*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Frank Peterson
**Click here for more photos**
Appearances: 7 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 3rd April 1951
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1970/71
Season of last appearance: 1970/71
Also played for: Millwall (3+1,0), Brentwood Town, Chelmsford City and Hornchurch
Gifted Croydon-born opportunist goalscorer who was an England Youth international and especially good in the air.
Frank started his career with Millwall as an apprentice and became the first black player to play for the club when he made his debut aged 17 in a match against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on 21.12.68. He went on to make three further first team appearances for the Lions during the 1968/69 and 1969/70 seasons and had a spell on loan at Brentwood early in 1970, Frank had been brought up in the Brentwood area.
After being released by Millwall in the summer of 1970 Frank joined Chelmsford for the 1970/71 season.
In February 1971 Frank joined Margate on loan and made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at Cambridge City on 6.2.71, thus becoming Margate's first ever black player. The Thanet Times said that he showed some "good touches" and later described Frank as "dashing".
He made his home debut against Hastings on 8.2.71 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Frank had "a harrowing evening." He was subjected to constant fouls from the Hastings team. On 13.2.71 Frank scored his first goal for Margate in a 2-1 win over Canterbury at Hartsdown Park and the Thanet Times said his headed effort was "splendid". On 20.2.71 he scored another excellent headed goal in a 1-1 draw at Bedford.
Frank had scored three goals in seven games when he was recalled by Chelmsford in March 1971. A few days later, on 13.3.71, he scored a hat-trick for Chelmsford as they beat Margate 4-1.
During the 1971/72 season Frank scored almost 40 goals for Chelmsford as they won the Southern League Championship, including one in a 4-3 defeat at Margate on 31.3.72. However an enforced break led him to miss much of the following campaign.
He returned to the club in December 1973 for a second spell and then had four years out of football before going back to Chelmsford once more in September 1977. Frank scored 53 goals during the 1977/78 and 1978/79 seasons and in 1979 he was one of several City players to feature as extras in the feature film 'Porridge' starring Ronnie Barker.
Frank later had two further spells at Chelmsford, including the 1980/81 campaign, and he was once voted City's 'Player of the Year' in a season in which he was unable to play. In total Frank scored 146 goals from 302 games for Chelmsford and his last season with the club was 1982/83.
Frank joined Hornchurch in the summer of 1983 and went on to spend several years there. During the 1984/85 campaign he scored ten goals and Frank was still with the club during 1986/87 when he scored 11 goals before the end of 1986.
A piece in a Chelmsford programme during the 1995/96 season described Frank as "surely gifted enough to have played at the highest level" and said he was "probably the biggest City hero of all".
In the early 2000's Frank was running a market stall in the West End of London and often visited Ghana where his father had been born.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1970/71 (MFC) |
7 (72) |
0 |
3 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (13TH OF 22) |
1R |
1R |
SF |
QF |
GR |