English footballer and trailblazer who became Chelsea FC’s first Black player in 1982, enduring racist abuse from both opposition and his own supporters. Part of the squad that won the Second Division title in 1984, his career was later cut short by injury at Reading FC. Canoville recounted his turbulent journey in Black and Blue (2008), an award-winning autobiography. Having battled drug addiction and cancer, he founded the Paul Canoville Foundation in 2015, using his story to inspire young people and campaign against racism in football and beyond.
