I have celebrated Andrew Watson before but it's an anniversary, just in case you need reminder of this historic footballer, so use the link. https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-andrew-watson
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/DwUxG2PfNkY5og
Watson made significant football history by becoming the first black international player, the first black footballer to captain his country, and the first black football administrator in history. Born in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, in 1856, Watson spent his early years in South America with his British Guyanese mother, Hannah Rose, his wealthy Scottish businessman father, Peter Miller Watson, and his older sister, Annetta. Watson at the age of five would move to the United Kingdom with his father and sister, leaving his mother behind.
The former Scottish international is being honoured by Google on Tuesday, October 18
- Andrew Watson has been honoured by Google to commemorate his career.
- The former Scotland star has been depicted on Tuesday's (yesterday) Google Doodle.
- Watson is widely considered to be the first black international footballer.
- The full-back captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut.
He would spend his childhood in West Yorkshire, educated at Heath Grammar School in Halifax, before travelling to London to study at King's College School.
Watson, developed a love for football, when in London, but was relatively inexperienced when he moved to Scotland, to study "Natural Philosophy, Mathematics and Engineering" at the University of Glasgow, where both his passion for the game and skill truly developed.
Football was, at this stage, an amateur sport, however, so alongside his matches, Watson at the age of 21, also started a wholesale warehouse business, having inherited his wealth after his father died eight years prior.
Outside of football, Watson married twice, having two children with his first wife, before she died in 1882, and two with his second. He was also related to long-serving a British Prime Minister through his father. Watson died at the age of 64 in 1921 after contracting pneumonia.
Of course, Watson's footballing career is what he's known for - though it's not the only sport he was adept in, having won numerous high jump competitions as a youngster. He made his breakthrough while playing for Glasgow-based team, Maxwell, who he joined in 1876, and where he began to make his name as a flying full-back. Watson then moved to Parkgrove FC, where he was also the match secretary, becoming football's first black administrator.
In April 1880, Watson would join Queen’s Park, at the time one of the biggest clubs in the UK; they won the Scottish Cup in 1981 and 1982, making him the first black player to win a major trophy. The pinnacle of his footballing career - representing Scotland - would follow not long after. Watson captained his side on his debut in March 1881, defeating rivals England in London 6-1. It's to this day England's most emphatic home defeat.
Having become the first black player to captain his country, Watson would again captain Scotland just a few days later, guiding his side to a 5-1 home win against Wales. Watson would have one final opportunity to play for Scotland - again against England - beating their rivals 5-1 in Glasgow in March 1882.
Watson's Scotland career would have continued had he not opted to move to London in 1882, making him ineligible. He featured for Swifts, where he became the first black player to play in the English FA Cup, before joining Corinthian FC. He also played for the Pilgrims, Brentwood and the London Caledonians.
Watson finished his career at the Liverpool club Bootle, whom he joined in 1887. They were breaking the mold by paying their top players at the time, making him the UK's first black professional footballer. There is a record of him playing at Rotherham Town, in Yorkshire.
Given Watson's importance in football history, it's no surprise that exactly 138 years after he first played for Queen's Park, Google opted to honour him with The Doodle. They will also publish an online exhibition dedicated his career. The Scottish Football Museum, in a 2021 report described him as "the most influential black footballer of all time. There is nobody that comes close".
The Doodle was illustrated by London-based guest artist Selom Sunu, who explained the meaning behind his illustration. Selom said: 'When I was asked to create a Doodle dedicated to Andrew's achievements, it felt like a dream come true. After reading about his incredible life, I decided to not only illustrate his career, but also the trajectory of those who have followed in his path.
'Coming so soon after the euphoric celebrations of the Lionesses' victory, it was important to me to capture that connection in the Doodle — to demonstrate that one person's contribution can spark a positive and lasting chain reaction. This is why I settled on the idea of incorporating other generations into the Doodle, and hence the original sketches depict Andrew himself with a football, proudly watching on as other generations follow in his footsteps.
'I wanted to capture the beauty of football: the pace, the excitement, the vibrancy and, most importantly, the fun. Each character has their own experience with the ball, in the same way that each football player has their own unique style and strength. 'I feel very proud and humbled to have been chosen to create this Doodle, and sincerely hope that people feel it captures not only Andrew's legacy, but the legacy of all who follow in his footsteps.'
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