Leeds United release statement as club's first black player Gerry Francis dies aged 91 — YEP 12/5/25

By Graham Smyth

Gerry Francis, Leeds United’s first black player, has died aged 91.

A statement from Leeds United confirmed the former player’s passing. It read: “Leeds United are saddened to hear of the passing of former player Gerry Francis aged 91. The South African winger represented the club between 1957 and 1961, becoming the first black footballer to play for Leeds and would go on to score nine goals in 50 appearances.

“A true pioneer, Francis was also the first black South African to play in England’s top division and featured in Don Revie’s opening match in charge of Leeds, alongside Billy Bremner and Jack Charlton in March 1961 against Portsmouth. Having left his homeland during the height of Apartheid, Gerry swapped his role in a shoe manufacturing company to become his country’s second black footballer to play abroad professionally. The attacker would welcome the signing of compatriot Albert Johanneson, with whom he would share the pitch on three occasions on opposite flanks and was best man at his wedding. Following his time at Elland Road, Francis then joined York City before moving onto Tonbridge. Gerry passed away over the weekend in Canada surrounded by his family.”

Francis first played in the segregated leagues of apartheid-era South Africa and arrived in England after Steve Mokone signed for Coventry City to become Europe’s first black South African player. In 1956 Francis’ friend wrote to Leeds United about the winger and the club agreed to offer him a trial. He travelled from his home on the outskirts of Johannesburg, played in a trial game, joined the reserves and duly signed as a professional at Elland Road in 1957. A YEP report said: “Francis, who is 5ft 8in and 10st 7lb, and a shoe repairer by trade, came from Johannesburg ‘under his own steam’ last season to find soccer fame in England. He became an amateur with United, and created a very favourable impression in Central League football and in a friendly floodlit game with the Scottish club, Dunfermline.”

Francis played 52 times and scored nine goals before departing to sign for York City in 1961. Speaking to the BBC in 2021, Francis expressed his pride at doing what he set out to do and proving he had something to contribute to the English game. "I showed not only the world, I showed England," he told BBC Radio Leeds. "That was something that I think I was put out to do, to play football. Not only me - all the non-whites in South Africa."

In an interview with The Athletic, Francis spoke of the football he learned in South Africa, which was a source of fascination for Elland Road legend John Charles. “He couldn’t believe what we could do,” Francis said. “He asked me, ‘Who taught you this?’ I said, ‘No one. It’s what we grew up with.’ I used to say back home that some of the guys I played with made the ball talk. But at the time I didn’t feel that anybody in England or anyone at Leeds ever told people what we brought to the country. English football wasn’t doing the 4-2-4 or much of the tactics we used in South Africa. In South Africa we, the non-whites, did all that to a ‘t’. Don Revie’s system wasn’t really an English system. In my opinion it was more like a South African system.”

Though Francis’ first team opportunities were limited due to what he felt was a racially motivated agenda from decision-makers at Elland Road, the YEP in 1958 published a letter from a fan who had been impressed by the winger’s performances for the reserves. It was under manager Jack Taylor that Francis enjoyed more chances to play for Leeds, but his time at the club came to an end during Don Revie’s difficult start to life in management at Elland Road.

Francis was photographed alongside Don Revie when fellow South African Albert Johanneson signed his Leeds contract. The pair became friends and according to a YEP report from 1961, turned out together for Garforth Council of Churches XI in a cricket match against a local West Indian team. Francis tried to help Johanneson settle at the club and in the city. He told The Athletic: “He was shy and very quiet to begin with. Later he was more outgoing but when he first came, I took him in hand and showed him the ropes. He needed some help. It was hard for him, the same as it could be difficult for me at the start. I’d never mixed with white people because of apartheid and he didn’t speak much English when he went to England.”

After spells with York City and Tonbridge Angels and nine games as an amateur for South Africa, Francis and his wife Anna moved to Canada where he lived until his death at the weekend.