) and the Arthur Wharton Foundation educate the next generation about Arthur.
"As an association, we need to find ways of bringing black and Asian coaches through the ranks."
