Heritage Grants
Arthur Wharton was born in Jamestown, Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1865. When he moved to Britain he excelled in several sports including athletics, cricket and football, and became the world’s first black paid footballer at Rotherham Town. In later life he was forgotten, passing away in a Yorkshire workhouse in 1930.
Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD) uncovered this forgotten icon, bringing together archival material to tell his story and to help combat racism and discrimination.
Volunteers and young people from South Yorkshire researched Arthur’s life, and their findings were used to create free resources including an exhibition, documentary, illustrated booklet and comic Arthur Wharton, Victorian Sporting Superstar, a website and a teaching toolkit.
FURD's Howard Holmes said: "Arthur Wharton’s story is so important because it shows there was a black presence at the dawn of the professional game... There is something for everyone, whether you are a primary school pupil or postgraduate researcher."
