FURD
Born in Jamaica in 1927, Lloyd Lindbergh ‘Lindy’ Delepenha is one of the most popular and successful African-Caribbean players.
He moved to England in 1945, served with the British army in the Middle East after World War II and was scouted whilst there to play professional football, making him the first Jamaican to play in the professional league in England.
He joined Arsenal as an amateur in the late 1940s, but failed to make the grade and moved to Portsmouth in 1948, becoming their first black player. He only made 7 appearances, scoring once, but was part of their squad when they won the League Championship in 1949 and 1950.
Playing for Middlesbrough from 1950 to 1958, he became a leading goal scorer, scoring 90 goals in 260 appearances. He moved to Mansfield Town in 1959 before retiring in 1961.
Delapenha went on to work for the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation as a commentator.
Sources:
Colouring Over the White Line: The History of Black Footballers in Britain by Phil Vasili
History of Black Footballers exhibition (Phil Vasili)
England, Their England by Nick Harris
- all available for loan from the Football Unites library.