England will host Germany at Wembley in the UEFA Nations League in an important international match. But besides the events on the pitch, something very significant will happen in the stands – because the FA will honour the black men who were true trailblazers in the sport.Since 1977, the year when Laurie Cunningham made his debut for England Under-21s, he was considered the first black man to have ever represented England. But that wasn’t right. Six years earlier, Nigerian-born Ben Odeje played five matches for England schoolboys – and he’s done so at the old Wembley Stadium. He played for England in front of 70,000 screaming fans.Ben Odeje was the black man to represent England but FA are only celebrating his achievement now pic.twitter.com/KS7MNviom9— The Hitman Tipster (@hitman_tipster) September 18, 2022 It’s the same spot Odeje will receive national recognition next Monday.Arthur Wharton is widely recognised as English football’s first black professional. And then there is Viv Anderson – England’s original senior international. They all deserve recognition. Indeed, the families of Charles and Wharton have also been invited to the Germany clash — as has Anderson.To the current FA’s credit, they are marking the achievements of England’s pioneering black footballers. But for Odeje, the wait has been painstaking.”I kept asking myself, why has it been given to someone else? The fact is Laurie, and I were very good friends. When he signed as an apprentice at Leyton Orient, I was an apprentice at Charlton, and we used to meet regularly. We went our different ways, he went to West Brom and Madrid and I stayed here. But the thought it was given to him, and everyone around south-east London knew it wasn’t him, it worried me a bit.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6658247##The wrongs will be set right – even if it took half a century for the FA to come around.Life in football was tough for Odeje. He never made a first-team appearance for Charlton and failed to find a Football League home, largely spending his career at London low-league clubs. The rest of 1971 was no easier. Despite being named Man of the Match at Wembley, Odeje was immediately dropped by England schoolboys without explanation. After 25 years in the game, one of his coaches resigned in protest.
In the meantime, Ben Odeje had been released by Charlton Athletic, effectively putting an end to his hopes of becoming a professional footballer but also scarring him emotionally.”The release from Charlton was a blow to my stomach. They shouldn’t have. There were worse players than me, but they were a different colour skin.”But Ben has done alright for himself since. He dedicated himself to education and family – but there was always that something that was eating him inside – not being recognised as the first black England footballer.”I was left hanging, forgotten, cast aside. It got to the stage where my children were being called liars at school. But then the recognition was given to me by the BBC. That made my kids happy, and they went back to school extremely happy because they had the ammunition to show ‘Look, this is my dad’.”