Albert Johanneson

Albert Louis Johanneson ( born March 13, 1940 in Johannesburg, † 29 September 1995 in Leeds ) was a South African football player. The fast left winger, he was the first black player, who gained prominence in English professional football at the beginning of the 1960s. After he had taken part in a final of the FA Cup as the first black player in 1965, but flattened his career and in the tremendous success of the club at the end of the 1960s he had only a marginal share.

Sports career

Johanneson grew up as Dark skinned in a context of apartheid South Africa, when he his talents as a football player at the turn of 1960/61, have helped to leave the country. A teacher from his hometown of Johannesburg had sustained the English club Leeds United and recommended him as Johanneson occurred in winter trip in the north of England. There he completed three months until April 1961 a trial period before signing a professional contract and thus was one of the first commitments of new coach Don Revie. Due to the lifelong experiences of racism itself Johanneson behaved at first very shy and hesitated even so, to consort to the fair-skinned counterparts in the shower.

On the pitch, however, he knew more and more on the left with speed and agility to convince and after his breakthrough in the late phase of the battle to avoid relegation in the 1961/62 season he became a regular player. In its own adherents of the " black lightning " was, as he was often called, a crowd favorite and characteristic were particularly its " Side Steps " with which he tried to trick the opponent. When two years later the second division championship won with Leeds in 1964 and thus rose to the highest English league, he had been together with Don Weston with thirteen top scorer of the club. In particular, he harmonized in this time with the Scottish captain Bobby Collins. The sporty zenith reached Johanneson in the season 1964/65, as Leeds surprisingly won the runner-up and this had to be just beaten the new title holders Manchester United with worse Torquotienten. For this purpose, in the same year he reached the final of the FA Cup, but also lost this encounter with 1:2 after extra time against Liverpool. He was the first black player who had participated in an FA Cup final.

The lost FA Cup final marked a turning point in Johannesons career. His performance was rated by experts and fans as a very weak and his self-confidence, which had been very pronounced at no time suffered great damage. It was not long until he had to give up his place in the England international Michael O'Grady. There were also a number of injuries and alcohol problems. When still a young Eddie Gray has become one of the biggest talents in the club's history, the South Africans was used in the Senior Squad increasingly rare. The team of Don Revie was in the second half of the 1960s to a serious and permanent title contenders, but Johanneson often remained only the role of spectator. In the championship season in 1968/69 he came only to a gig as a substitute, however, in which he scored one goal in the 2-0 win against Stoke City. Just over a year later, it surprised a little that he left Leeds in July 1970, towards the fourth division York City.

In his only full season for him York once again managed a climb before he retired due to injury after a last mission on the opening day of the 1971/72 season against Bristol Rovers (0-0 ) from active competition.

Beyond the football

After the retreat of the big football stage it fell Johanneson hard to maintain the "normal life ". To a large problem to his alcohol addiction and although he received sporadic assistance of companions as a popular former teammate, he died at the age of only 55 years isolated in his small apartment in one of the anonymous high-rise buildings of Leeds developed. According to reports, the former darling of the public in the early 1960s there had been lying undiscovered for several days.

The name Johanneson returned at the beginning of the 21st century in the sports world, as Albert's nephew Carl embarking on a professional career as a boxer.