Eddie Parris
Encyclopedia
John Edward Parris known as Eddie or Ted Parris, was a Welsh
international footballer
, who played for Bradford Park Avenue, AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town
, Bath City
, Northampton Town
and Cheltenham Town
. He was the first black player to represent Wales in an international.
, Monmouthshire
, Wales
, possibly at Pwllmeyric
, to a white mother and West Indian father who may have been born in Barbados
. He played for Chepstow Town F.C. before his talents were spotted by scouts for Bradford Park Avenue F.C., at the time a leading club, and he was signed as a triallist in 1928. He made his debut in January 1929, scoring his team's only goal in a drawn F.A. Cup match against Hull
, and thereafter established a regular first-team place at left wing. In his career at Bradford Park Avenue, he played 142 League and Cup games and scored 39 goals.
In December 1931 Parris made his first and only appearance for Wales
against Ireland in Belfast
, becoming the first black player to represent Wales in an international. Although sometimes cited as the first black player to play for any of the 'home countries'
, research now suggests that in fact the first was the Scotland
player Andrew Watson.
Parris suffered an injury in 1934, and later played for Bournemouth (1934-37), Luton, Northampton, Bath City, Cheltenham Town and Gloucester City. He later worked in an aeroplane factory, and died in Gloucestershire, England in 1971.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, who played for Bradford Park Avenue, AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Bath City
Bath City F.C.
Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...
, Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
and Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
. He was the first black player to represent Wales in an international.
Life
He was born in or near ChepstowChepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, possibly at Pwllmeyric
Pwllmeyric
Pwllmeyric is a small village in Monmouthshire, Wales, located 1 mile south west of Chepstow, on the A48 road within the parish of Mathern.The name Pwllmeyric means, in Welsh, "Meurig's pool", and refers to the pwll or creek of the Severn estuary which, before it silted up, linked the village to...
, to a white mother and West Indian father who may have been born in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. He played for Chepstow Town F.C. before his talents were spotted by scouts for Bradford Park Avenue F.C., at the time a leading club, and he was signed as a triallist in 1928. He made his debut in January 1929, scoring his team's only goal in a drawn F.A. Cup match against Hull
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, and thereafter established a regular first-team place at left wing. In his career at Bradford Park Avenue, he played 142 League and Cup games and scored 39 goals.
In December 1931 Parris made his first and only appearance for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
against Ireland in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, becoming the first black player to represent Wales in an international. Although sometimes cited as the first black player to play for any of the 'home countries'
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
, research now suggests that in fact the first was the Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
player Andrew Watson.
Parris suffered an injury in 1934, and later played for Bournemouth (1934-37), Luton, Northampton, Bath City, Cheltenham Town and Gloucester City. He later worked in an aeroplane factory, and died in Gloucestershire, England in 1971.