Conker Editions

Royal recognition for two pioneers!

Calvin Symonds (being tackled), Rochdale’s first black player, back home in Bermuda

Two of the pioneers who appear in ‘Football’s Black Pioneers’ have featured in an article about the book in The Royal Gazette. The Gazette was founded in 1828 and is Bermuda’s only daily newspaper, the paper claims to reach 97 per cent of the adult population of the island.

Calvin Symonds, the first black player at Rochdale and Clyde Best, not the first black player at West Ham but an important pioneer nonetheless, both live on the island of Bermuda where they were born. You can read the article here: http://www.royalgazette.com/soccer/article/20200806/bermuda-pair-among-footballs-black-pioneers.

Meanwhile, another important pioneer, Lindy Delapehna, has featured in an article about the book in The Jamaica Gleaner: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20200806/english-footballers-jcan-heritage-chronicled-new-book. The Gleaner is a relative upstart as it was ‘only’ established in 1834!

‘Football’s Black Pioneers’ will be published on 31st August. There is still time (just) to become a subscriber (your name will appear in the book and you will receive a signed copy and a free gift), details here: https://www.conkereditions.co.uk/product/footballs-black-pioneers-subscriber-copies-for-pre-order/