On Saturday, November 2, former St Albans City FC manager Frank Soo was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame (NFHF).
Soo, who passed away in 1991, was the first footballer of Asian heritage to represent England.
He grew up in Liverpool and began his football career with the Prescot Cables before he cut his teeth at Stoke City when he was signed for a £400 fee in 1933.
Soo ended his playing career at Chelmsford City and then began managing St Albans City during their 1950/51 season in the Isthmian League.
On Tuesday, November 6, St Albans City FC played a league match against Chelmsford City which featured a special celebration in Frank’s honour due to the two clubs’ link with him.
In attendance were representatives from the Frank Soo Foundation, who made a speech about Soo’s contribution to English football, along with Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans, and members of the Cadets.
The mighty Saints fans showed out for the occasion in their blue and yellow attire, with approximately 1,203 people in attendance.
Founder and director at The Frank Soo Foundation, Alan Lau, told St Albans News: “He was the captain of Stoke in the 30s, he captained Sir Stanley Matthews, he played for England, he captained the RAF team, he won the Swedish League. I mean, he’s got a CV. He deserves more now than what he got.”
On Soo’s legacy, Alan said: “I hope that someone from an Asian background sees that and thinks, oh, wow, someone from my background, someone from my heritage, played for England before – I can do that too.”
For Soo to be recognised in the NFHF, Lau said that: “Just seeing all the work that we’ve done to get his name back out there, to get the recognition, it just feels amazing.”
The final score of the game was 1-1, a result Lau would be pleased with as he said he was not choosing sides!
0 Comments