I'm a member of Geography faculty in the National University of Singapore. We recently launched a module "Worlds of Football" that received a lot of media coverage here at the beginning of this academic year (August 2020), and has proven popular with students across the campus (about 200 students are registered on the module). Discussions following one of the lectures - on race and racism in football - yielded the name Frank Soo, who was of mixed Chinese-English parentage, and who was the first person from an ethnic minority background to play for England.

Frank played for Stoke City for most of his career, but during 2nd World War also played, on a guest-basis, for other teams in the northwest, one of which was Burnley.

Does anyone know anything about Frank Soo, and in particular his time as a Burnley player? The students here in Singapore seem genuinely fascinated with the fact that someone with Chinese heritage (Frank's father was a sailor from China) ended-up playing for England, and became the first person from an ethnic minority background to do so.

Apologies if this has already been covered before on this message board.

There are some very knowledgeable Burnley FC Historians who I am sure will be able to help you out.

I was in contact with Chi-Hang Lau at the Frank Soo Foundation back in May - they weren't aware that he'd played for Burnley.

He played three game for us in the 1945/46 season, the final three home games of that season as follows:

Blackpool 19th April (1-1)
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, Jackie Chew, Gordon Haigh, Ray Harrison, Harry Jackson & Peter Kippax.
Goal scored by Kippax.

Everton 27th April (1-0)
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, John Milner, Billy Morris, Harry Jackson, Gordon Haigh & Peter Kippax.
Goal scored by Jackson.

Sheffield United 4th May
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, Jackie Chew, Gordon Haigh, Harry Jackson, Harry Potts & Peter Kippax. (0-1)

Chi-Hang Lau asked if I could get details of the games he played for Burnley so he could add them to the website but from what I can see they haven't been.

https://www.thefranksoofoundation.org.uk/

The thread from May.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=47173&p=1272817&hil ... o#p1272817

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:33 am

The thread from May.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=47173&p=1272817&hil ... o#p1272817

I wondered where on earth I had got that team info from - provided by royboyclaret

We are lucky to have so many club historians.

Wow - thanks everyone. Very helpful.

I contribute a lecture on the "Worlds of Football" module - on football's two-way relationship with the environment. I started my lecture by informing the students, many of whom are wearing replica Liverpool, Man City or Man Utd tops, that I am from Burnley and, despite the cities of Manchester and Liverpool not being far away from the town, have supported Burnley all my life, as has my mum, now in her mid-80s, and a season ticket-holder at the club.

Those replica tops are made of plastic, you know (polyester). Unlike the other great commodity made from polyester (plastic bottles) they cannot be recycled ...... so many end-up in landfill, adding to the waste-burden caused by fast fashion .....

I will pass on the additional information on Frank Soo to the students ~ thanks again!

COBBLE wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 10:34 am

I would like to disagree with you about recycled polyester. Most of the big sports brands are active in this. But much more could be done.

Well, I heard that Real Madrid's third strip was partly made from recycled ocean plastic ....

Problem with polyester football tops is that the polyester is mixed with some pretty toxic chemicals, which most people who purchase the tops are completely unaware of. For example, many of the dyes used for the bright colours are based on heavy metals, the logos often include carcinogenic phthalates, while the polyester is treated with triclosan [anti-bacterial coating - cuts down on BO] and waterproofed with poly- and per-Fluorinated chemicals, which are also carcinogenic. My understanding is that it is that cocktail of toxic chemicals that prevent the tops from being recycled. Great to know that the big sports brands are doing something about it.

Wasn't the Adidas Predator deemed the world’s most toxic football boot at one stage?

MalaysiaMo wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 10:06 am

Wow - thanks everyone. Very helpful.

I contribute a lecture on the "Worlds of Football" module - on football's two-way relationship with the environment. I started my lecture by informing the students, many of whom are wearing replica Liverpool, Man City or Man Utd tops, that I am from Burnley and, despite the cities of Manchester and Liverpool not being far away from the town, have supported Burnley all my life, as has my mum, now in her mid-80s, and a season ticket-holder at the club.

Those replica tops are made of plastic, you know (polyester). Unlike the other great commodity made from polyester (plastic bottles) they cannot be recycled ...... so many end-up in landfill, adding to the waste-burden caused by fast fashion .....

I will pass on the additional information on Frank Soo to the students ~ thanks again!

Nice post, MalaysiaMo. In the midst of all those replica Liverpool, City & United shirts stay proud to be a Burnley fan. There's plenty for us to be proud of including the short time that Frank Soo graced us with his presence at Turf Moor. Dad could not speak highly enough of him.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2020 8:25 am

I was in contact with Chi-Hang Lau at the Frank Soo Foundation back in May - they weren't aware that he'd played for Burnley.

He played three game for us in the 1945/46 season, the final three home games of that season as follows:

Blackpool 19th April (1-1)
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, Jackie Chew, Gordon Haigh, Ray Harrison, Harry Jackson & Peter Kippax.
Goal scored by Kippax.

Everton 27th April (1-0)
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, John Milner, Billy Morris, Harry Jackson, Gordon Haigh & Peter Kippax.
Goal scored by Jackson.

Sheffield United 4th May
Team: Jimmy Strong, Arthur Woodruff, Harold Mather, Frank Soo, Bob Johnson, George Bray, Jackie Chew, Gordon Haigh, Harry Jackson, Harry Potts & Peter Kippax. (0-1)

Chi-Hang Lau asked if I could get details of the games he played for Burnley so he could add them to the website but from what I can see they haven't been.

https://www.thefranksoofoundation.org.uk/

The stadium announcer read the team out "Soo, Soo, Jackie Chew, Harrison, Kippax and Strong"

He must have been a great player