Albert Louis Johanneson was a South African professional footballer who was one of the first high-profile black men, of any nationality, to play top-flight football in England.
13 Facts About Albert Johanneson
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Albert Johanneson is recognised as being the first person of African heritage to play in the FA Cup final, in 1965 for Leeds United.
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Later that year, Albert Johanneson joined York City, scoring three goals in 26 appearances before retiring.
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Albert Johanneson is remembered fondly by Leeds' fans of the 1960s for using his distinctive natural prowess to illuminate Elland Road.
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In 1963 Albert Johanneson married Norma Comrie, a pharmacist originally from Jamaica.
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Albert Johanneson was dogged by problems with alcohol and ill health before his death in 1995.
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Albert Johanneson's body lay undiscovered for a week in his flat in Gledhow Towers, North Leeds.
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Albert's nephew Carl Johanneson is a former Leeds super featherweight boxer.
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In late 2020 a picture of Albert Johanneson was erected on the side of a building in Leeds, featuring himself beside Kalvin Phillips and Lucas Radebe.
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Today, Albert Johanneson is hailed by many as having helped pave the way for the scores of black players that make up the ranks of the English Premiership, especially those with South African roots.
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Albert Johanneson is viewed as a courageous pioneer with regard to the racial discrimination he humbly endured from spectators who hurled monkey chants and bananas at him from the sidelines.
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Albert Johanneson is currently featured in the Out of Africa Campaign, a UK Heritage Lottery-funded, multimedia project and touring exhibition focused on the contributions of footballers from Africa who have made a substantial contribution to transforming professional football in Britain.
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In 2010, Albert Johanneson was featured in an exhibition examining the history of South African footballers in the United Kingdom as part of the FIFA World Cup celebrations that took place in South Africa.