Ahead of the 90th anniversary of Stoke’s debut, Asians in Football pioneer Frank Soo will be honoured. The Chinese-born Soo was the first player in the Football League of East Asian ancestry. He went on to play in a wartime international and became the first Asian player to represent England.
In honour of the 90th anniversary of his Stoke City debut, England legend Frank Soo will be admitted into the Sporting Hall of Fame in Stoke-on-Trent, Sky Sports News can exclusively confirm.
Soo, whose father was Chinese, made history by becoming the first player of Asian descent to play for England in a 1942 match against Wales.
Soo, a Derbyshire native and Stoke City icon, captained and played with Sir Stanley Matthews for the team during his more than 250 games.
Participate with your championship predictions!
Use NOW to stream the championship and more.
Purchase Sky Sports | Get the Sky Sports App
He made his Football League debut as the first individual of East or South East Asian descent.
How Sky Sports News commemorated the 80th anniversary of Chinese-born former football player Frank Soo, who played for Stoke, Leicester, and Luton Town before becoming the first player of Asian descent to represent an English team
At the bet365 stadium, a memorial to Soo is also scheduled, with Cardiff City’s visit on Saturday marking precisely ninety years since his Stoke debut on November 4, 1933, against Middlesbrough.
In the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame, Soo will be inducted with 1966 World Cup champion Gordon Banks, his old teammate Matthews, darts hero Phil “The Power” Taylor, and squash legend Angela Smith.
On Friday, Soo will be formally inducted into the Sporting Hall of Fame during a civic event presided over by Majid Khan, the Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent.
Simon King, the chief operational officer of Stoke City, spoke with Sky Sports News:
“Frank Soo’s induction into the Hall of Fame is a wonderful method to guarantee that his legacy endures and serves as a suitable homage.
“Stoke City celebrates and welcomes diversity within our fan base, our community, and our club. We want to be as open as we can be to individuals from all backgrounds.
“Even all these years on from his debut and resulting career, Frank’s achievements remain inspirational in that regard and his legacy is something to be cherished and preserved.”
Spokesman for the Frank Soo Foundation Maxwell Min speaks with Sky Sports News:
“We are happy that Frank Soo and his accomplishments are being acknowledged in Stoke, a place where he had a significant beneficial influence.
“Frank is a source of inspiration, and not enough people are aware of his life story. An honourable homage to one of the greatest players in English football is his admission into the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame.
“It is also fantastic to see that Stoke City’s tradition of East and South East Asian players continues today, with Joon-Ho Bae arriving at the club in the summer after starring in the K-League.”
“He was a continual source of pride for his extended family and a committed and sincere professional.
“We hope that his legacy will go on to inspire future generations of boys and girls from East and South East Asian backgrounds to play football.”
Prior to joining Stoke and playing for Leicester City, Luton Town, and Chelmsford City, Soo began his career with Prescott Cables.
He would go on to manage Scunthorpe United and St Albans City, but his greatest achievements came in Scandinavia, where he coached Norway for a while before leading Djurgardens IF to the Swedish championship.
South Asians in Britain Play Football
Visit our new South Asians in Football website on skysports.com and the South Asians in the Game blog, as well as keep an eye on Sky Sports News and other Sky Sports digital platforms, for additional articles, features, and videos.
Leave a Reply