Devon trailblazer footballer gets blue plaque

John Leslie rejected for England because he was black

A hundred years after a black Devon footballer was called up for the England squad - and then rejected because of his skin colour, a blue plaque is to go up in Plymouth.

Historic England will unveil the plaque at John 'Jack' Leslie's former home in Glendower Road on Friday.

Mr Leslie's call-up as a reserve for the England squad in October 1925 followed a blitz of goals for Plymouth Argyle. By the end of his career, he had scored 137 goals in 401 appearances.

Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said: "Jack Leslie's story is one of talent, resilience, and breaking barriers.

"This plaque ensures his legacy is remembered and celebrated."

Reflecting on being selected for England, Leslie once said: "Everybody in the club knew about it. The town was full of it. I was proud, but then I was proud just to be a paid footballer."

After his retirement from football, he ran the Swan Inn in Truro and subsequently moved to London in 1938, where he eventually worked in the boot room at West Ham.

As the blue plaque depicts, John Leslie was born in 1901 and died in 1988.

John Leslie scored 137 goals for Plymouth Argyle (image courtesy: Leslie family)