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A 16-foot bronze statue was unveiled in England last week, saluting Arthur Wharton’s trail-blazing sporting career in the late 19th century.
In a life that was to be both triumphant and tragic, he was born in Jamestown in Gold Coast, (now Accra, Ghana), the son of Harry, half Grenadian, half Scottish, and Anne, a member of the Fante Akam royal family.
Wharton excelled at football, track, cycling and cricket from an early age. But it was football and track where Wharton made his name.
In 1885, Wharton played football as an amateur with Darlington.
But his big breakthrough year was 1886 when he signed with Preston North End to become the first black man to play professional football in England, and twice ran 10 seconds dead for the 100 yards on the same day to set the world record.
Wharton ran in brown track shoes that gave the impression he was running in bare feet, and that year, and for the rest of his career, he was tagged “Darkie” Wharton by the English press.
There’s not much coverage of Wharton’s football career with eight clubs, but there’s one report from the Darlington and Stockton Times on July 10, 1886, that demands reporting.
“In the world of athleticism no laurel has been more coveted and striven for so keenly as the even-time record for the 100 yards,” it read.
“Scores of men have set themselves to do this, and though several have come within a fifth-of-a-second, no-one in England has attained his purpose.
“Several Americans claim to have made even-time in a 100, but we look with some suspicion on American records.
“It has been left to a Darlington youth to perform the feat for the first time at the London Athletic Grounds, Stamford Bridge, last Saturday.”
That covers the Wharton triumphs, but the tragedy was his drinking. So much so he died penniless in 1930, and is buried in a pauper’s grave.
What a damn shame those who worshipped his football and track feats did not look after Arthur Wharton at the time when he needed it most.
The bronze statue, over 100 years later, is better late than never. But trail-blazer Arthur Wharton deserved better when he was alive.