World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Paul Canoville

ポール・カノヴィル

Pōru Kanoviru

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1962-03-04 （Southall）
Nationality
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Residence History
Southall, England → Slough, England → Saint Martin

Career

Occupations
Footballer, DJ, Teaching assistant, Autobiographer
Active Years
1979-1994
Affiliations
Chelsea F.C., Reading F.C., Hillingdon Borough F.C., Enfield F.C., Maidenhead United F.C., Burnham F.C., Northwood F.C., Egham Town F.C.

Awards

Best Autobiography in the National Sporting Club's 2009 Book Awards
2009
Work: Black and Blue
Category: Best Autobiography
Organization: National Sporting Club
Result: Winner
Best Autobiography in the 2009 British Sports Book Awards
2009
Work: Black and Blue
Category: Best Autobiography
Organization: British Sports Book Awards
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Black and Blue: How Racism, Drugs and Cancer Almost Destroyed Me

2008 Autobiography

Memoir recounting experiences of racism as Chelsea's first black player, drug addiction, and battle with cancer.

RacismDrug addictionCancerFootball
Adaptations
  • [Documentary film] Black & Blue: The Paul Canoville Story (2015)

Bibliography

  • Black and Blue: How Racism, Drugs and Cancer Almost Destroyed Me

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Frank and raw narrative style
Recurring Motifs
DiscriminationRecoveryFamily

Health

  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
    1996, 2004-2005
    Underwent chemotherapy and achieved remission
  • Crack cocaine addiction
    1989-2005
    Multiple rehab stints, loss of DJ career

Legacy

Pioneering as Chelsea FC's first black player amid racism, authored award-winning autobiography. Founded The Paul Canoville Foundation in 2015 to mentor youth.

In Popular Culture

  • Featured in Sky Sports documentary
  • Discussed on BBC Radio 4's A Good Read

Quotes

  • "As I'm stretching and running, I hear loud individual voices through the noise: 'Sit down you black cunt!, 'You fucking wog – fuck off!' Over and over again."
    Source: Black and Blue (2008)

Trivia

  • Chelsea FC's first black player for the senior men's team (April 12, 1982)
  • Fathered 11 children with 10 different women
  • Mother from Anguilla, father from Dominica
  • Spent time in borstal as a teenager