EP 8: “Gentlemen of Color”: Oliver and Fred Watson, the earliest known African American soccer players in the United States (February 2021)

Tom McCabe is the host and the subject is Oliver and Fred Watson, the earliest known African American soccer players in the US. Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk, co-authors of a recent paper on the Watsons at the SASH website, will discuss the Rhode Island-born brothers, who played on Pawtucket-area teams beginning in 1894.

Between them the Watsons’ achieved several milestones, including the first African American to play in a senior league match, the first African American to play — and score — in an American Cup match, the first African Americans to win a senior league championship, and the first African American to play with a professional soccer team.

Podcast produced by Brian Quarstad.

Music created by LiteSaturation and found at Pixabay.

View the video of the session at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olPXvg8OeEk&list=PLF9oL3yRaMyyYqsS1Qqj6XxUV8RU6p4tC&index=8&t=1600s&pp=iAQB

For more US soccer history, visit the SASH website at https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/