GOOGLE DOODLE: WHO WAS FOOTBALLER ANDREW WATSON?
GOOGLE DOODLE: WHO WAS FOOTBALLER ANDREW WATSON? : It’s called a Google Doodle and is a temporary alteration of the search engine that only lasts for 24 hours, until that day is over.
The doodle commemorates a specific event, achievement or person that is deemed to be significant and is usually a collaboration with an artist.
Read on to find out all about today’s Google Doodle, which honours a famous footballer…
WHO WAS ANDREW WATSON?
Andrew Watson was a Scottish football player who is widely considered to be the world’s first black international footballer.
Born in 1856, he played three matches for Scotland between 1881 and 1882 and made football history in a time where black people didn’t play professional sport.
As explained by Sky History, his first game took place in London in 1881, when he captained Scotland’s international team against England and won 6-1 at the Oval.
Shortly after, he then played Wales and beat them 5-1 before thrashing England again in his final game 5-1, bringing his total to three victories.
Initially, it was thought that Arthur Wharton, who played for Rotherham Town, was the first professional black football player, but he didn’t sign with them until 1889.
INSIDE THE FOOTBALLER’S CAREER
Watson was the son of a wealthy Scottish sugar planter called Peter Miller Watson and was educated at Heath Grammar School in Halifax and King’s College School in Wimbledon.
He exceeded in football at school and went on to study natural philosophy, maths and engineering at the Univerity of Glasgow where he continued playing.
The footballer first played for Maxwell in 1876 before signing for Parkgrove, where he was also their match secretary and the first black administrator in football.
He was selected to represent Glasgow against Sheffield in February 1980 and won 1-0, then signed for Queen’s Park in April of the same year.
At the time, the Scottish club was Britain’s largest football team and he led them to two consecutive Scottish Cup wins in 1981 and 1982.
He was the first black player to win a major competition and moved to London in 1882 where he became the first black player to play in the English Cup for Swifts.
In 1883, he then joined the amateur club the Corinthians and played for a number of other English clubs including Pilgrims, Brentwood and London Caledonians.
After that, the sportsman signed for Merseyside club Bootle in 1887, which was the start of his professional career, and then went on to play for Scotland.
He retired in London in around 1910 and died of pneumonia in Kew in 1921. He is buried in Richmond Cemetery.
ABOUT THE GOOGLE DOODLE
The Google Doodle, which depicts six children playing football, was illustrated by a London artist called Selom Sunu.
“Today’s Doodle celebrates Scottish footballer Andrew Watson as he looks into the future at Black football legends to come,” Google says.
Selom, who has done illustrations for CBeebies and Disney TVA, said he was “over the moon” when asked to do the doodle.
He drew inspiration from five footballers who have won or been nominated for the Ballon D’or award and paid tribute to all of them.
The children in the doodle are inspired by Eusebio, who was the first black winner, George Weah, the only African winner, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry.
“I hope people will be inspired to have a go at football or any other sport regardless of their age as it can be a great way to make friends, have fun, and stay active,” he said.
