Thetownend.com

I learnt about an ex Swindon player today, someone I had never even heard of before.

Titus Okere, in 1953, (b. March 22, 1929 In Nigeria) became the first Nigerian to sign and play for any European football club when he signed for Swindon Town FC.

Okere joined Ziks Athletic Club Bombers in 1938 and later joined Lagos Railways, where he captained the club.
In February 1953, Titus Okere signed a contract with Swindon Town FC, making him the first Nigerian to sign as a professional footballer and play for a European club.

As a 20-year-old, the left-wing wizard was one of the 18 pioneer members of Nigeria's national football team who toured the United Kingdom in August 1949. The team was then known as the UK Tourists and later the Red Devils.

The 93-year-old (who has, since 1953, been living a quiet life in Kent, some 67 kilometres from London) is now the only surviving member of the team after the death of Nigeria's first goalkeeper, Sam Henshaw Ibiam, on December 2, 2015, at the age of 91.

He was a Nigerian footballer who was selected as a member of the "U.K. tourists", a touring team that represented Nigerian in 1949. He has lived all his adult life in the UK. In the U.K., the team played matches with English amateur clubs and later played an international match against Sierra Leone, with Okere scoring one of the goals in a 2-0 victory.[2]

Okere was born on March 22, 1929 in Ngor Okpala local Government in Owerri, Imo State. He attended St. Cyprian’s Anglican School, Port Harcourt, Kalabari National College and the Okrika Grammar School. During a tour of Azikiwe's athletic club, Okere impressed Azikiwe and he briefly played for ZAC (Zik's Athletic Club) Port Harcourt before leaving for Lagos to join Lagos Railways. Okere captained Railways in 1948 during a successful period where they won trophies. He then moved to Swindon Town F.C. in the U.K, but his stay there was not successful. However, he captained the Nigerian squad against Gold Coast in 1951.

Ziks Athletic Club Bombers (Ng)
Nigeria Railway FC
Swindon Town (amateur 13 Dec 1952 then professional 24 Jan 1953)
Trowbridge Town (Jul 1953)
Chippenham United (Aug 1953)

Spotted in 1949, playing in a Nigerian side touring the UK, Titus was the first black player to sign a pro contract for the club. Sadly he struggled with the British winter (and wearing football boots !) and, apart from just two Combination games, his appearances were confined to the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League.

Beat me to it, I was just reading up about him after reading something on Facebook. Really interesting story, and I had no idea of his existence before. Still going at 94

Saw that on FB yesterday too. Fascinating.

I watched him play for STFC in 1953, a fast and tricky left winger but with little end product as I vaguely remember it. I was only 12. 

Fascinating. A story worth preserving and presenting. I never knew ...

Had a few of them over the years - Dean Hooper springs to mind.

Probably do a better job now than the shoddy lot of last season

Shhhhh most of them are still here!

Alan O'Brien

Ricky Shakes

Anthony McNamee

Right winger.

This is better than incredible.  Why have we not heard of him before?  Brilliant STFC knowledge.

If this was Facebook or Twitter, normy, you'd get a big 'like'.

I've been writing a few things about Swindon and the GWR as part of some heritage funding. Two involve football: one on Football Specials (I posted a link before and thanks to all who contributed) and this one on Titus Okere below. Not quite sure what will happen to them - I've a meeting coming up soon and will know then how they sit in the scheme of things. Again, thanks to those who pointed me in the direction of Titus and their recollections.
https://sootallures.wixsite.com/topographersarms/post/titus-okere