FURD
FURD is backing a campaign to raise money to pay for a blue plaque outside Arthur Wharton's house in Moorthorpe.
Arthur Wharton was the first black professional footballer and a world record sprinter.
After retiring from professional sport, he worked for around twenty years as a miner in the coalfields of South and West Yorkshire. At the time of the 1911 census, he was living in Moorthorpe, South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, where his occupation was given as 'collier (hewer)'. This would have been a very physical job cutting coal from the seam.
It's likely that he worked at either South Kirkby Colliery or Frickley Colliery nearby. He continued to play cricket despite his tiring job.
In Tameside a blue plaque marks the period in which Arthur lived there and now the Pontefract Civic Society have agreed that a blue plaque would be a fitting memorial to the fact that Arthur was once a resident amongst its mining ancestors.
The cost of a blue plaque is around 500 pounds and a campaign has been kicked off by local residents to raise this amount.
If you'd like to donate, please follow the link below to the Just Giving page.
Alternatively, please buy some raffle tickets from the second link below and support the campaign whilst having a chance to win some great prizes, including tickets to watch Sheffield United or Derby County, or a Rotherham United signed football.
Thank you!