A Sheffield charity has received a £7,500 lottery grant to help develop a project exploring the life of the world's first Black professional footballer, who was also a Blade.
Football Unites, Racism Divides (FURD), who also work closely with Sheffield United, has been awarded the grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund to help create an educational toolkit - including documentary film, drama and an art exhibition - to celebrate the life of former Blades goalkeeper Arthur Wharton, who spent most of his life in South Yorkshire.
The toolkit will be made available to communities, schools and colleges throughout Yorkshire and further afield to enable the legacy of this adopted, extrovert Yorkshireman to become more widely known and appreciated.
The Arthur Wharton Heritage Project will focus on the remarkable achievements of the Ghanaian-born 19th century footballer, runner, cricketer, cyclist and rugby player - who played for Sheffield United and Rotherham Town among a number of northern football clubs in the 1890s. He also set the world record for the 100 yard sprint in 1886.
One of Wharton's unique traits as a goalkeeper was to catch the ball between his legs while hanging from the crossbar - a feat captured by South African artist Archie Birch in an exhibition 'Offside! - A History of South African Footballers in the UK', currently on show at the District Six Museum in Cape Town.
Birch's dramatic image is planned to be featured in the 'U-Mix' young people's facility scheduled to be built in Lowfields Park, 150 metres away from the Olive Grove ground in Sheffield where Wharton made the famous save in 1890.
The co-ordinator of Sharrow-based FURD, Howard Holmes, who will manage the project, said: "Local youngsters and community groups will be at the heart of the Arthur Wharton Heritage Project.
"We hope to bring people and groups into heritage research, using filmmaking, art and drama to create an educational toolkit illustrating the great legacy Arthur Wharton has left Yorkshire, the UK and the world. At the same time we will equip young people with skills that they can then use in future heritage research."
FURD welcomes expressions of interest from individuals and groups keen to be involved in the project, particularly in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster - areas which all had a particular connection to Wharton's life.
For further information please contact Howard Holmes at Football Unites, Racism Divides, on 0114 255 3156 and howard@furd.org
