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

Image
  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

SA's first electric buses take to Cape Town's roads

 


accreditation
0:00
play article
SUBSCRIBERS CAN LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE
Golden Arrow is incorporating two electric buses in its day-to-day operations.
Golden Arrow is incorporating two electric buses in its day-to-day operations.
Golden Arrow Bus Services
  • South Africa's first active electric bus was launched in Cape Town on Monday by Golden Arrow Bus Services and Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell.
  • Two electric buses will now be incorporated in Golden Arrow's day-to-day operations, following a 12-month testing period.
  • Golden Arrow celebrated its 160th anniversary this year.

Following a 12-month testing period, South Africa's first electric bus is ready to carry passengers in Cape Town. 

Golden Arrow Bus Services, together with the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, on Monday launched an active electric bus service.  

This comes after Golden Arrow first embarked on a "renewable energy" journey in 2017, when it installed two solar plants - which led to two of its facilities being declared carbon neutral in 2020, a joint media release from the department and bus company read. This led to Golden Arrow testing two electric buses for a 12-month period.

"Sufficient testing has now been done to comfortably take the next big step. As of July 2021, the two electric buses have been incorporated into Golden Arrow's day-to-day operations, carrying passengers between Retreat and Cape Town," the statement read.

The buses were tested in various circumstances, without passengers, explained Golden Arrow engineer Gideon Neethling. "The aim was to get to know exactly how these vehicles perform before incorporating them into our operations," said Neethling.

There is still more to be learnt about the new buses such as their electricity usage under different conditions, charge time between trips, maintenance needs and battery degradation, among other things, according to Neethling. 

"After taking a ride in this bus, I am confident passengers will feel safe during their journey," said Western Cape MEC of transport and public works, Daylin Mitchell.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For only R75 per month, you have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today.
Subscribe to News24

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

Are there any planets outside of our solar system?

If everyone on Earth sat in the ocean at once, how much would sea level rise?