Who Was The First Black Player To Play For Newcastle United?

Arthur Wharton is the guy you're looking for. The goalkeeper - who was born in Ghana (and was of half-Grenadian, half-Scottish descent) - played for Newcastle and District in the 1880s.

Who was the first black player to play for Newcastle United?
Arthur Wharton is widely regarded as one of the first black players in professional football.

Although he was born in Accra, Ghana, Wharton traveled to England and enjoyed playing a number of sports (including cricket).

He apparently spent a short time at the English club Newcastle and District (according to the NUFC website), before moving on to a successful career playing for a number of different teams.

Although black players didn't feature in the England top league until the 1980s, Arthur Wharton had a brief stint at Newcastle and District a full century before that.

As for other black players in Newcastle's black history, then you may be interested in skipping forward to 1982, when the next winger Howard Gayle become Newcastle's first top-flight black player.

He played a season at Newcastle (on loan from Liverpool), made eight appearances, and scored twice.