11 Facts About Gil Heron

Gilbert Saint Elmo Heron was a Jamaican professional footballer.

Gil Heron was the first black player to play for Scottish club Celtic and was the father of poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron.

Gil Heron went on to represent a Caribbean all-star football team and beat Jamaican Olympian Herb McKenley as a schoolboy.

Gil Heron moved to Canada as a youth and was later enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Gil Heron then played for the Chicago Maroons in 1947.

Gil Heron was spotted by a scout from Glasgow Celtic while the club was on tour in North America and he was signed by the Scottish club in 1951 after being invited over for a trial.

Gil Heron only played five first-team matches in all, scoring twice.

Gil Heron was released by the club the next year after making one appearance in the Scottish Football League and joined Third Lanark where he played in seven League Cup matches, scoring five goals but did not appear in the League.

Gil Heron had three more children with his wife Margaret Frize, whom he met while in Glasgow, Scotland: Gayle, Denis and his youngest child Kenneth, who was killed in Detroit.

Gil Heron later became a published poet, with one of his works, "The Great Ones", describing leading players from his time playing football in Scotland.

Gil Heron died in Detroit of a heart attack on 27 November 2008, aged 86.