National blue plaque honours first black footballer to captain a league team and receive England call up
16 May 2025
Historic England has unveiled a national blue plaque in Plymouth to honour the life and career of John 'Jack' Leslie, the first Black footballer to captain a Football League team. This plaque marks Leslie’s footballing talent and celebrates the 100th anniversary year of his call-up as a reserve for the England squad in October 1925. Though this honour was later rescinded, it was an important moment in the history of English football.
The plaque is located at 8 Glendower Road, Peverell where Leslie lived with his family during the heyday of his career, captaining Plymouth Argyle FC.
Leslie possessed remarkable skills as a striker which brought him a tally of 137 goals in a total of 401 appearances for the club during his career. The unveiling was led by Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism Minister Baroness Twycross and Historic England’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson, alongside Leslie’s granddaughters Lesley Hiscott, Gillian Carter and Lyn Davies.
The first Black player to be called up for an England match
On 6 October 1925, Leslie was informed by his manager that he had been selected for England by the Football Association (FA). The list of the England squad to play the forthcoming international against Ireland was published in the newspapers and Leslie was named as one of the two reserves. His elation turned to disappointment when the England selectors replaced him as a reserve three days before the match.
Despite this blow, Leslie resiliently focused on his career at Plymouth Argyle FC and on the same afternoon that England drew 0-0 with Ireland, he scored two goals in Argyle’s 7-2 win against Bournemouth, contributing to the club’s record-breaking tally of 107 league goals for the season.
In the history of Black players in English football, Leslie was preceded by pioneering footballers such as Arthur Wharton, Walter Tull and Fred Corbett who had played for league teams before the First World War, and among his contemporaries was Eddie Parris, who won a cap for Wales in 1931. Following Leslie’s call up in 1925, another 53 years passed before Viv Anderson became the first Black player to play for England in 1978.
The Football Association (FA) has since presented Leslie with a posthumous cap (in October 2022) and recognised that retraction of his call-up "should never have happened". The FA stated that “he faced adversity because of the colour of his skin, and was deselected and never played for his country” and that the posthumous cap recognised Leslie's "career, his contribution to our game and wider society, and to right this historical wrong".
Leslie’s life and achievements
Leslie was an inspirational footballer who achieved great success playing for Plymouth Argyle FC from 1921-1935. He developed a strong partnership with fellow player Sammy Black, which was instrumental in propelling Plymouth Argyle towards its highest-ever standing in the English football league. In 1932 he led the team to the fourth spot in the Second Division - a record that has never been equalled.
On 10 March 1928, Leslie was given the captain’s armband in an away match against Norwich. This was a significant moment in football history, making him the first Black player to captain a Football League team. He rarely missed a game and was joint top scorer in the 1928-29 season with 22 goals.
Life after professional football
Soon after his retirement from football, Leslie took on the tenancy of the Swan Inn in Truro, Cornwall which he ran until 1938. Later that year, he and his family moved back to East London. Leslie worked as a boilermaker, riveter and plater in the East India Docks, where he remained until his retirement in 1966. At the suggestion of his daughter Evelyn, he then found a part-time job cleaning boots and sweeping terraces at West Ham United’s stadium Upton Park, near his home in East Ham. In 1978, Leslie was interviewed by the Daily Mail and was able to reflect on his career and the racism he encountered. In October 1982, he was honoured with a brief ceremony before the match at Upton Park to mark his retirement from the West Ham boot room.
Leslie and Plymouth
Jack Leslie was regarded as a hero in Plymouth. His association with the city spanned 14 years and he often spent his time off playing bowls on Plymouth Hoe or socialising with his fellow team-mate, Fred Titmuss. Today, both Plymouth and Plymouth Argyle are proud of Jack Leslie, as evidenced by the fact that The Jack Leslie Campaign (a crowdfunding campaign) succeeded in raising £140,000 to erect a bronze statue to him outside Home Park stadium in October 2022. The new national blue plaque aims to add to this proud legacy and aims to inspire people to find out more about Leslie’s achievements.
We feel honoured as members of Jack Leslie's family that a blue plaque has been unveiled in recognition of his achievements. Our Grandad made a major contribution to the history of not only football but the integration of black people into our communities. He was a true trailblazer, and we will always be immensely proud of him.
Jack Leslie’s granddaughters Lesley Hiscott, Gillian Carter and Lyn Davies
This marks an important moment in celebrating Plymouth’s rich local history and the remarkable achievements of Jack Leslie. His legacy goes far beyond the football pitch and it’s wonderful to see him getting the recognition he was once denied but certainly deserves. This plaque will help ensure his story and the important conversations we need to have about inclusion and equality in sport are remembered, not just now but for many years to come.
Plymouth City Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Jemima Laing