Fergus Suter

Fergus Suter (or Fergie Suter) was a former stonemason and footballer in the early days of the game in the United Kingdom during the 19th century. Arguably the first recognised professional footballer, Suter was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and played for Partick Thistle and Rangers F.C. before moving to England to play for Darwen, Lancashire and Blackburn Rovers.

His first moves below the border into English football were with Partick Thistle, and on 2 January, 1878 he played for them against Blackburn Rovers at Alexandra Meadows. The result was a 2–1 win for Blackburn. That same year he began to play for the Lancashire club Darwen.

Although the game was officially amateur at the time, Suter's move to England to play for Darwen in 1879 was shortly followed by him giving up his job as a stonemason, claiming that English stone was far too difficult to work, and fuelling criticism that he was being paid to play. During the summer of 1880 he would cause still more controversy by moving to Blackburn Rovers, a local rival of Darwen. The move again stirred up accusations of professionalism amid claims that Blackburn had offered him improved terms. Suter's move inflamed an already testy local rivalry, and bitter games and crowd trouble would dog future Darwen/Blackburn matches for years to come.

His career was all but over by the time the Football League was formed in 1888. He would make only one appearance for Blackburn Rovers in that competition, on 22 December, 1888 against West Bromwich Albion as a replacement for the goalkeeper Herbie Arthur.

References

• Mike Jackman (1995). Blackburn Rovers: An illustrated history. Breedon Books. ISBN 1859830226.