“It was a natural process; this is where the family is from, and this is us.”
“My parents were a couple… my older siblings… two of them were born in St Kitts, and the three of us were born here.”
“I grew up with the knowledge that you have to work hard to get what you want, both parents worked full-time, my oldest sister used to look after me… some of the time so that my parents could work. We didn’t really want anything, but we didn’t really ask for anything, we had what we needed and that was OK.”
“I was always out, I was a proper child… I think when I was going to primary school I realised I was good at sport… All sports… which almost led me to be… accepted by people…”
“There is a rhetoric that says that you only become accepted as British if you are good at sport.”
“I was the first Black player to play for Wales schoolboys at 14… and I was the first Black player to play for Sunderland.”
“I went on to play about 14 times for Wales then, and that year I scored against England in Gillingham, and I used to experience racism during that time. In Ireland, people were spitting at me, and it wasn’t a good time, it was uncertain and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. I was only young and I just wanted to play football.”
“I have a strong sense of belonging to the Caribbean and a strong sense of belonging to Wales at that time.”
“I don’t think we should underestimate the hard work our elders did in order for us to do what we’re doing today… it’s key that they don’t forget the legacy that my parents built.”
“Roedd yn broses naturiol; dyma o ble daw’r teulu, a dyma ni.”
“Roedd fy rhieni yn gwpl... y ddau blentyn hŷn... ganed dau ohonyn nhw yn St Kitts, a ganed y tri arall ohonom ni yma.”
“Fe dyfais i fyny’n gwybod bod angen ichi weithio’n galed i gael yr hyn a ddymunwch, roedd fy nau riant yn gweithio’n llawn amser, a fy chwaer hŷn yn edrych ar fy ôl... weithiau, fel bod fy rhieni’n gallu gweithio. Doedden ni ddim wir eisiau unrhyw beth, ond doedden ni ddim yn gofyn am ddim byd, roedd gennym ni’r hyn roedd ei angen arnom ac roedd hynny’n iawn.”
“Roeddwn i allan drwy’r adeg, rêl plentyn... rwy’n credu mai pan roeddwn i yn yr ysgol gynradd y sylweddolais i fy mod i’n dda am wneud chwaraeon... pob math o chwaraeon... ac roedd hynny bron yn ddigon i mi gael... fy nerbyn gan bobl...”
“Mae’n rhethreg mai dim ond os ydych chi’n dda am wneud chwaraeon cewch chi’ch derbyn fel Prydeiniwr.”
“Fi oedd y chwaraewr Du cyntaf i chwarae i dîm Bechgyn Ysgolion Cymru yn 14 mlwydd oed... a fi oedd y chwaraewr Du cyntaf i chwarae i Sunderland.”
“Fe es i yn fy mlaen i chwarae i Gymru tua 14 o weithiau, ac yn y flwyddyn honno fe sgoriais yn erbyn Lloegr yn Gillingham, ac roeddwn i’n profi hiliaeth yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw. Yn Iwerddon, roedd pobl yn poeri arnaf i, a doedd o ddim yn gyfnod da, roedd yn brofiad llawn ansicrwydd a doeddwn i ddim yn hollol siŵr beth oedd yn digwydd. Ifanc oeddwn i, a dim ond chwarae pêl-droed oeddwn i eisiau.”
“Mae gen i deimlad cryf o berthyn i’r Caribî a theimlad cryf o berthyn i Gymru ar yr un pryd.”
“Rwy’n credu na ddylen ni fethu gwerthfawrogi’r gwaith caled wnaeth ein hynafiaid er mwyn i ni gael gwneud yr hyn a wnawn heddiw... mae’n allweddol nad ydyn nhw’n anghofio’r etifeddiaeth a greodd fy rhieni.”