Benjamin odeje-first black England player

[RoytonLatics]

Been stated that he was the first black player to represent England at any level, 7 years before lawrie Cunningham.

 

One for the stato's, who was latics first black player?

[opinions4u]

I'll throw in Carl Valentine as a suggestion. No idea if he was first though.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Valentine

 

Paul Reaney played for England long before Anderson, Cunningham or Odeje.

Edited May 24, 2013 by opinions4u

[RoytonLatics]

I'll throw in Carl Valentine as a suggestion. No idea if he was first though.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Valentine

 

Paul Reaney played for England long before Anderson, Cunningham or Odeje.

 

Paul Reaney eh, looks like we need to inform the FA of this, their historians seem dead cert on it being Odeje.

 

Reaney does look mixed race though, would the FA differentiate on this?

[opinions4u]

Paul Reaney eh, looks like we need to inform the FA of this, their historians seem dead cert on it being Odeje.

 

Reaney does look mixed race though, would the FA differentiate on this?

 

I'm not particularly fussed either way, although it was probably something they preferred to ignore at the time.

 

More interesting is the stat that Vassell, not Viv Anderson, was the last England player to score with a moustache.

[garcon]

Scoring with one's moustache is a rare skill indeed.

[tangerinedreams]

Why did this even make the news in the first instance????