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By John Muir |
London, December 2001: Soccer players of Caribbean origin playing at the top level in British soccer include Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Robbe Earle, Ian Wright, Sol Campbell, David and James to name but a few. Most were born in Britain, most play for England though for those who fail to make that cut, or simply just prefer it, the Jamaican national 'Reggae Boyz' team has proved a refuge in recent years.
Yet the Black British and West Indian players, having fought for and won their places in the English Premiere League in the last decade, now find their positions under threat. The post-Bosman ruling fashion of British clubs for signing skilful (and cheaper) Continental European or even African players is pushing them and their chances further down football's food chain.
While one in four professional footballer in England is black, not that long ago black players were made unwelcome on the football field. Monkey noises were made when they got the ball and bananas thrown in front of them. The road to acceptance was rocky and long. Three Caribbean soccer pioneers stand out on that journey.
Arthur Wharton
Arthur Wharton was the world's first Black Professional Footballer. He was born to parents who were both mixed race. His father was half Grenadian and half Scottish, and his mother was half Scottish and half Nigerian. He was also the world record holder for the 100 yard dash.
Arthur went to school in Cannock, Staffordshire. But his fame came later when he was dubbed the "best goalkeeper in the north" . He played for Preston North End in the 1885-6 season. He also ran for the Birchfield Harriers and played football for Darlington all in one year. Arthur was the forerunner of all black footballers.
Walter Tull
Walter Tull was the first black outfield footballer in Britain. Born in Folkestone in 1888 he was of mixed parentage. His father was from Barbados and his mother was English. Sadly, both his parents died at an early age, so Walter and his brother were brought up in an orphanage in East London.
While at the orphanage he enjoyed playing football and was an exceptional talent. He was playing for Clapton when in 1909 he was spotted by Tottenham Hotspur which he joined. After some time it became clear that Walter was not quick enough to be a striker and so transferred to Northampton Town in 1911. He played for Northampton until the outbreak of the First World War.
John Barnes
Three years after his spectacular solo goal for England against Brazil at Rio's Maracana Stadium the exciting Jamaican-born winger was signed from Watford for £900,000 by Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish in 1987 as part of his team reshaping following the departure of Ian Rush to Juventus. Barnes linked up with other new recruits Peter Beardsley, Ray Houghton and John Aldridge in a swashbuckling line up that swept to the Championship in style, with Barnes scoring 15 times in 38 outings.
Barnes equalled the record of 29 League games unbeaten from the start of the season and reached the FA Cup Final, losing to Wimbledon. He earned the votes of both the football writers and his fellow professionals of the PFA as the 1988 double Footballer of the Year.
The following season he won a FA Cup medal and in 1989-90 his 22 goals earned him a second title medal. He was awarded an MBE in 1998 and made an unsuccessful foray into management with Celtic in 1999-2000.
Brilliant footballer though he was, Jamaican born John Barnes will always be remembered as a brave man who shrugged off racist abuse in 1987 while bananas were hurled at him during a match.
Howard Eastman
If the Afro-Caribbean roots are strong in British pro-football. They are even deeper in British professional boxing
Undefeated Guyanese born Howard Eastman has been Britain's boxing superstar-in-waiting for several years. A skilful boxer and powerful puncher, the Battersea Bomber looks to be the heir to the great British middleweights of the 1990s. But, despite annexing the British, European and Commonwealth titles en route to becoming the WBA No.1, Eastman failed to receive anything like the plaudits afforded boxing icons Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Michael Watson and Steve Collins a decade ago or even his countryman Andrew 'Sixheads' Lewis today.
However, his luck changed dramatically when he was signed by the legendary promoter Don King in September. He also won acclaim from the UK Guyanese diaspora at their High Commission awards in October. Then came his big opportunity on November 17 when he fought for the world championship on the Lennox Lewis-Rahaman rematch bill in Las Vegas. He faced William Joppy lost what he described as "a controversial decision". But Eastman promised, "I am going to take care of Joppy next time round. My future to me is looking great because although I was robbed of the belt, I won the nation in America and my countrymen alike."
"In his last fight Eastman dominated former WBC title challenger Robert McCraken and sent the talented Birmingham fighter into retirement. The bout, held at the Wembley Conference Centre earlier this year, was called the best "trade fight" in years.
The Battersea fighter is often compared with Britain's last great middleweight, Nigel Benn. His advisor, Ambrose Mendy, who, also served as the "Dark Destroyer's" advisor before their split in the early 1990s, said "We believe Howard can beat anyone from 160lbs to 175lbs. Look at the size of him - Jesus!. He has skills, he has the body, he has charisma and most importantly he has bollocks."
Mark Ramprakash
One traditional West Indian sport which has proved an amphitheatre for Caribbeans over the years is cricket. And one talented player who has made it to the top is Mark Ramprakash.
Ramprakash could have made a bid to play for the West Indies by choosing to represent his father's land: Guyana. Instead, 'Ramps' as he is dubbed by fans- has chosen to try his luck in the land of his mother, where he was born - England.
His father is a Guyanese of Windrush vintage who came across on the same boat as Guyana's current London High Commissioner Laleshwar Singh. He married an Englishwoman and settled in Harrow, then one of the more twee London suburbs, today one of the centres of Asian London. Mark was born in September 1969. His cricketing talent at Gayton High School and Harrow Weald Sixth Form College - was precocious and soon his reputation spread. At ten he was trialing for Middlesex County, at sixteen he was in their second XI, at seventeen in the County first XI winning the man of the match award in the Nat West trophy final that year.
Mark's earliest hero was the great West Indian stroke player Viv Richards. But it was under England and Middlesex captain Mike 'Bulldog' Gatting that he flourished as a young professional. That might explain his jumping into the English rather than the West Indian camp when an international call came from England in 1991. But in the decade since, his England career has been uneven ate best. Prior to the current tour of India, he has made forty six appearances and scored 2114 runs, including two centuries. Yet 'Ramps' has never fully claimed a permanent Test place as his own; he comes and goes into the team like a cuckoo in spring.
But he now seems to have found a new sponsor and champion in fellow 'outsider' the England Captain Naseer Hussain. They share a statelessness, a mixed race(brown and white ) and a not surprising restlessness.
On some previous tours, such as South Africa in 1998, Mark has been the substitute player, parachuted in half way to bolster a flagging, exhausted, batting order. Match by match that too often has been his role. Coming in on collapse has done nothing to bolster his Test batting confidence. But his performance in India has been much more consistent and it would seem that the change of county -from Middlesex to Surrey-last season, in order to bolster his chances is paying off. For now his place seems secure.