Black History Month: Walter Tull

Born in Folkestone, Kent, in 1888, Walter Tull would go on to live a groundbreaking, yet tragically short life; becoming the first ever mixed-race professional outfield footballer, the second person of mixed-race as a professional player, and the first ever mixed-race officer in the British army. Tull’s father, Daniel, was born in Barbados and moved to Kent, where he met Tull’s mother, Alice Elizabeth Palmer. Walter’s parents died while he was still young, and so him and his brother Edward were moved to a Methodist-run orphanage in London. Edward was adopted by a Glaswegian family and later became a successfully qualified dentist.

Walter, on the other hand, learned the trade of printing during his time at the orphanage, and in his free time, he would play for the orphanage’s football team. In 1908, he was signed to Clapham FC. His short spell at the club was a successful one—in 1909 he would lift the FA Amateur Cup with Clapham.

During that same year, Tull signed professionally for Tottenham Hotspur, earning four pounds a week—the maximum a footballer could earn at the time. His time at Tottenham was troubled, as he was the victim of racial abuse when Tottenham played an away game against Bristol City. “A section of the spectators made a cowardly attack upon him [Walter Tull] in language lower than Billingsgate…” reported one newspaper. Furthermore, Tull’s first-team opportunities were limited at Tottenham; he made only ten league appearances for the club.

In 1911, Tull moved to Northampton Town. At the time, Northampton were managed by Herbert Chapman, who would later go on to manage both Arsenal and Huddersfield Town to one FA Cup win and two First Division titles. Walter Tull was a regular for Northampton, playing over 100 times for the club, mainly as a wing half, a position supporting the centre half—who in those days would play in central midfield, not in the defence—in the now-unused 2-3-5 formation.

As a result of the outbreak of World War I, Tull joined the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment—more commonly known as the Footballers’ Battalion, and participated in the Battle of the Somme. His bravery and leadership qualities led to him gaining promotions in the army, and, on the recommendation of senior officers, he underwent officer training, despite rules at the time forbidding black men from becoming officers in the British army.

When Tull returned to the front lines in 1917, he fought in Italy, and his commanding officer praised his “gallantry and coolness” in leading a group of 26 men on a night raiding party. In 1918, Tull returned to France, and it was here, at the age of 29, where he lost his life during the Spring Offensive. His standing amongst his fellow soldiers was demonstrated by the fact that they fought valiantly to retrieve his body. But it was to no avail, and his body has never been recovered. He was recommended for a Military Cross but has never received it.