Tom McCabe is the host and the subject is Oliver and Fred Watson, the earliest known African American soccer players in the US. Ed Farnsworth and Brian Bunk, co-authors of a recent paper on the Watsons at the SASH website, will discuss the Rhode Island-born brothers, who played on Pawtucket-area teams beginning in 1894.

Between them the Watsons’ achieved several milestones, including the first African American to play in a senior league match, the first African American to play — and score — in an American Cup match, the first African Americans to win a senior league championship, and the first African American to play with a professional soccer team.

Podcast produced by Brian Quarstad.

Music created by LiteSaturation and found at Pixabay.

View the video of the session at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olPXvg8OeEk&list=PLF9oL3yRaMyyYqsS1Qqj6XxUV8RU6p4tC&index=8&t=1600s&pp=iAQB

For more US soccer history, visit the SASH website at https://www.ussoccerhistory.org/