The biography of the first black footballer to be selected for England, but who was dropped due to the colour of his skin.
Matt Tiller's book is the moving biography of the first black footballer to be selected for England in 1925. But Jack was dropped due to the colour of his skin.
Jack Leslie's inspirational story began in East London and Essex. He was born in Canning Town in 1901 and was an apprentice at Beckton Gas Works while establishing himself as a footballer with Barking Town FC (now Barking FC) between 1919-21.
The talk is illustrated with archive photos from his time with Barking, glory as a professional at Plymouth Argyle (137 goals in 400 games), adventures in France and South America and a bittersweet epilogue at West Ham United… where an aging Jack cleaned the boots of World Cup winners like Bobby Moore. The England selection will be discussed in detail and Matt will happily take questions.
A Plymouth Argyle fan, Matt is also co-founder of The Jack Leslie Campaign which raised more than £100,000 for a statue which was unveiled in 2022. The FA has since awarded Jack a posthumous honorary cap, nearly a century after his selection.
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