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First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? - Sports - Nairaland

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First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Jarus(m): 9:10am On May 27, 2009
Who was the first Nigerian to play in English top league? Which club did he play for and which year?
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by tkb417(m): 1:28pm On May 27, 2009
EPL?
hmm. I dunno now but i think that name EPL started in the early 90s
will it be Efan Ekoku with Norwich City?
not sure
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Ibime(m): 1:45pm On May 27, 2009
Fash the bash or Rueben Agboola. Someone said Thunder Balogun used to play for Plymouth. grin I no know sha.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by tkb417(m): 3:12pm On May 27, 2009
is Fash a Nigerian? Reuben Agboola didnt play in the EPL!
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Ibime(m): 3:20pm On May 27, 2009
Not Premier League per say. That was created in 1992, but Rueben had been playing in the top division in England as far back as 1982.

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Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by tkb417(m): 3:22pm On May 27, 2009
Ibime:

Not Premier League per say. That was created in 1992, but Rueben had been playing in the top division in England as far back as 1982.
i know bros but we talking about the EPL.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Jarus(m): 3:26pm On May 27, 2009
Ever heard of John Chidozie?
He played for Tottenham 1979-1982(not too sure I'm accurate, but around that time). At the national team, anytime he was played with Segun Odegbami, Segun moved to centre forward and left the flank for him. He was a winger

Source:
1, An Executive Director in my company who supports Tottenham. I asked him one day why he supports Spurs of all clubs and he told me he had been supporting them since 1982, when they had a Nigerian player, before he even went to UK to school. Because of this guy, this my oga supports Tottenham passionately till today.

2, I remember reading one of Segun Odegbami's articles, where he mentioned the guy.


I also heard from this my boss that one Nigerian played for Man U in the late 70's. Can't recall what he called his name but I think it's a Yoruba name.


Anybody with more accurate info on these players?

NB: I don't mean Premier league as it later metamorphosed in 1992, I mean English top league, whatever the name was then.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by tkb417(m): 3:28pm On May 27, 2009
ooh ohhh
then change the topic to the first Nigerian to play professional footie in England
That EPL thingy is confusing
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Jarus(m): 3:30pm On May 27, 2009
Fash is out of it. We mean players that identified solely with Nigeria.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by MrCrackles(m): 3:34pm On May 27, 2009
Topic

I dont know!

Let me ask my old boy, wait a minute! tongue
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Ibime(m): 3:59pm On May 27, 2009
Arthur Wharton

Britain's first black footballer. Born in Ghana in 1865 to mixed-race parents (his father was half-Scottish), Wharton joined Preston North End in 1886. He was a brave keeper, in an era when they received no protection from referees.


Walter Tull

Born in 1888, Tull played for Spurs and Northampton in the years leading up to the first world war. Despite the poorest of backgrounds, he also became Britain's first black army officer.


Lindy Delapenha

Delapenha, the first Jamaican to play League football, was the first black player to be part of a championship-winning side, with Portsmouth in 1949.


Teslim "Thunder" Balogun

Balogun, a lanky forward nicknamed 'Thunder' because of his powerful shot, was the first Nigerian to play in the League, with Peterborough in 1955.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by MrCrackles(m): 4:04pm On May 27, 2009
Ibime:

Arthur Wharton

Britain's first black footballer. Born in Ghana in 1865 to mixed-race parents (his father was half-Scottish), Wharton joined Preston North End in 1886. He was a brave keeper, in an era when they received no protection from referees.

Walter Tull

Born in 1888, Tull played for Spurs and Northampton in the years leading up to the first world war. Despite the poorest of backgrounds, he also became Britain's first black army officer.

Lindy Delapenha

Delapenha, the first Jamaican to play League football, was the first black player to be part of a championship-winning side, with Portsmouth in 1949.


The thread said "Nigerian" so what is the point of the above cut and paste effort?#

Or are you just thick? tongue
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Ibime(m): 4:14pm On May 27, 2009
Brashy, ya arms are too short to box with me! cool
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Jarus(m): 4:25pm On May 27, 2009
Ibime:


Teslim "Thunder" Balogun

Balogun, a lanky forward nicknamed 'Thunder' because of his powerful shot, was the first Nigerian to play in the League, with Peterborough in 1955.


I think this answers the question. Good research.

Arthur Wharton

Britain's first black footballer. Born in Ghana in 1865 to mixed-race parents (his father was half-Scottish), Wharton joined Preston North End in 1886. He was a brave keeper, in an era when they received no protection from referees.

