Paul Canonville was the first black player to don the Chelsea jersey
Chelsea have promised a young primary school student a tour of their Cobham training base when normalcy returns following the coronavirus pandemic after he drew a picture of the club’s former winger Paul Canonville.
According to Uckfield News (h/t CFC official), Leo Lufkin of St. Phillips’ Primary School created the drawing for his school project. His stepfather is a Chelsea season ticket holder and has been supporting the club since his childhood, thus justifying the 6-year-old’s choice of the subject.
Canonville’s drawing made by Leo was shared several times on social media before it grabbed the attention of those at Chelsea. The schoolkid’s artwork will now grace the entrance of the academy reception area to promote the club’s anti-racism agenda.
Blues stars Antonio Rudiger and Callum Hudson-Odoi have opened up about being subjected to online racial abuse in recent times.
Other Premier League stars like Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Alexandre Jankiewitz and Romaine Sawyers have also reported hate speech and monkey emojis being used as methods of racial discrimination on the social media platform. (h/t Daily Mail)
Both Rudiger and Hudson-Odoi have been vocal in the battle against racism, calling upon authorities to take necessary measures to eradicate discrimination from the game.
Last year, Tammy Abraham revealed how his mother was left in tears after he became the victim of abuse for missing a penalty in the UEFA Super Cup final.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has promised to invest funds to fight the dark cloud of racism and safeguard players from any form of discrimination.
And the club’s gesture to decorate their academy reception with a drawing of Paul Canonville would surely help promote inclusiveness among youth players.
Signed from Hillingdon Borough in 1981, Canonville became the first black player to debut for Chelsea’s senior team and was also a part of the side that won the Second Division title in 1983-84. He is often regarded as a trailblazer in the Blues’ fight against racism.
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