Barrow's first black player

[dg1937]

Hi, I've joined the forum to ask if anyone can tell me who Barrow's first black player was. I'm doing research on clubs up and down the country for a forthcoming book. For my purposes 'black' includes players of mixed heritage (one black parent or even one black grandparent). I'm hoping people on here can help.

It's good to see you doing well at the moment, good luck for the rest of the season.

[Bradders]

Shabba

[Lancaster Branch]

Walter Nisbett? Nesbitt?


PJ Daly will know.

[Scrube]

Viv Busby? Brian Edwards.

[Nigel Bamford]

Shouldn't it be 'person of colour'? Anyway, pretty sure there was someone as far back as the 1930s but can't recall his name.

[BAFC_98]

Shouldn't it be 'person of colour'? Anyway, pretty sure there was someone as far back as the 1930s but can't recall his name.

No, black is fine.

[barrowfan]

Shouldn't it be 'person of colour'? Anyway, pretty sure there was someone as far back as the 1930s but can't recall his name.

It’s what people used to say but it is now regarded as a highly offensive racial slur to use the word coloured which recalls a time when casual racism was a part of everyday life.
It is among the most offensive words for describing a black person.

[Nigel Bamford]

Shouldn't it be 'person of colour'? Anyway, pretty sure there was someone as far back as the 1930s but can't recall his name.

It’s what people used to say but it is now regarded as a highly offensive racial slur to use the word coloured which recalls a time when casual racism was a part of everyday life.
It is among the most offensive words for describing a black person.

Really?! It's the phrase I hear all the time at the moment on television/radio. I agree that 'coloured' is inappropriate (and never say it). This article seems to support me: https://www.politicalanimalmagazine.com ... -of-colour

[bamber678]

It’s what people used to say but it is now regarded as a highly offensive racial slur to use the word coloured which recalls a time when casual racism was a part of everyday life.
It is among the most offensive words for describing a black person.

Really?! It's the phrase I hear all the time at the moment on television/radio. I agree that 'coloured' is inappropriate (and never say it). This article seems to support me: https://www.politicalanimalmagazine.com ... -of-colour

Shouldn’t the white person be the coloured one? After our complex changes colour a lot more than a black persons?

[pjdaly]

Walter Nisbett? Nesbitt?


PJ Daly will know.

I hate to betray your faith in me, Lancaster Branch, but no, I'm far from sure . . . Nigel Bamford says there was one in the 1930's but I have no idea who that might have been. Even I was just about not quite born then by some little while. I think the first black player I remember playing for Barrow was Dave Busby who featured for us 40 years ago alongside a young Colin Cowperthwaite in the early days of the National League (Alliance Premier).

Black players were very few and far between until we went well into the 1970's. I think the first black player I can remember playing at Holker Street – but not for Barrow – was Charlie Williams for Doncaster Rovers. He was a comedian.

Come to think of it, I am now going off at a tangent and I find myself wondering who the first comedian was that I saw play at Holker Street. We are going back to the mid-60's for this one. There was the aforementioned Charlie Williams who was black as well as being a comedian. But I am not sure if I saw him play first or whether it was our former centre-half, John "Spike" Rawlingson. He was a comedian too (but white). There may well have been other comedians, black or white, that graced the Holker Street turf but the names escape me . . .

[Rico]

One of Charlie Williams sayings went something like “ I might not be a good player but I can stop them that are”. I think by fair means
or foul.

[SKIPPER]

Walter Nisbett? Nesbitt?


PJ Daly will know.

I hate to betray your faith in me, Lancaster Branch, but no, I'm far from sure . . . Nigel Bamford says there was one in the 1930's but I have no idea who that might have been. Even I was just about not quite born then by some little while. I think the first black player I remember playing for Barrow was Dave Busby who featured for us 40 years ago alongside a young Colin Cowperthwaite in the early days of the National League (Alliance Premier).

Black players were very few and far between until we went well into the 1970's. I think the first black player I can remember playing at Holker Street – but not for Barrow – was Charlie Williams for Doncaster Rovers. He was a comedian.

Come to think of it, I am now going off at a tangent and I find myself wondering who the first comedian was that I saw play at Holker Street. We are going back to the mid-60's for this one. There was the aforementioned Charlie Williams who was black as well as being a comedian. But I am not sure if I saw him play first or whether it was our former centre-half, John "Spike" Rawlingson. He was a comedian too (but white). There may well have been other comedians, black or white, that graced the Holker Street turf but the names escape me . . .

Worked with John at the Paper Mills. What a character.Never forget after he'd left us for Netherfield him walking out at clocking off time for a night match and being chased down the road by his boss as he'd agreed to work overtime.Needless to say he just carried on walking,his breathless boss finally giving up. Think he did a slot on the second series of 'The Comedians' under the name Spike Rawlings also a cameo in the series 'When the boat comes in'

[Scrube]

Ryan Zico Black!!

[SayitagainSam]

One of Charlie Williams sayings went something like “ I might not be a good player but I can stop them that are”. I think by fair means
or foul.

Charlie Williams - Footballer at 1.25 mins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfoDIchhX50

Charlie Williams - Comedian

He speaks 'Yorkshire', so English sub-titles provided.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWsNyyFHsM

[optomisticsupporter]

The player I am trying to remember and he was not the 1st but possibly the best,played about 1985 ish he was released by a league club then went back to a league club and broke all records for the number of league games played, anybody any idea who he was. he was by the way in his mature years, when at Barrow.