Yes, I recall Ghanaians bragging with this on Ghanaweb when we were discussing seniority in football, as usual between Nigerians and Ghanaians. One Naija guy was claiming that Naija players had been playing in England for very long time(putting forward Chidozie, Fash, Ikoku etc) when one Ghanaian forumer dug out this.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by MrCrackles(m): 4:53pm On May 27, 2009
Ibime:

Brashy, ya arms are too short to box with me! cool

Yeah i know, like i am a midget right?! grin
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by AloyEmeka9: 6:02pm On May 27, 2009
Ever heard of John Chidozie?
He played for Tottenham 1979-1982(not too sure I'm accurate, but around that time). At the national team, anytime he was played with Segun Odegbami, Segun moved to centre forward and left the flank for him. He was a winger

Source:
1, An Executive Director in my company who supports Tottenham. I asked him one day why he supports Spurs of all clubs and he told me he had been supporting them since 1982, when they had a Nigerian player, before he even went to UK to school. Because of this guy, this my oga supports Tottenham passionately till today.

2, I remember reading one of Segun Odegbami's articles, where he mentioned the guy.


I also heard from this my boss that one Nigerian played for Man U in the late 70's. Can't recall what he called his name but I think it's a Yoruba name.


Anybody with more accurate info on these players?

NB: I don't mean Premier league as it later metamorphosed in 1992, I mean English top league, whatever the name was then.


Tottenham Hotspur FC
1984-1988
POSITION
Winger
DATE OF BIRTH
Monday, 18th April 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH
Owerri, Nigeria
LEAGUE DEBUT
Saturday, 25th August 1984 scoring in a 4-1 win at Everton (Aged: 24)
CLUB CAREER
45 League apps (+8 as sub), 12 goals

SEASONAL RECORD:    1984/85-1987/88
Leyton Orient:   1976-1977     Played   15     Scored   0   goals   (Division 2)
    1977-1978     Played   21     Scored   2   goals   (Division 2)
    1978-1979     Played   36     Scored   6   goals   (Division 2)
    1979-1980     Played   37     Scored   3   goals   (Division 2)
    1980-1981     Played   36     Scored   9   goals   (Division 2)

Transferred in August 1981

Notts County:   1981-1982     Played   32     Scored   1   goal   (Division 1)
    1982-1983     Played   39     Scored   5   goals   (Division 1)
    1983-1984     Played   40     Scored   9   goals   (Division 1)

Transferred in August 1984 for £375, 000

Tottenham:   1984-1985     Played   34     Scored   5   goals   (Division 1)
    1985-1986     Played   18     Scored   7   goals   (Division 1)
    1986-1987     Played   1     Scored   0   goals   (Division 1)
    1987-1988     Played   0     Scored   0   goals   (Division 1)

Free transfer to Derby County in August 1988

(John is pictured above during his Tottenham debut against Everton on the opening day of the 1984-85 season. He scored that day in an impressive 4-1 Spurs win.
But we're after more random post-career occupations, and another former Tottenham player, John Chiedozie, definitely fits the bill as , a bouncy castle vendor. He currently runs his own company, renting out inflatables and animals for children's parties in Hampshire)
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by MrCrackles(m): 6:39pm On May 27, 2009
Ah so this is d dude shocked
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Jarus(m): 7:23pm On May 27, 2009
Good research.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by manmustwac(m): 12:58pm On Dec 28, 2010
Alloy Emeka is correct John Chidozie played for my beloved tottenham hotspurs in the old first division. wink
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by supereagle(m): 6:03am On Dec 30, 2010
Thunder Balogun Teslim was the first Nigeria to play in EPL in 1955. He died in 1971.
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by manuch(m): 10:35pm On Dec 31, 2010
not saying he was the first but Tunji banjo-- leyton orient 1977-1982
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by queensmith: 9:34pm On Jan 15, 2011
im not sure if this dates back to the 70s but there was a gay dude that played footy in england. the one that commited suicide. that was a while ago
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by manmustwac(m): 6:11pm On Jan 16, 2011
queensmith:

im not sure if this dates back to the 70s but there was a gay dude that played footy in england. the one that commited suicide. that was a while ago 
that was justin fashanu he played footie for norwich city who in the first tier of football back in those days. His brother John Fashanu who was also a footballer is an ambassador for nigerian football now. smiley
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Nobody: 1:26pm On Jan 18, 2011
The nigerian guy that played for Man Utd was Dele Moses.not sure of the exact period of his Man Utd career
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by Digriz(m): 8:00pm On Jan 29, 2011
queensmith:

im not sure if this dates back to the 70s but there was a gay dude that played footy in england. the one that commited suicide. that was a while ago 
yes,bt d guy justin wasn't actually Nigerian first player in that bt d guy made a name 4 himself by bn d first british 1m pound black player.http://www.petertatchell.net/sport/justin_fashanu.htm
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by queensmith: 1:10pm On Jan 30, 2011
^^ he also made the name by being the first and only player to come out gay! dayuuum just HAD to be Nigerian!
Re: First Nigerian To Play Professional footie in England? by tck2000(m): 8:09pm On Jun 01, 2019
....

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