Use Euro 2028 to celebrate black footballers, say British pioneers

Viv Anderson makes his England debut against Czechoslovakia at Wembley in 1978, becoming the first black player to play for England. Photograph: Colorsport/Shutterstock

A generation of black British football pioneers have called on organisers to use the next men’s European Championship, to be held in the home nations in 2028, to celebrate the contribution of black footballers to the game.

In a letter published in the Guardian on Thursday, Viv Anderson, Brendon Batson, Clyde Best and a host of former professionals who were the first black players at their clubs, have called for a moment of commemoration that will use “the game’s unique power” to bring people together.

“Like so many of us, I’m proud of our diverse England team and what it represents – and I hope we’re defending champions when we host the Euros in 2028,” said Batson, who alongside Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham was one of West Bromwich Albion’s trio of groundbreaking black stars in the 1970s. “That tournament is a chance to commemorate the Black players who paved the way for today’s stars.

“Most fans don’t think twice now about the colour of a player’s skin. That’s certainly changed since I was playing – it wasn’t so long ago that some sections of fans booed our own players for the colour of their skin. We need to keep up the fight against racism in our sport, especially now that players are targeted on social media.”

2028 will be the 50th anniversary of Anderson’s debut for England, the full-back becoming England’s first black player. The 67-year-old went on to make 30 appearances for his country. 2028 will also be the 30th anniversary of Hope Powell’s appointment as England women’s manager, a role in which the 57-year-old transformed the perception of the women’s game.

Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, which helped to organise the letter, argued there were a number of specific things the game and clubs could do to acknowledge the moment. “Clubs could all celebrate their pioneering black players, which would bring this story into the heart of communities around the country, with new blue plaques highlighting players’ links to towns and cities,” he said. “It would be good to see local campaigns for statues, murals and artworks – of Viv Anderson in Nottingham, Luther Blissett in Watford and Ricky Hill in Luton, for instance.

“The National Portrait Gallery should include these Black football legends in a series of new commissions to mark Windrush 80 and the Royal Mail must surely consider a new set of stamps for the tournament. And a major documentary series on the experiences of the players, their families and the fans would be a great way to capture this moment of social history.”

Other signatories to the letter include Paul Canoville, the first black player to play for Chelsea; Stan Horne, the first black player at Manchester City and first to win a league championship medal; Winston White, Leicester City’s first black player; Roland Butcher, the first first black player to represent England at cricket and first black footballer for Stevenage; and Tony Ford MBE who played 931 league games, a record for an outfield player.