...known throughout England for his skill and complexion.
The Herald (1930)
They must have forgotten I was a coloured boy. They found out I was a darkie and I suppose that was like finding out I was foreign.
Jack Leslie
In the 1920s manager Bob Jack assembled a potent team at Plymouth Argyle. Argyle finished second in the Third Division (South) for 6 seasons in a row,eventually making it into the Second Division for the 1930–31 season. A key member of the team was Jack Leslie, a Londoner of Jamaican descent. Leslie was at Argyle, his only senior club, from 1921–1935. During this time he scored 137 goals in 401 appearances.
Bob Jack was informed by the Football Association that Leslie had been selected for England. The FA then decided that Leslie wouldn't be capped after all, as he was (as they put it) a man of colour.
Shame on the Football Association.
