![]() Fakhri with
Mohammedan Sporting in 1955 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Masood Fakhri | ||
Date of birth | 16 November 1932 | ||
Place of birth | Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, British India | ||
Date of death | 6 September 2016 | (aged 83)||
Place of death | Bangor Teifi, Wales | ||
Position(s) | Left winger | ||
Youth career | |||
Pakistan Raiders Club | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
1952–1954 | East Bengal | (25) | |
1955–1956 | Mohammedan | ||
1956–1957 | Bradford City | 0 | (0) |
International career | |||
1952–1956 | Pakistan [1] | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Masood Fakhri ( Punjabi: مسعود فخری; 16 November 1932 – 6 September 2016) was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a left winger. [2] [3] [4] [5] A former Pakistani international, Fakhri was well known for his time with Indian Kolkata clubs East Bengal and Mohammedan. [6] [7] [8] He was the first Pakistani football player to score a hat trick in an international game, and the first player from South Asia to play in England, where he played for Bradford City before retiring. [9]
Fakhri was born in 16 November 1932 in Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, In 1955 Saadat Hasan Manto’s highly-acclaimed short story Toba Tek Singh immortalised this town. [2]
Fakhri began his career with Pakistan Raiders Club. [2]
He started playing for clubs in India in 1952, and was 20-year-old when he signed with Calcutta Football League side East Bengal. [10] [11] [12] During his first season with the club, Fakhri helped his side win the Calcutta Football League and the prestigious Durand Cup. [13] [14] [2] Fakhri usually played as a left-winger and had scored 14 goals in the Calcutta Football League alongside scoring the winning goals in his first two matches against East Bengal's biggest rivals, Mohun Bagan, and thus became a fan favorite among East Bengal supporters. [2] Fakhri helped the team win the DCM Trophy and was also part of the East Bengal side to play tournament and friendly matches in Europe. [2] [15]
Fakhri went on to play for two more seasons at the club. In 1953, he was part of the senior team's tour to the Romanian Youth Festival in Bucharest, where they faced teams like FC Torpedo Moscow. [16] [17] He scored a goal against Lebanon XI in their 6–1 win in that tournament. He was also a part of the team that played against German side Kickers Offenbach in that year. [18]
In 1955, Fakhri signed with another Kolkata club, Mohammedan. In 1956, he helped Mohammedan win the prestigious Rovers Cup title. [2]
Bert Flatley, a coach with the Football Association (FA) in England, communicated to Fakhri the possibility of a move to Bradford City. The club then competed in the third tier of English football league system. After negotiations with the then manager Peter Jackson, Fakhri finally signed for the club on 8 August 1956 In 1956. After playing one season with the club, he prematurely quit football for personal reasons in 1957. [2] [19]
Fakhri had represented Pakistan at international level in the preceding years. [20] Fakhri had most notably scored a hat-trick and became the first player from Pakistan to do so as his national team thumped Singapore 6–2 in a group match at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines. He had also scored goals against India and Myanmar during the period. [3]
Fakhri married Rhoda Eileen and lived in Llanrwst, North Wales. His brother's family settled in Great Britain as well. [2]
After retiring from football, Fakhri lived out the rest of his life living in Bangor Teifi, Wales. [2]
He died in September 2016 in Wales. [21]
East Bengal
Mohammedan Sporting
Pakistan
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
Masood Fakhri: Left-Out. Played for East Bengal from 1952 - 1954. He hailed from Pakistan and was the first sub-continent Footballer to play professional league in England for a couple of years from 1955. He toured USSR and Romania with East Bengal Club in 1953.
![]() Fakhri with
Mohammedan Sporting in 1955 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Masood Fakhri | ||
Date of birth | 16 November 1932 | ||
Place of birth | Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, British India | ||
Date of death | 6 September 2016 | (aged 83)||
Place of death | Bangor Teifi, Wales | ||
Position(s) | Left winger | ||
Youth career | |||
Pakistan Raiders Club | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
1952–1954 | East Bengal | (25) | |
1955–1956 | Mohammedan | ||
1956–1957 | Bradford City | 0 | (0) |
International career | |||
1952–1956 | Pakistan [1] | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Masood Fakhri ( Punjabi: مسعود فخری; 16 November 1932 – 6 September 2016) was a Pakistani professional footballer who played as a left winger. [2] [3] [4] [5] A former Pakistani international, Fakhri was well known for his time with Indian Kolkata clubs East Bengal and Mohammedan. [6] [7] [8] He was the first Pakistani football player to score a hat trick in an international game, and the first player from South Asia to play in England, where he played for Bradford City before retiring. [9]
Fakhri was born in 16 November 1932 in Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, In 1955 Saadat Hasan Manto’s highly-acclaimed short story Toba Tek Singh immortalised this town. [2]
Fakhri began his career with Pakistan Raiders Club. [2]
He started playing for clubs in India in 1952, and was 20-year-old when he signed with Calcutta Football League side East Bengal. [10] [11] [12] During his first season with the club, Fakhri helped his side win the Calcutta Football League and the prestigious Durand Cup. [13] [14] [2] Fakhri usually played as a left-winger and had scored 14 goals in the Calcutta Football League alongside scoring the winning goals in his first two matches against East Bengal's biggest rivals, Mohun Bagan, and thus became a fan favorite among East Bengal supporters. [2] Fakhri helped the team win the DCM Trophy and was also part of the East Bengal side to play tournament and friendly matches in Europe. [2] [15]
Fakhri went on to play for two more seasons at the club. In 1953, he was part of the senior team's tour to the Romanian Youth Festival in Bucharest, where they faced teams like FC Torpedo Moscow. [16] [17] He scored a goal against Lebanon XI in their 6–1 win in that tournament. He was also a part of the team that played against German side Kickers Offenbach in that year. [18]
In 1955, Fakhri signed with another Kolkata club, Mohammedan. In 1956, he helped Mohammedan win the prestigious Rovers Cup title. [2]
Bert Flatley, a coach with the Football Association (FA) in England, communicated to Fakhri the possibility of a move to Bradford City. The club then competed in the third tier of English football league system. After negotiations with the then manager Peter Jackson, Fakhri finally signed for the club on 8 August 1956 In 1956. After playing one season with the club, he prematurely quit football for personal reasons in 1957. [2] [19]
Fakhri had represented Pakistan at international level in the preceding years. [20] Fakhri had most notably scored a hat-trick and became the first player from Pakistan to do so as his national team thumped Singapore 6–2 in a group match at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines. He had also scored goals against India and Myanmar during the period. [3]
Fakhri married Rhoda Eileen and lived in Llanrwst, North Wales. His brother's family settled in Great Britain as well. [2]
After retiring from football, Fakhri lived out the rest of his life living in Bangor Teifi, Wales. [2]
He died in September 2016 in Wales. [21]
East Bengal
Mohammedan Sporting
Pakistan
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
Masood Fakhri: Left-Out. Played for East Bengal from 1952 - 1954. He hailed from Pakistan and was the first sub-continent Footballer to play professional league in England for a couple of years from 1955. He toured USSR and Romania with East Bengal Club in 1953.