Today, Thursday 22nd June, marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival in the UK of the Windrush, the first ship to carry hundreds of migrants from the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War. Carrying 1,027 passengers, 802 gave somewhere in the Caribbean as their last place of residence.
In the following years, hundreds more migrants arrived in the country as part of what is called the Windrush Generation. Many of these migrants and their descendants have contributed to the footballing culture of the nation, as well as to Oxford United.
Former Charlton Athletic, Chelsea and Glasgow Celtic player Paul Elliott is Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board. He said:
“Football must play its full part in this Windrush 75 anniversary year. The simple truth is that our grassroots, domestic and national game would be unrecognisable and so much poorer without the legacies of the Windrush.
“Windrush 75 should be a chance to celebrate the present – and consider how far we have come. The Windrush 75th anniversary is an important opportunity for the game to educate stakeholders, supporters and players alike about why our journey towards inclusion across the generations has mattered – and inspire them to take it where it needs to go next.”
Oxford United’s history has also been shaped by the Windrush Generation. The club’s first black player, Joe Cooke, was born in Dominica and came to England in 1961, aged six, to join up with his parents in Bradford.
Oxford signed him from Peterborough in 1979 as a centre-half, but he eventually played as a forward and captained the club before he moved to Exeter in 1981.
Joe told us: “I came over to England in 1961, when I was six. It was one of the worst winters ever. I came off the ship in shorts and the snow was past my waist. I had three other sisters with me living in Dominica and as my dad was earning money, he sent for us to come over one at a time. I was the second one coming through and my two older sisters were left behind until he got the money to send for them.
“I’m proud of my Caribbean roots. I played at Anfield, Old Trafford and all those places and never had any issues. It used to fuel me when the opposition crowd were having a go at me. A lot of them who were ranting and raving at the beginning used to cheer for you at the end, so you’d think you’ve done your job.”
On the 75th anniversary of its arrival Oxford United joins the rest of football in celebrating the impact and legacy of those aboard the Windrush.
