The Corinthian by Joe McCann and Directed by Martin McCormick

Award‑winning writer Joe McCann's latest play for A Play, A Pie and A Pint is the story of the first Black international football player, Andrew Watson. Andrew, born in Demerara, home of the sugar plantations, to a rich white father from Orkney and a Black plantation worker, Hannah Rose, never quite fitted in,due to his father's status and wealth. The family then moved to Greenock near Glasgow.

Awoken from his sleep by a crash and a rogue football through his window, he hears the local boys shouting, “hey Mister can we get oor baw back”. As he approaches the window, the chant changes to “hey Da*k*e can we get oor baw back”.

The boys, not much different in age to himself, invite him down to play street football, fuelling his desire to play for Queen’s Park, then the most successful team in Scotland.

Eventually his dreams are realised and he is signed to Queen’s Park, then progressing on to captain Scotland against England in 1881, winning 6–1. He captained Scotland a further 2 times, winning 5–1 against Wales and 5–1 again beating England.

At that time Scottish players didn't get paid, so to make money he moved to an English team, making playing again for Scotland impossible.

One of the most telling stories within the play is the racism of the day. Although the children accepted him for games of football, they could be cruel. Worse than the children was the abuse he had to tolerate from the fans in the stadiums and even other players.

Dayton Mungai  as Andrew is exceptional. He captures the spirit of Andrew Watson perfectly, also slipping in and out of the other characters with ease. He is a 3rd‑year student at the RCS and this is his first professional show. With his acting skills, he will never struggle for work as an actor.

Martin McCormick, directing, fully manages to keep the pace, changing from the euphoria of the football games back down to the terrible tragedies that happened during Andrew's life — one of them causing an audible gasp in the auditorium.

If, like me, you have never seen a full football game, don't be put off. This is a wonderful play about a man who struggles with racist views to captain his country’s team. This is a story that should never disappear.

Ends Saturday at Oran Mor then goes to

Assembly Roxy