The Frank Soo Foundation

Spreading Frank’s story, supporting East & South East Asians in football & building better communities. In memory of Frank Soo (1914-1991) Stoke City & England.

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

We did it!!!

Frank Soo receiving his Honorary Cap at Wembley, 80 years to the month he last played for @England , again against Wales.

The Soo family and everyone at the Frank Soo Foundation are extremely proud today. It was a long road, but we knew that working with all the stakeholders in football, to create a positive space for the ESEA Communities and using every opportunity in telling Frank’s story was the right way to go.

Thank you FA for giving Frank the recognition he deserves. Debbie Hewitt, Mark Bullingham, Yasir Mirza, @daldarroch, @AnwarU01 and so many others.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us in this momentous achievement! To everyone who helped share Frank’s story and spoke on our behalf, to ignite the imagination, to inspire. (will send a bigger post doing so in the next few days).

We are often asked what Frank would think of all of this; I cannot answer for him, but I hope he would be looking down upon us with a smile.

#FrankSooEngland6 #FrankSooCap #TheSmiler
#FrankSoo #FrankSooFoundation #TheFrankSooFoundation #FrankSooEngland6 #englandcap #football #Footballer #FootballInspiration #ESEA #AsiansInBritain #TheFA #FSF #FootballPeople #DiversityInFootball #FootballDiversity #AsiansInFootball #ESEAinSports #SportingHeroes #FAforAll

@kickitout , @SportingEquals , @CARGuk , @WeAreTheFSA , @TheLondonCCC , @CCCBirmingham , @BrentChinese , Watford Chinese Association.

@stokecity , @LCFC , @LutonTown , @OfficialClarets , @stalbanscityfc , @DIF_Fotboll , @SUFCOfficial , @WatfordFC , @FulhamFC , @BrentfordFC , @ChelseaFC , @PrescotCablesFC , @HendonFC , @JubileeSilver .

@surreyfa , @HampshireFA , @middxfa , @BirminghamFA , @EssexCountyFA , @Liverpool_CFA , @LondonFA , @AmateurFA , @HertfordshireFA , @LpoolSchoolsFA @EnglandFootball

@SkySportsNews , @ResonateVoices , @BBCSport , @DevTrehan, @susanagardiner, @alan_zp_lau , @XeniolumM

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

During National Hate Crime Awareness Week we hosted alongside Campaign Against Racism Group (@CARGuk) a webinar, "Team Talk; Perspectives on ESEA (East & South East Asian) discrimination in football."

Announcing the results of the research we carried out on the affects on the ESEA communities after the Bentancur/Son incident ("Beyond the Ban") as well as exploring the experiences of fans who have suffered racism and the work from @kickitout . We were joined by Maxwell Min, Wing Tsang, Jono Poon, John Wong, Abdul HAQUE and George Chambers.

It was hosted by Alan Lau and Pek-San Tan.

Watch he webinar again here;
https://t.co/FOkitAfAxT

[Kick It Out @kickitout]

We’re disappointed to hear reports of racist abuse towards Swansea’s Jisung Eom during Tuesday’s Championship game at Millwall.

Both clubs have condemned the incident, and it’s positive that Millwall and match officials followed the right protocols so that action can be taken to identify any individual responsible.

In that moment, protocols are in place to help match and security officials respond appropriately. That ensures that players are protected and key details are captured so that accountability can follow, regardless of how long it takes.

Player welfare should always take precedence over the momentum or flow of a match, and it’s essential that managers and all leaders recognise this and set the tone with their language so that everyone can stand up to discrimination.

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

ESEA Heritage Month 2026 : celebrating players from an East & South East Asian heritage in England.

Our research shows that there are over 50 men from an ESEA heritage playing for English clubs in the Premier League or EFL. Similarly there are at least 27 women from an ESEA heritage playing in the WSL or WSL 2. Players from a Japanese heritage make up the biggest proportion with 45+ players.

