Frank Soo, English footballer and manager (b. 1914)
Frank Soo (8 March 1914 – 25 January 1991) was an English professional football player and manager of mixed Chinese and English parentage. He was the first player of Chinese origin to play in the English Football League, and the player of an ethnic minority background to represent England, though in unofficial wartime matches.
He initially began his career at inside-left, though later became more established at half-back. A quick and intelligent player, he was an excellent passer of the ball. He grew up in Liverpool and began his playing career with Prescot Cables, before he joined Stoke City for a £400 fee in January 1933. He made his first team debut in November 1933, and became established in the first team by the 1935–36 season. He lost most of his best playing years to World War II, leaving him only able to serve in the Royal Air Force and play for Stoke and England in unofficial wartime games, as well as guest for numerous other clubs. He was sold on to Leicester City for a fee of £4,600 in September 1945, and then moved on to Luton Town 10 months later for £5,000. He joined Chelmsford City of the Southern League in May 1948, and retired as a player after two seasons.
A stern task-master, he began to coach for European clubs in the 1950s and early 1960s. He briefly coached Finnish club Helsingin Palloseura in 1949, before taking charge at Isthmian League side St Albans City for the 1950–51 season. He was appointed manager of Italian Serie A club Padova in April 1951, but left the club 11 months later following the sudden death of his wife. He then coached Norway at the 1952 Summer Olympics, then led Eskilstuna to promotion out of the Swedish Division 3 Östra in 1952–53. He briefly managed Örebro, before he coached Djurgården to the Allsvenskan title in 1954–55. He then returned to lower league football with Oddevold, securing promotion out of Division 3 Nordvästra Götaland in 1955–56. He coached at AIK in 1958, before returning to England to manage Scunthorpe United in June 1959. He took Scunthorpe to 15th in the Second Division in the 1959–60 season, before he resigned in May 1960. From there he struggled to find work, spending short periods in charge at Frigg (Norway), IFK Stockholm (Sweden), Fredrikstad (Norway), and Akademisk Boldklub (Denmark).