Page 17 - Raynes Park Vale v Camberley Town

Black History Month
the continent, and impressed sufficient- the rank of Sergeant.
ly to join the team for the following Officer Training Corps
WALTER TULL season. Northampton Town In May 1916 he was sent home suffer-

ing from shellshock, but was returned
Despite early promise, the level of racial to France in order to take place in fierce
he first black footballer to play in abuse he received from opposition fans fighting at Delville Wood and Guille-
TEnglish football, that we know of, was so vitriolic that he was dropped to mont during the Battle of the Somme.
did so in 1885, when Arthur Wharton the reserves after just a few games. He The grim conditions took their toll,
took up a place between the sticks for wouldn’t return to the first team for however, and by January 1917 he was
Darlington. It shouldn’t be much of a over a year, and in total manged just ten again returned to Britain, this time with
surprise, then, to find black players in games for the side before the player and Trench Fever. He made this time work
the record throughout the history of the the club decided to cut their losses, and for him, however, and joined a nearby
game. Thirty years later, when conflict he was moved on, this time to a North- Officer Training Corps. Despite huge
broke out and football came to a halt, ampton Town side that was developing opposition, he was promoted upon its
teams signed up together to go and fight under Herbert Chapman. It would be completion to Second Lieutenant. He
in the trenches of France. And yet the the move that made his career, and over also secured his post-war future by
story of Walter Tull, a footballer who the next three seasons he made 110 agreeing a move to Glasgow Rangers,
become one of the county’s first to sign appearances for the side, scoring nine upon the cessation of hostilities.
up for military service, has gone large- goals. Preparing for his fourth season Third Battle of Ypres
ly unheralded in the century since he in the summer of 1914, nobody could Sadly, Tull would never take up his
became a war hero. have guessed what was about to come. position at Ibrox. Returned to France,
Footballing career War was declared on the 1st August, he became the first black officer to lead
Tull’s life is a life of pioneering ‘firsts’. and despite some attempts to get the British soldiers into battle, at the Third
He was born in Folkestone in 1888, season going, the conflict soon engulfed Battle of Ypres, and was recommended
three years after Arthur Wharton’s de- every aspect of life. Footballers were for the Military Cross. As the war began
but, and was the grandson of a Barba- signed with amateur side Clapton FC, not immune. to draw to a close, however, his luck ran
dian slave, but when tragedy struck and at the time a much fancied team who Rank of Sergeant out. He died at Arras in March 1918,
both of his parents had died by the age were considered to be one of the best in Tull signed up for the army in Decem- 2nd Lt. Tull, and his body was never
of eleven, he was sent to an orphanage the amateur game, at a time when the ber 1914, less than a week after, and recovered. His name can be found on
in London, before being adopted by a amateur game was held in high regard. completely separately from, a meeting the Arras memorial in France, just one
Glaswegian family and moving north Considered the “catch of the season”, he in London led by players of Clapton of 35,000 who died. But his life was not
of the border. In his new home, he helped the side to the FA Amateur Cup, Orient to encourage the creation of a “just one of”, it was “the first of”, right
excelled both in sports and academia, the London County Amateur Cup, and footballers’ battalion. He started his to the end.
becoming the country’s first dentist of the London Senior Cup, and caught the training in Cranleigh, and was moved
mixed heritage before embarking on his eye of Tottenham Hotspur. They offered to various training camps before being Martyn Green The Untold Game
footballing career. to take him on trial, on their tour of sent to France, as part of that battalion. Find more at TheUntoldGame.co.uk or
Tottenham Hotspur South America, where he became the Rising fast through the ranks, less than on social media @TheUntoldGame
Heading back to London in 1908, Tull first mixed heritage player to play on a year had passed before he had made

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