One of the saddest stories in football history, Johanneson was the first black player to play in an FA Cup Final, and the second for Leeds after Gerry Francis, but died in an alcoholic haze in a bedsit in 1995. I once visited his grave in Lawnswood Cemetery where there was a headstone with a Maya Angelou verse inscribed: "I am a black ocean leaping and wide." The South African had the raw talent to rival George Best, according to Johnny Giles, but suffered crises of confidence after freezing against Liverpool at Wembley in 1965 and was hampered by the rise of Eddie Gray. After his death, he lay in an unmarked grave until a Leeds teacher, Paul Eubanks, got in touch with the club, who said they would pay for a wooden cross while a tombstone was made.
Personal information | ||
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Full name | Albert Louis Johanneson | |
Date of birth | March 13, 1940 | |
Place of birth | Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Date of death | September 28, 1995 (aged 55) | |
Place of death | Leeds, England | |
Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |
Playing position | Left winger | |
Senior career1 | ||
Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
1961-1970 1970-1972 | Leeds United York City | 172 (48) 26 (3) |
1 Senior club appearances and goals |