The Lion Who Never Roared: The Star Robbed of England Glory is the incredible story of Jack Leslie, the only black player in the Football League when he was selected for his country in 1925 only to be dropped due to the colour of his skin.

Jack had an illustrious career at Plymouth Argyle with 137 goals in 400 games. He became the league’s first black captain before an eye injury forced him to retire. In his 60s he joined West Ham United… to shine the boots of World Cup winners like Bobby Moore.

Nearly a century after Jack’s heyday, research for this book helped bring recognition at last from the FA, who awarded him an honorary cap in 2023, while a campaign led to a statue that now proudly stands outside Home Park in Plymouth.

Drawing on material from the Leslie family archive, Jack’s legacy is unfurled in this heart-breaking yet inspiring biography, which includes contributions from Viv Anderson, the first black player to win a full England cap, and Sir Trevor Brooking.

Author Matt Tiller co-founded The Jack Leslie Campaign, which successfully fundraised for a statue and continues to tell this pioneering black footballer’s story. Matt is a radio and TV writer/producer for the BBC, Sky and Channel 4. His first job as a radio reporter covered Leslie’s club, Plymouth Argyle. Matt studied history at Oxford and through research, campaigning and working with Jack’s family this book came to fruition. He is an Argyle fan.

The Lion Who Never Roared is out on Monday 23 October 2023.

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