When Manchester City won the Football League (Division One in those days) in 1967/68 their team contained many well-known names, Colin Bell (35 League appearances that season), Francis (Franny) Lee (31), Mike Summerbee (41) and Neil Young (40). Some way down the list of appearances was Stan Horne with just five (including one as a substitute). Stan had made his debut two seasons earlier and in doing so had become City’s first black player. But injury had curtailed his contribution in the title winning season and he hadn’t played enough games to be awarded a League Winner’s medal. That changed in 2021 when, fifty three years after the event, Stan was retrospectively awarded a medal.[1]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-58926572
What has this to do with Portsmouth?
In 1948/49 Portsmouth also won the Football League. Best known among their team that season was, arguably, the legendary Jimmy Dickinson (41 appearances) but Jimmy Scoular and goalkeeper Ernie Butler, were both ever present, playing in all 42 League games. You have to go a long way down the list of those who appeared to come to the name of Lindy Delapenha who played just twice. Lindy, like Stan Horne, was the first black player to represent his club and, also like Stan, didn’t qualify for a medal. But perhaps one should be awarded retrospectively? If five games qualifies you for a medal, why not two? Lindy died in his native Jamaica in 2017 but two of Stan Horne’s team mates were awarded medals posthumously so that shouldn’t disqualify Lindy. We rest our case!
Lindy made his Portsmouth debut on 13th November 1948 at Fratton Park against Blackpool and we approached the search for the programme for that game with no great hope of success. Remarkably we were able to obtain one. The name of Portsmouth’s President on the front page, Field Marshall Montgomery of Alamein, serves as a reminder that the Second World War was very much in the recent past (the Battle of El Alamein, a key turning point in the War, took place in 1942).
Even more remarkably, Lindy’s name appears on the team sheet.
The programme, a single sheet of paper folded twice, is a reminder that in 1948 just about everything was scarce and that rationing was very much in force, no glossy, multi page programmes in those days!
The final scoreline, 1-1, doesn’t tell the story of the late drama that unfolded in front of the crowd of almost 45,000. Stan Mortensen put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute only for Pompey’s outside right, Peter Harris, to equalise two minutes later. The result left Portsmouth in 2nd place but they did make up ground on leaders, Derby, who lost at Newcastle. A loss at Derby the following week saw Portsmouth drop to 3rd.
But Portsmouth went on to win the title, Blackpool were destined to finish 16th, Derby finished 3rd with Manchester United in 2nd.
Lindy may not have got a medal but he was the first black player to play in a team that won the First Division title, a piece of history that, by its nature, can never be equalled!
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