Walter Tull. Played for Tottenham 1909-1911

Walter Tull. Played for Tottenham 1909-1911. He became the first black outfield player to play in the First Division of the Football League when he signed for us and should have had a long and prosperouscareer at White Hart Lane had it not been for 2 things: racism and war. He was efeectively forced out of Spurs by rival fans who mocked our club to such an extent that it was decided to let him go. A sad day in North London because he was an extremely talented player whose only fault was that he was black. He fought in WW1 and became the first ever black officer in the British Army. He fought throughout the war, surviving virtually every big battle (Somme, Ypres, Passendale) and led his men at Piave with distinction that should have earned him the Military Cross. He lost his life in the last big battle of the war, the Second Battle of the Somme, and his body was never found. He never got his medal for which he was recommended because he was black and therefore could not qualify as an officer, despite actually holding such a rank.

I have started an online petition for Walter Tull to support his claim for a Military Cross. I heard that there was a growing campaign for him to receive the honour that he was denied in his day simply because of the colour of his skin and I wanted to add my name to the list of support. However, despite the fact he started out at Tottenham and played with us for over 2 years of his short career, there was nowhere I could find for Tottenham fans to show our appreciation for this man's sacrifice. Northampton Town have created a petition as have the Northamptonshire Black History Association but not Tottenham. I really feel that is a shame as Spurs, being a much bigger club, could really add weight to the campaign and as such I have created my own petition for us all to sign.

Please add your name to it as this is something that needs addressing. Tull was a remarkable man and we should be hugely proud of his achievements. He was a proper yid and showed the sort of character indicative of Spurs. He thoroughly deserved the Military Cross that he was recommended for and it was denied to him simply because he was black. At the time, Military Crosses were only given to officers in the British Army and, although he had become the first ever black officer when he was awarded the rank of Second Lieutenant, the powers that be rescinded the claim for his medal on the grounds that the Army rulebook clearly states that a man not of pure European descent cannot be eligible as an officer.

Although times have changed we should not forget what Walter Tull did for this country. Forever Spurs!

The petition can be found here:
Tottenham Hotspur Recommendation For Walter Tull Petition : [ powered by iPetitions.com ]This was started by one of our very much respected forum members please see original thread here