Featured players (from left to right)

Picture 1:
Daichi Kamada - Crystal Palace (JPN)
Yui Hasegawa - Manchester City (JPN)
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto - Coventry City (JPN)

Picture 2:
Tahith Chong - Sheffield United (CHN)
Hidemasa Morita - Hull City (JPN)
Bae Jun-ho - Stoke City (KOR)
Daizen Maeda - Ipswich Town (JPN)
Kuryu Matsuki - Southampton (JPN)
Ryoya Morishita - Blackburn Rovers (JPN)
Alphonse Areola - West Ham United (PHI)
Perry Ng - Cardiff City (SGP)
Takehiro Tomiyasu - Crystal Palace (JPN)
Sonny Aljofree - Rotherham United (SGP)
Park Seung-soo - Newcastle United (KOR)

Picture 3:
Manaka Matsukubo - Chelsea (JPN)
Hinata Miyazawa - Manchester United (JPN)
Alice Sombath - Tottenham Hotspur (THA)
Ayaka Yamashita - Manchester City (JPN)
Lee Geum-min - Birmingham City (KOR)

Picture 4:
Kaoru Mitoma - Brighton & Hove Albion (JPN)
Hikaru Kitagawa - Everton (JPN)
Fuka Nagano - Liverpool (JPN)
Yuka Momiki - Everton (JPN)
Risa Shimizu - Manchester City (JPN)
Rion Ishikawa - Everton (JPN)
Honoka Hayashi - Everton (JPN)
Wataru Endo - Liverpool (JPN)
Aoba Fujino - Manchester City (JPN)
Ao Tanaka - Leeds United (JPN)
Zion Suzuki - Aston Villa (JPN)
Akane Okuma - Aston Villa (JPN)

Picture 5
Elkan Baggott - Millwall (IDN)
Arthur Barratt - Everton (VIE)
Kieffer Moore - Wrexham (CHN)
Maz Pacheco - Everton (PHI)
Cayden Cole - Middlesbrough (MAL)
Luke O'Nien - Sunderland (SGP)

Picture 6
Ji So-yeon (KOR)
Sammy Chung (CHN)
Frank Soo (CHN)
Sun Jihai (CHN)
Jason Scott-Lee (CHN)
Son Heung-min (KOR)
Neil Etheridge (PHI)
Park Ji-sung (KOR)

Research notes: We have only counted players with professional contracts with Premier League, EFL and WSL/WSL 2 clubs - some players have subsequently gone on loan. This may also include some youth players where the club has announced that they have been given a pro contract. We also looked at what countries these players were eligible to play for according to FIFA and/or if they have stated publicly an ESEA heritage. Our ongoing research recognises that there will be more players with ESEA heritage which have not stated this publicly or have a mixedrich heritage which has not been accounted for via FIFA's classifications.

#ESEAHM26 #Representation #ESEAfootball

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

What a evening!!!

Thank you so much to all the people who attended the ESEA Football and Sports Industry Networking Event at the @premierleague HQ in London.

The atmosphere in the room was 🔥🔥🔥 Such an amazing panel discussion with Oriana Wong, Wai Wan, Phil Shin hosted by Matthew Ho.

The common conception is that the East and South East Asian communities are rarely represented in the Football and Sports industry, but the evening showed that there are more of us than you think! We have also shown that we are there to support each other, to advocate for and to share!

Hopefully participants have grown their networks and have been inspired by each other.

Many thanks to the Premier league for hosting and we look forward to meeting more people and creating this space again.

#ESEAHM26 #networking #footballindustry @kickitout @SRTRC_England @SportingEquals @besea_n

[Kick It Out @kickitout]

🤔 Heading to a game this weekend?

‼️ It's important to remember that if you see or hear discrimination at a football match or online, you can report it to Kick It Out.

📲 You can report it via our website or through social media or email: [email protected]

[Cambridge United FC @CambridgeUtdFC]

Congratulations to second-year scholar Zak Massoud on his call-up to the Japan U17 squad for the upcoming international break! 🇯🇵

Zak becomes the third academy player to receive an international call-up since the start of last season.

