Andrew Watson (footballer, born 1856)

After first playing for Maxwell in 1876, Watson signed for local side Parkgrove, where he was additionally their match secretary,[2] making him the first black administrator in football.[4] At Parkgrove he played alongside another black player, Robert Walker.[7]

He also took part in athletics competitions, winning the high jump on several occasions.

On 14 April 1880, he was selected to represent Glasgow against Sheffield; Glasgow won 1–0 at Bramall Lane. He was also selected for a tour to Canada in the summer of 1880 which was cancelled after the death of William Dick, secretary of the Scottish Football Association.[6]

In April 1880, he also signed for Queen's Park – then Britain's largest football team – and became their secretary in November 1881. He led the team to several Scottish Cup wins, thus becoming the first black player to win a major competition.[4]

Watson's entry in the Scottish Football Association Annual of 1880–81 reads as follows:[6]

"Watson, Andrew: One of the very best backs we have; since joining Queen's Park has made rapid strides to the front as a player; has great speed and tackles splendidly; powerful and sure kick; well worthy of a place in any representative team."

In 1882, he moved to London and became the first black player to play in the English Cup when he turned out for Swifts.[2] In 1883, he was the first foreign player to be invited to join the leading amateur club in England, the Corinthians. During his time there, this included an 8–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers, who were at that time the English Cup holders.[8] He also played for other amateur English clubs, including Pilgrims, Brentwood, and London Caledonians.[6]

The colour of his skin was of no significance to his peers, and there is no historical record of racism on the part of the Scottish Football Association.[9] One match report is more interested in Watson's unusual brown boots rather than the customary black boots of that time.[9] As written in the minutes, before one match where Watson was injured and unable to play, an SFA vice-president said if Watson had been fit he would have happily drugged a fellow Scottish international to give Watson his place. He played his last match for Queen's Park in 1886.

Paul McDonald, writing for the BBC, noted: "Payments to players had been made legal in England in 1885 and professional footballers were paid decent salaries for that time. Ironically this attracted many Scottish players southwards to ply their trade in England, whereas in Scotland the game remained, in theory anyway, an amateur game until 1893."[10]

Watson signed for Merseyside club Bootle in 1887.[5] Bootle offered wages and signing fees to a number of players,[5] and research by Tony Onslow outlined in The Forgotten Rivals. A history of Bootle Football Club indicates that Watson was paid professionally.[11] This means that Watson's professional career would predate the professional career of Arthur Wharton, who was previously considered to be the first black footballer to play professionally.[5]

Onslow writes that Watson was Bootle's star signing and that the club pulled off the biggest coup in Merseyside by signing the Scotland international player. When Bootle was drawn with a Smethwick side Great Bridge Unity F.C., the Midlands club received a telegram from a 'Smith of Oakfield' who stated that Bootle's Watson and another Scottish player Anderson were being paid - and as such should be ineligible for their tie.[12]

Watson and others were in the Bootle side that beat Unity 2-1; and so directly after the match Unity lodged a complaint with the F.A. The F.A. announced that they would let Bootle proceed to the next round; but they would instead launch an investigation into the club.[13]

Onslow writes:

Bootle Football Club now faced a local FA committee on charge of paying a certain number of their players. Dr. Morley of Blackburn, President of the northern branch, chaired the meeting that took place at the Crompton Hotel in Liverpool. Also present was Morton P. Betts from the London executive and all the prominent members of the Liverpool and District F.A. committee. Former Bootle players Izatt and Weir were called to give evidence before the commitee [sic?] adjourned and referred the matter to London.

The club was found guilty by the F.A.; but the F.A. punishment was lenient - they had that same season closed Anfield for a month when Everton similarly paid players - and Bootle escaped with a mere caution.[14]

Watson won three international caps for Scotland.[3] His first cap came for Scotland in a match against England in London on 12 March 1881, in which he captained the side.[15] Scotland won 6–1, which (as of 2019) is still a record home defeat for England.[16] A few days later, Scotland played Wales and won 5–1.

Watson's last cap came against England in Glasgow on 11 March 1882. This was a 5–1 victory again to Scotland.[17] Watson moved to London in the summer of 1882, which effectively ended his international career as the SFA only picked players based in Scotland at this time.[5]

The next non-white person to receive a full international cap for Scotland was Paul Wilson in 1975. The next black person selected to play for Scotland after Andrew Watson was Nigel Quashie in 2004, 120 years later.[18]