Justin Fashanu facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Justinus Soni Fashanu | ||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Hackney, London, England | ||
| Date of death | 2 May 1998 (aged 37) | ||
| Place of death | Shoreditch, London, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Norwich City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1978–1981 | Norwich City | 90 | (35) |
| 1980 | → Adelaide City (loan) | 5 | (3) |
| 1981 | → Adelaide City (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 1981–1982 | Nottingham Forest | 32 | (3) |
| 1982 | → Southampton (loan) | 9 | (3) |
| 1982–1985 | Notts County | 64 | (20) |
| 1985–1987 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 16 | (2) |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Heat | 12 | (5) |
| 1988–1989 | Edmonton Brick Men | 35 | (22) |
| 1989 | Manchester City | 2 | (0) |
| 1989–1990 | West Ham United | 2 | (0) |
| 1990 | Leyton Orient | 5 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Hamilton Steelers | 29 | (10) |
| 1991 | Southall | 6 | (1) |
| 1991 | Toronto Blizzard | 10 | (3) |
| 1991 | Leatherhead | ||
| 1991 | Newcastle United | 0 | (0) |
| 1991–1993 | Torquay United | 41 | (15) |
| 1993 | Airdrieonians | 16 | (5) |
| 1993 | Trelleborg | 1 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | Heart of Midlothian | 11 | (1) |
| 1995–1997 | Atlanta Ruckus | 7 | (1) |
| 1997 | Miramar Rangers | 18 | (12) |
| Total | 417 | (133) | |
| National team | |||
| 1980–1982 | England U21 | 11 | (5) |
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Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu (born 19 February 1961 – died 2 May 1998) was an English footballer. He played for many different clubs from 1978 to 1997. Justin was one of the first footballers to be transferred for £1 million. This happened when he moved from Norwich City to Nottingham Forest in 1981. He had a successful career as a player before he retired in 1997.
In 2020, Justin Fashanu was honored. He was added to the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Justin Fashanu was born in London, England. His father was a lawyer from Nigeria. His mother was a nurse from Guyana. When his parents separated, Justin and his younger brother John went to a care home.
Later, when Justin was six, he and John were fostered. They were raised by Alf and Betty Jackson in Norfolk. Justin was very good at boxing when he was young. Some people thought he might become a professional boxer. But his talent for football grew.
He went to Attleborough High School in the 1970s. A scout from Norwich City, John Sainty, saw him play. This was during a school match in 1974.
Justin Fashanu's Football Career
Playing for Norwich City
Justin Fashanu started his football journey at Norwich City. He became a professional player in December 1978. His first league game was on 13 January 1979. He played against West Bromwich Albion. Justin quickly became a key player for Norwich. He scored goals often and sometimes in amazing ways.
In 1980, he won the BBC Goal of the Season award. This was for a fantastic goal he scored against Liverpool. He played 103 games for Norwich. He scored 40 goals in total. During his time there, he also played for the England under-21 team six times. He scored 19 league goals in the 1980–81 season. However, Norwich City was relegated that year.
Moving to Nottingham Forest
Justin Fashanu's great performances attracted bigger clubs. In August 1981, he left Norwich. He signed with Nottingham Forest. This transfer made him Britain's first black footballer to be bought for £1 million.
However, his time at Forest was challenging. His relationship with manager Brian Clough became difficult. This affected his performance. He scored only three goals in 32 league games for Forest in the 1981–82 season. His confidence also suffered.
Later Club Moves
In August 1982, Justin was loaned to Southampton. He scored three goals in nine games. He played well there. The manager, Lawrie McMenemy, wanted to keep him. But the club did not have enough money.
In December 1982, he moved to Notts County. The fee was £150,000. He scored 20 goals in 64 games for them. However, the team was relegated twice. Then, in June 1985, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion. A knee injury soon after seemed to end his career.
Playing in North America
Justin went to the United States for surgery on his knee. After recovering, he started playing again. He played for Los Angeles Heat. Then he moved to Canada. He played for the Edmonton Brick Men and the Hamilton Steelers.
Return to English Football
In 1989, Justin returned to England. He hoped to restart his top-level career. He joined Manchester City on 23 October 1989. He played two games in the First Division. Just a month later, on 20 November, he moved to West Ham United. He also had a trial with Ipswich Town.
In March 1990, he joined Leyton Orient. After that, he played for non-league team Southall as a player-coach. In the summer of 1991, he went back to North America. He played for Toronto Blizzard. After leaving Toronto, he came back to England. He signed for the semi-professional team Leatherhead.
Final Years in Football
In October 1991, Justin had a trial with Newcastle United. He played one game as a substitute. The manager decided not to offer him a permanent contract. On 23 November 1991, he signed for Torquay United. He was very popular with fans and the media there. He played 21 league games that season. He scored 10 goals. But Torquay was relegated from the Third Division.
In February 1992, Ivan Golac became Torquay's manager. Justin was made assistant manager. He kept this role when Paul Compton became the new manager. In February 1993, Justin wanted to be manager after Compton left. But the club chose someone else. Justin left Torquay, having scored 15 goals in 41 games.
He then played for Airdrieonians. He could not stop them from being relegated. In 1993, he left Airdrieonians. He played in Sweden for Trelleborg. Then he returned to Scotland. He joined Heart of Midlothian in July 1993. His contract was ended in February 1994 due to issues. He then went back to the United States. He coached youth football in Georgia.
He later played for Atlanta Ruckus. He was suspended from the playoffs due to contract issues. In 1997, he joined Miramar Rangers in New Zealand. After officially retiring from professional football, he moved to Maryland. He coached the Maryland Mania, a new professional team.
Legacy and Recognition
Justin Fashanu is remembered as an important figure in football. He was listed among the Top 500 Lesbian and Gay Heroes in The Pink Paper.
In March 2009, a football team was named in his honor. It was called The Justin Fashanu All-stars. This team was part of The Justin Campaign. This campaign works to promote inclusion in football.
In 2017, Netflix released a film about his life. It was called Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story. In 2023, a large mural of Justin Fashanu was painted on a pub wall in Norwich.
See also
- Homosexuality in English football
- Josh Cavallo, the first professional Australian player to come out (in 2021), with wide support