@cufcacademy1 | #RaisedintheEFL

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

The Frank Soo Foundation Cup 2026 https://t.co/aBHY5TpHKA

[The FA @FA]

We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view.

We oppose FIFA’s plans. The FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will.

https://t.co/BuF7srQ8cJ

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Final match day, PEDRO “DRO” FERNANDEZ is a Spain youth team player. This La Masia graduate has a mixed Spanish and Filipino heritage.

@FIFAWorldCup @SEFutbol @kickitout @SRTRC_England

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Match day 38, JASON PENDANT, played for France U16/U18. Born in France, his father is Martiniquais and his mother Vietnamese and he now plays for the Vietnamese national team.

@kickitout @SRTRC_England @FIFAWorldCup @FIFPROAsiaOce

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Match day 30, NICO YENNARIS or Li Ke, born in London to a Greek-Cypriot father and Chinese mother. The Arsenal academy alumni played for England U17-19 before he moved to play in the Chinese Super League and represented China from 2019 onwards.

@FIFAWorldCup @SRTRC_England @kickitout @England @CARGuk @Nico_Yennaris

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Match day 29, DAVID SILVA, born on the Canary Islands, he has Japanese heritage from his mothers side. The Man City legend played 125 times for Spain, winning the World Cup in 2010 and the Euros in 2008 and 2012.

@FIFAWorldCup @kickitout @SRTRC_England @21LVA @SEFutbol

[England @England]

Into the final four of the @FIFAWorldCup. GET IN THERE! 💪

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Match day 31, FRANK SOO, played for England 9 times in Wartime and Victory friendlies. The first person from a Chinese heritage to play in the English football league. Managed Norway in the 1952 Olympic Games.

Frank was honoured a Blue Plaque yesterday in Buxton marking the house he was born in, a laundrette which was common for many people from Chinese heritage in the early 20th Century. This shows his humble origins, battling adversity, shining for Stoke City & England and then going on to become manager across Europe.

Wishing @England luck today and a nod to Norway.

@kickitout @SRTRC_England @FIFAWorldCup @nff_landslag @CARGuk @FIFPRO

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

@rich10804 11 lightwood road, Buxton

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

https://t.co/0ePq0shs3w

Big up Frank Soo!

Amazing to see Frank remembered in this way. The blue plaque is on the original laundrette building he was born in on 8th March 1914. Many people from the Chinese communities were in the laundry business in the early 20th century and it shows how from humble beginnings Frank went on to battle adversity and become a England player.

Thank you to all those involved at @HistoricEngland , Friends of Buxton Station and @HighPeakBC .

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

@kickitout @SRTRC_England @FA @SportingEquals

[The Frank Soo Foundation @FSooFoundation]

Every match day of the FIFA 2026 World, we will be spotlighting a player with a ESEA heritage from a country which plays on that day.

Match day 30, trailblazer PAULINO ALCANTARA has mixed Filipino Spanish heritage and is one of the greatest strikers of his era. Playing for both Spain and the Philipines, he had also scored 395 goals in 399 games for Barcelona, a record which stood until Messi broke it 87 years later.

@kickitout @SRTRC_England @FIFAWorldCup @SEFutbol

[Resonate Voices @ResonateVoices]

Frank Soo captained Stoke City alongside Stanley Matthews and managed Norway's Olympic team, and now his birthplace finally has an official blue plaque. 🔵

Read more: https://t.co/ddiky0MjsF

[BBC Sport Merseyside @bbcmerseysport]

💬 'It's a huge honour.'

🗣️ Frank Soo's great niece, Jacqui Soo, on the blue plaque unveiled by English Heritage, in honour of Frank, who was the first player of Asian descent to play for England

🎙️ @paulsaltysalt | #BBCFootball

https://t.co/htpF455VJk