Representatives from a foundation set up to honour Arthur Wharton travelled to Switzerland yesterday to present a statue of the footballing pioneer to the head of the world football’s governing body. Andy Walker reports

VISITORS to the Fifa headquarters in Zurich may notice a 2.5ft bronze statue of a goalkeeper on display and wonder who it is.

Those with a keener eye may have also seen the same work at the headquarters of both the FA and European governing body Uefa.

The statues are a tribute to the legacy of Arthur Wharton, football’s first black professional.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter yesterday met representatives of the Arthur Wharton Foundation, who travelled from Darlington to present him with the statue, which will go on display in the president’s lounge at Fifa.

It was handed over after a substantial donation by Fifa, which will help the foundation to raise awareness of Arthur Wharton’s story and its ongoing pursuit of equality for all.

Mr Blatter spoke of his pride at receiving the statue.

He said: “I see it as recognition for Fifa’s work against discrimination all over the world through many different activities.

“The Arthur Wharton Foundation works hard in the field of anti-discrimination and I like that as a principle, because I always say that football unites and brings people together.

“Things have changed over the years, but things still need to move on – football has to bring everybody together. I congratulate the foundation for the tremendous work it is doing and I am delighted to shake hands with its founder, Shaun Campbell.”

Mr Campbell called the presentation a historic day for the foundation, the region and football.

He said: “This statue is a testimony of the work done by Fifa for diversity and against any type of discrimination.

“Coming here to Zurich has been an absolutely remarkable experience and I cannot speak highly enough of Mr Blatter.

“It has been a very emotional day and Fifa has done Darlington and the North- East proud.”

Mr Campbell said he and Mr Blatter discussed the plight of Darlington FC, which has suffered multiple relegations after being put in administration, with the president expressing sympathy at the Quakers’ fall through the divisions.

In an interview with BBC Tees, Mr Blatter said Fifa had no control over the FA’s decision to place the club in the Northern League.

Mr Wharton was born in Ghana in 1865; his father was half-Grenadian and half-Scottish, and his mother was from Ghanaian royalty.

After impressing as a goalkeeper at Darlington, he signed as a semi-professional with Preston North End, later joining Rotherham United as a professional.