A stalwart of the anti-apartheid sport boycott movement, Isiah Stein, has passed away in the UK. After serving time in prison … in the mid-1960s, Stein left South Africa for Britain where he worked tirelessly for the exiled South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SANROC). Three of his sons became professional footballers in England; Brian had an illustrious career at Luton Town and earned an England cap in 1984. Playing for Chelsea, Mark once scored in seven consecutive matches (a record which stood until 2002); Edwin meanwhile played for Barnet. It is little-known stories like those of the Stein family from [the coloured township of Athlone in]Cape Town that remind us of the dignity, humility, hard work, and sacrifice of individuals who fought relentlessly to advance the cause of sport and human rights in South Africa and beyond. Rest in Peace Isiah.

* Sean Jacobs writes: This is cross-posted from Football is Coming Home. The image is of his son, Mark, after Luton’s most famous victory against Arsenal in the final of the 1988 Litlewoods Cup. In that match Brian Stein, a player I admired as a child, scored twice. Mark came on as a substitute and won a freekick that set up the winning goal. Relive it here.