The family of Plymouth Argyle great Jack Leslie were at Wembley on Sunday to receive a posthumous selection for their relative ahead of England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine.
Leslie was called up by England in 1925 as a reserve, but the invitation was later withdrawn without explanation.
Given that he was the only black player in English football, it is believed that he was snubbed due to his skin color by members of the Football Association who were unaware of his ethnicity at the time of his selection.
The inside left was never recalled by England and thinking back to the events of 1925, Leslie told journalist Brian Woolnough: “They must have forgotten I was a colored boy. »
He now has a statue outside Plymouth’s Home Park after a campaign launched in 2020 to honor him.
Ahead of today’s @England match, the family of Jack Leslie will receive a posthumous honorary England cap to recognize the former striker @argyle’s contribution to the game and society at large, and to right a wrong historical. pic.twitter.com/jcUR3H2bUH26 mars 2023
It was unveiled on October 7, 2022 and on the same day the FA revealed it was awarding Leslie a posthumous honorary cap “to recognize his unique contribution and set of circumstances – and to right the historic wrong”.
This cap was finally presented to his family members at Wembley on Sunday ahead of England’s game against Ukraine.
Viv Anderson, who became England’s first black player for the senior team in 1978, gave the presentation.
John Charles had been the first black footballer to represent England at any level in 1963, having played for the Three Lions under-18 team.
It was another 38 years after Leslie’s call and subsequent removal, in 1925.
