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Walter Tull became one of the first black professional footballers in Britain. From an early age he followed his real love of playing football and became only the second professional black player in the Football League. When the war began in 1914, Walter gave up football and joined the British Army. He was made an officer, though officially black soldiers were barred from becoming officers in the British Army at this time. Walter fought in Italy and France. He was killed during a battle in 1918 at the age of 29. Walter was an example to others while he was alive, and he remains a role model for us today.

Children could research Walter Tull further and write his biography. They could use recent newspaper or match reports to help write their own about a pre-war Tottenham Hotspur football game, including the reaction of the fans to Walter playing. Children could also write a diary entry as Walter Tull on the day of his first Tottenham Hotspur football game including fans’ reaction to him as a black player. Diary entries could otherwise be written as Walter the day before he fatally led his officers into No Man’s Land. Children could conduct their own research to make their diaries more realistic.