Tributes paid to Gerry Francis, the first black player to feature for Leeds United

The South African made more than 50 appearances for Whites in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Gerry Francis
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 13th May 2025

Leeds United have paid tribute to Gerry Francis, the first black player to feature for the club, after his death at the age of 91.

The winger, originally from South Africa, made 50 appearances for the team between 1957 and 1961, finding the net nine times.

Gerry was the second black South African to play football abroad professionally, having left his homeland at the height of Apartheid.

He would later join York City and Kent side Tonbridge before migrating to Canada in the early 1970s.

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