“As young, football-crazy lads growing up in Chapeltown, Leeds, in the early 70s, Albert Johanneson was a name we were all familiar with. He had been an inspiration for the next generation of footballing talent in the city” – Brian Deane
There’s currently an excellent documentary available on BBC iPlayer. Nature’s Fire. It’s the story of Bill Shankly’s career and it’s compelling viewing.
Shankly’s first real achievement at Liverpool was winning the FA Cup, which he managed in 1965. The opponents that day were Leeds United and the documentary contains footage of the two teams walking out at Wembley.
There’s Ron Yeats at the head of the Liverpool line. There’s Bobby Collins, Don Revie’s attack dog, striding out opposite him. There’s Ian St John, Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton.
In the middle of the Leeds line, lithe and handsome, is Albert Johanneson. It was a landmark day for Liverpool and Shankly. But also for English football. Johanneson was about to become the first black player to take part in an FA Cup Final.
It wasn’t a classic. In what looked a damp but muggy day at Wembley, the teams slogged their way through 90 scoreless minutes and eventually into extra time. The short British Pathé film of the final does it few favours, either, consisting almost solely of strange, slow-motion footage of Gary Sprake catching routine crosses and making simple saves.
Johanneson barely features at all. He’s there at the beginning and he can be seen on the fringes of the play a few times, trying to influence a game that would ultimately pass him by.
Liverpool would win in extra time. Roger Hunt had opened the scoring, nodding home from close range with Sprake stranded. Billy Bremner would equalise, thumping brilliantly past Tommy Lawrence from the edge of the box. But, three minutes from the end, St. John struck, beating Sprake with another header in the 117th minute.
Freezing the footage at the right moment, there’s the hint of a smile on…
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