A documentary in which former Rangers Aston Villa and Liverpool player Mark Walters looks back at the racism he received playing for the club is out as the former England international uncovers Black footballing pioneer Andrew Watson, who captained Scotland in 1881.
In the documentary Mark looks back at his career with the Glasgow club to assess the racism he faced while playing for them. Watching harrowing footage of his early matches, he vividly describes the visceral atmosphere as he was targeted by opposition fans. In a candid conversation with Graeme Souness, the player-manager who brought him to Ibrox, Mark reveals the inner resilience that got him through those tough games and reflects on the role unconscious bias in TV commentary has on how Black footballers are perceived today.
He also finds out about early Black footballing pioneers in Scotland, including an early multi-racial football team who played a stone's throw from Rangers’ Ibrox stadium. He unearths the incredible story of Andrew Watson, the world’s first Black international player, who captained the Scotland national team in 1881 to its greatest ever win over England.
Watson was a complex figure who was both the descendant of slaves and the beneficiary of slavery. Mark asks how Andrew overcame racism to be welcomed into the footballing elite in the 1880s.
Already broadcasted on BBC Scotland, Mark Walters In the Footsteps of Andrew Watson is available on iplayer.
