Football's Pioneers: Stan Horne

Horne was one of a small number of black players setting out to make a career in English professional football during the early 1960s. A tough-tackling midfielder, he challenged stereotypes but still received a fair amount of racial abuse 

Horne was born in the village of Clanfield in Oxfordshire in late 1944. He initially trained at local clubs such as Bristol City, Oxford United and Swindon Town. After a trial at Aston Villa, he signed as a professional in 1962. He captained the Villa youth team and made his first team debut in December 1963.  

However, after a handful of first team games, medical tests at the beginning of the 1964/65 season revealed that he had high blood pressure and the club cancelled his contract. After further tests, Horne was cleared to continue playing. He wrote to manager Joe Mercer, who had recently moved from Villa Park to Maine Road. The young midfielder was offered a trial and was soon in the first team. 

Horne made his debut for Manchester City in a September 1965 League Cup victory at home to Leicester City. After missing the whole of the previous season, he played a further 21 games in 1965/66, helping the club win the Second Division title. He was a regular in the First Division the following season but a serious Achilles tendon injury kept him out for most of Man City’s championship campaign in 1967/68. 

Horne moved to Second Division side Fulham in 1969, where he stayed for five seasons, suffering relegation to the third tier, but then enjoying a promotion back to the second tier. Short spells with Chester and Rochdale followed as well a season in the North American Soccer League (NASL) with the short-lived Denver Dynamos in 1974. 

Horne had been offered a contract in the NASL four years earlier but was advised that he would be badly treated in the US. However, Horne had a wonderful experience in the States and felt particularly well looked after. It may have helped that he played alongside a number of high-profile black players, such as Brazilian forward Iris DeBrito and South African Kaizer Motaung, who also founded the famous Kaizer Chiefs FC.

After retiring in 1975, Horne went into the building trade. He remained particularly proud of his achievements at Manchester City and stayed closely attached to the club that had given him a second chance at the game he loved.