Susan Gardiner

The Wanderer Susan Gardiner

Frank Soo is in many ways the forgotten man of twentieth century football. In his time he was a household name, his life chronicled by national newspapers in Britain and, on occasions, around the world. He had a successful club football career, playing for many years alongside Stanley Matthews for Stoke City. He played for England nine times and captained the RAF team during the Second World War. He appeared as a guest player for Everton, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Brentford and Millwall, and after the war played for Leicester City, Luton Town and Chelmsford City. His later career as a football manager, mainly in Scandinavia, included spells as the coach of both Norway and Sweden and he took Djurgårdens IF to the top of the Allsvenskan, the highest football league in Sweden. Among the many clubs he managed were the Italian side Padova, AIK in Sweden and Scunthorpe United. A pioneer in many ways, Frank Soo was the first person from a Chinese or Asian background to play for England and remains the only one to this day. Whatever the reasons for Frank Soo's disappearance from the narrative of football history, this book is an attempt to rekindle interest in a significant figure who was a hugely admired and skilful footballer, a charming and charismatic man, and a role model for any aspiring young player, now as much as he was during his lifetime.