Arthur Wharton is generally considered to be the first-ever Black professional footballer in Great Britain and the world. Wharton was born in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1865 and moved to England at the age of 19 to pursue training in the Methodist church. Once in Europe, Wharton soon abandoned his religious aims and instead focused on becoming a full-time athlete. He excelled in cycling, cricket, and most notably football. Wharton’s first club was Darlington, where he played as a goalkeeper in the 1886 season before later moves to…
