The family of Jack Leslie, the first black player to receive an England call-up, were presented with a posthumous honorary cap ahead of the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.The player who scored 137 goals in 400 appearances for Plymouth between 1921 and 1934 was called up to the national team in 1925.But Leslie would disgracefully be denied an England appearance due to the colour of his skin after they discovered his heritage.It’s happened! Jack Leslie’s granddaughters receive an honorary @England cap from Vv Anderson on behalf of the @FA ⚽️🏴🧢 pic.twitter.com/Hc5wwibkvb— JackLeslieCamp (@JackLeslieCamp) March 26, 2023 He died in 1988, and his family were presented with an honorary England cap on Sunday – 98 years after his first call-up – as the Football Association recognised his ‘contribution to the game and wider society, and to right a historical wrong.’FA chair Debbie Hewitt and former England international Viv Anderson were part of the presentation before the match against Ukraine.Jack Leslie was called up for England but denied the call-up because of the colour of his skin. Today he received his posthumous England cap so disgracefullly denied him.A privilege for every black player capped since to have followed him.Never forget. pic.twitter.com/FmBvc4OgIX— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) March 26, 2023 The FA statement continued: “In 1925, Leslie earned a deserved call-up to represent England. However, he faced adversity because of the colour of his skin, and was deselected and never played for his country. This should never have happened.”In recent years we’ve been very supportive of the Jack Leslie Campaign, which led to the unveiling of a statue in his honour at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park in October 2022.”Following this, we were delighted to award Jack with a posthumous honorary cap to recognise his career, his contribution to our game and wider society, and to right this historical wrong.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7125934####EDITORS_CHOICE##Jack’s granddaughters, Lesley, Lyn, and Gil, said: “When the FA told us they were giving our grandad this posthumous honour, it took our breath away. What happened to him nearly a century ago is a burden he carried through his life with the dignity and grace he had as a human being and a footballer. This is our family’s history and now it’s part of the nation’s history, a recognition that things can and must change. This means so much to the whole family. Grandad never shouted or complained but he knew he should’ve been capped and now, at last, he is.” ##NAJAVA_MECA_7125113##Leslie was also honoured with a statue in Plymouth back in October, as the club celebrated one of their greatest-ever players.
