The first player of East Asian decent to represent England, and the first of Chinese background to feature in the Football League, Frank Soo was a pioneer who opened the door to generations of footballers.
Born in Derbyshire to a Chinese father and English mother, Frank was raised on Merseyside, and showed enough promise to be scouted by both Liverpool and Everton. The inside-left initially joined Prescot Cables towards the back end of 1932 whilst working as an office clerk, but soon caught the attention of scouts at Second Division outfit Stoke City, who paid £400 for his services in early 1933.
He played no part in the Potters’ title charge, but was handed his debut by manager Tom Mather the following season, catching the eye despite Stoke’s 6-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in November 1933. He featured 16 times in his first full year, lining up alongside future England internationals Joe Johnson and Stanley Matthews.
Frank became a regular name in the line-up from 1935 onwards under former teammate Bob McGrory, playing prominently as the Potters finished fourth in 1936. He was a permanent presence at half-back in the team that maintained its First Division status on the final day of the 1937-38 campaign, and was named captain for the following season: he did not miss a single league game that year.
The outbreak of war stunted Frank’s career, at a time when they were increasingly viewed as favourites to win their first top-tier title. A new job at Michelin allowed Soo to initially continue with Stoke in wartime fixtures: on the suspension of the Football League, they won the War League West Regional Championship, with the versatile half-back as skipper.
Frank was called up to the Royal Air Force in 1941, taking him further away from the Victoria Ground. During the war, he also turned out as a guest player for Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Chelsea, amongst others.
Having long been linked with an international call-up, he was drafted into the wartime England setup in 1942. He made his unofficial debut in May that year: a 1-0 defeat against Wales at Ninian Park, playing alongside Eddie Hapgood and Tommy Lawton. Frank made twelve appearances in wartime games, unofficial fixtures and Victory Internationals, often alongside Potters teammates Matthews and Neil Franklin.
After the war, he was transferred to Leicester City, a reunion with former manager Tom Mather. In his time with Stoke, Soo made over 200 appearances for the club. His time at Leicester was comparatively shorter: an injury limited him to just fourteen appearances for the Foxes in the Wartime Football League South.
Now 32 years old, Frank resumed regular action for Luton Town, featuring in the majority of the Hatters’ games for the next two seasons. He wound down his playing days with Chelmsford City before making the transition to coaching, managing Padova and Scunthorpe United but predominantly managing in Scandinavia, where he was Norway head coach during the 1952 Olympics, and guided Swedish side Djurgarden to the Allsvenskan title in 1955.
A hugely popular player who was renowned for his elegant play, accurate passing and football intelligence, Frank passed away in 1991. His legacy lives on through the work of the Frank Soo Foundation, sharing his story and working with ESEA Asian communities in football.
Principal clubs: Stoke City, Leicester City, Luton Town
International caps: 12 (unofficial)
Inducted: 2024