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Andrew Watson: The 'most influential' black footballer for decades lost to history

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  By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport Last updated on 11 October 2021 11 October 2021 . From the section Football Watson was a trailblazer who helped transform how football was played There are two murals of black footballers facing one another across an alleyway in Glasgow. One helped shape football as we know it, the other is Pele. Andrew Watson captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut in 1881. He was a pioneer, the world's first black international, but for more than a century the significance of his achievements went unrecognised. Research conducted over the past three decades has left us with some biographical details: a man descended of slaves and of those who enslaved them, born in Guyana, raised to become an English gentleman and famed as one of Scottish football's first icons. And yet today, 100 years on from his death aged 64, Watson remains something of an enigma, the picture built around him a fractured one. His grainy, faded, sepia image evokes many differen...

Ronaldo's overhead kick against Juventus wins UEFA goal of season


UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE /  / 
Cristiano Ronaldo scored for former team Real Madrid against current club Juventus in the 2017/18 Champions League quarter-finals in April. Photo: EPA/ANDREA DI MARCO
MILAN, Italy - Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning overhead bicycle kick for Real Madrid against current club Juventus has been voted UEFA's goal of the season. The former Real Madrid striker beat competition from 11 nominees for the award in honour of his goal in last season's Champions League quarter-final first leg in Turin.
"Thanks to everyone who voted for me. Will never forget that moment, specially the reaction of the fans in the stadium," the 33-year-old Portuguese superstar said on Twitter, using the hashtag #SpecialMoment.
Real Madrid were already leading against the Italian champions thanks to Ronaldo's opener after just two minutes when he acrobatically blasted in Dani Carvajal's cross on 64 minutes.

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Ronaldo said it was "the best goal" of his career and it helped Real to a 3-0 win on the night and moved them a step closer to an eventual quarter-final victory over Juve. The Spanish club went on to win the competition for the third consecutive season.
The striker said the crowd's reaction -- a standing ovation from the Juventus fans -- played a part in his decision to move to Turin in a 100 million-euro deal last month. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is the all time top scorer in the Champions League with 120 goals.
Ronaldo has played two games for new club Juventus - helping the team to victories over Chievo and Lazio in their first Serie A matches - but failed to score in either game. 

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