In todays edition of Supporters Club Did You Know, we bring you the story of the first ever black man to feature in an FA Cup final… Better yet, he was South African.
Albert Johanneson was born in Germiston, South Africa in 1940 and in 1965 he became the first ever black man to run out onto the grounds of Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final. He was a skillful left winger who played for Leeds United. He was recommended to the club by a South African school teacher. He would go on to play 148 games for Leeds and score 48 goals.
The legendary George Best had this to say of the Johanneson who played in a very racially charged era: “Albert was quite a brave man to actually go onto the pitch in the first place, wasn’t he? He had a lot of skill. A nice man as well… Which is more important than anything.”
What do you think of this true story from our past?
