Walter Tull. It’s a name every player and football fan should know. But in reality, few know the story of this incredible man and his contribution to society and the game. I believe this needs to be addressed.
Tull was one of the very first black professional footballers. Born in east London, he made his debut for Tottenham Hotspur in September 1909, before going on to play for Northampton Town. He was also the first black officer in the British army to lead white troops. A pioneer in football and the armed forces, he was tragically killed serving his country. His story has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Tull and the other pioneering black players from that era – such as Arthur Wharton and Andrew Watson – led the way for Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Raheem Sterling and icons including Pelé, Eusébio and Ronaldo. And yet their stories are so unknown.
The same can be said of women’s football – the first female player of colour is thought to have made her senior debut in 1895. Some believe her name to be Emma Clarke, and historians are still debating her story. Whatever her identity, that the history of BAME women in the game is virtually unknown says so much about this neglected narrative.
I have a personal synergy with Tull; like his, my father is from Barbados. My curiosity about Tull’s story led me to organise a trip to his ancestral home on the island. Thanks to Phil Vasili, the world’s leading expert on Tull, I was able to identify the Clifton Hall Estate Plantation as a place where his father once lived.
I was enthusiastic travelling to the estate to learn more about the Tull family but soon found the brutal reality of where I was heading difficult to comprehend. This wasn’t a trip where I would be viewing family pictures on the walls – Tull’s family were slaves. His father was part of the first generation born free, but his grandfather was not.
On arrival at the great house it is hard not to be impressed by the beauty of the huge building and its surrounding grounds. But before long I was thinking about the horrors of slavery, somethingthat is impossible to fully get your head around. I also wondered how much Tull’s father would have shared with his son – who never visited Barbados – about the family’s life on the island. The family must have gone through so much. Could this have been where Tull got his resolve and bravery?
The owner of the estate, Massimo Franchi, a charismatic Glaswegian – and coincidentally a football agent – had no idea of Tull’s connection to the property. He was delighted to know more and said he would ensure the Tull family would now feature as part of the estate tours.
The visit really moved me. Football is the world’s game; it touches people. Black professional footballers are found in the majority of leagues across the globe – and yet our appreciation of a pioneer such as Tull is minimal. This surely needs to change.
After all, every black professional footballer owes a lot to him. Scratch that, football as a whole owes him. Can you imagine a game without black players?
Racism in football has been well documented: exclusion, abuse and humiliation. Without black pioneers opening doors for the generations that followed, where would we be? Personally I feel I owe a debt of gratitude to those who went before me.
And yet, before a friend made me aware of Tull a few years ago, I knew nothing about his story. In the 15 years I’ve been in and around professional football I cannot remember his name being mentioned. Not at training, not in the dressing room, not on the team bus.
It’s important to recognise that lots of good people and organisations have been trying to raise awareness of Tull. Phil Vasili has dedicated much of his life to this, as have Howard Holmes at FURD (Football Unites, Racism Divides), Kick It Out, Fare Network, the Football Black List and the PFA. The armed services and others have worked hard to share the Tull story, too, while Northampton Town have proudly highlighted and celebrated Tull – there is a pub named after him outside the ground on Walter Tull Way and a statue in the centre of the town.
But imagine if Tottenham Hotspur named part of their new ground after him? Could Fifa pay tribute to him – naming a tournament or cup after Tull? How about incorporating his story into the education of apprentices across professional club academies?
My connection to Tull grew much stronger when I found out that his father was from Barbados and he was also of mixed heritage. I have worked to raise awareness of him on the island. Barbados has someone who should be an icon in the world game.
For a long time I’ve been doing community and charity work in an area of Barbados called Pine. I go there during the off-season when I visit family on the island. It’s a place where young people are determined to do something positive with their lives, but they face low employment and a history of gang-related problems. Beyond the pictures of Barbados in the holiday brochures, life for those who live there can be tough.
Football has played a crucial role in bringing the community together. I saw first hand how the game was changing lives there thanks to the amazing staff at Pinelands Youth Soccer Academy and I wanted to bring Tull’s story to them. We organised school visits and a tournament in his name. The response was wonderful. The pride the young people had in the association with Tull was evident on each occasion we told his story. Barbados has a football icon and they wanted to know more.
Walter Tull’s impact on the young Barbadians was magical to see, and my community work in the country will always feature him. I will also be making a point of sharing his story more widely with teammates and friends.
We can all learn something from Tull’s story. For me, it underlined the importance of pioneers. I’m told I am the first British Jewish footballer to play in the Premier League. I hope by doing more to share that myself, it will encourage players from the community to follow my lead.
So let’s make a greater effort to maximise the positive change Tull’s story can encourage, and celebrate this genuine hero of the world game.
Nick Blackman currently plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv