Clapton F.C., Winners of the 1909 Amateurs FA Cup.  Phil Vasili/Finlayson Family collection	Tottenham Hotspur, 1910-1911.  Phil Vasili/Finlayson Family collection

In October, 1908, Walter won a trial with Clapton F.C. and was in the first team in less than 3 months! During the 1908-1909 season, Walter helped Clapton win three competitions; the F.A. Amateur Cup, the London Senior Cup and the London County Amateur Cup. Walter was quickly spotted by larger clubs and in 1909 signed with Tottenham Hotspur, making him the first black outfield player  in the English top division.  He played for the North London side during their summer tour of Argentina and Uruguay.  Playing at centre-forward the Buenos Aires Herald noted ‘early in the tour Tull has installed himself as favourite with the crowd’. 

A year after playing on Victoria Park, Bethnal Green for the Orphanage football team Walter was making his Football League debut in Spurs first ever game as members of the top division, against Sunderland at Roker Park, 1 September, 1909

Two weeks later Walter’s made his home League debut against FA Cup winners Manchester United. Brought down for a penalty, the conversion resulted in a 2-2 draw, Spurs first point of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Walter Tull in Tottenham kit. c.1909 and Walter at   Northampton Town F.C. Phil Vasil/Finlayson Family collection

In an overly physical game at Bristol City on 2 October, 1909, Walter was the target of racist abuse from the home supporters. Casual racism was the norm at the time, with match reports referring to Walter as ‘darkie Tull’. The Football Star described the Bristol City fans racist language as ‘lower than Billingsgate’, code for saying it was cruel and vicious.  Another paper reported ‘a cowardly attack on him’ by a section of the Bristol City support.  This treatment of Spurs’ ‘most brainy forward’ angered a reporter for the Football Star who wrote; ‘Let me tell those Bristol hooligans that Tull is so clean in mind and method as to be a model for all white men who play football...the best forward on the field.’

The incident at Bristol embarrassed some Spurs officials. Soon after, Walter was dropped to the Reserves, making only three more appearances in the first team.However, his long, tough years at the orphanage taught him how to handle situations when others tried to put him down.                                                                                                                                                                              

In 1911 Walter was sold for ‘a heavy transfer fee’ to Northampton Town, nicknamed the Cobblers.  Their manager, Herbert Chapman, was later to become one of the greatest managers ever at Arsenal F.C. Chapman was a  Methodist like Walter and had once played for Arthur Wharton, England’s first black professional football player, at Stalybridge Rovers.  He was not interested in Walter’s colour, only his skills as a player.  Walter played over 100 first team matches for the Cobblers and was a crowd favourite.  Walter and Chapman certainly proved wrong those at Spurs who did not stand by Walter in his time of need.   In July 1999 Northampton erected a memorial in Walter’s honour, later naming the road to their Sixfields Stadium ‘Walter Tull Way’.                                                                                            

In August, 1914, war had been declared and 1000’s of men enlisted to join the army. On the 21 December, 1914, Walter volunteered for the Football Battalion (17th Middlesex Regiment), he was the first Northampton player to join the army; he viewed enlisting as his responsibility and duty to his country in a time of great crisis.  He joined other great footballers of the time in the military, including Vivian Woodward who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and England.  Walter and Vivian would become good friends.  Walter continued to play for Northampton until the end of the season.   

In 1917, Walter signed up to Glasgow Rangers, playing for Rangers would mean that once the war was over he could once again live close to his brother, Edward; sadly this would never happen.

Walter is tackled by Charlie Roberts during the 1909. Spurs Vs Manchester Utd. Game. Phil Vasili	Rare action shot at the Spurs VS Manchester  Utd game. Walter is at the back on the left. Phil Vasili

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