THE FRANK SOO FOUNDATION
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GOOGLE
The Frank Soo Foundation has partnered up with Google to help promote Frank's story and legacy. You can see the work we create together below.
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THE FRANK SOO DOODLE
On 9th May 2020, Google released the Frank Soo Doodle in honour of him being the first player of Asian descent to play for the England National team. Frank played his first international on 9th May 1942 against Wales.
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The Art Behind The Doodle
Designed by Matthew Cruickshank at Google, the Doodle features old school boots, where the laces tie around the boots, and an iconic brown leather ball.
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In the football card, where the second "O" is in Google, you can see Frank smiling. Frank's nickname at Stoke City was "The Smiler" and if you look a some of his photos here you can see why that is the case!
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It's difficult to determine what number Frank played with as it was largely dependent on what team he was with at the time as well as what position he played in. However, his most common number was 6 and there is footage of him playing in an England kit with that number. This is the number that was selected for the rotating "g"/"6".
THE ART BEHIND THE DOODLE
Doodler Q&A with Matthew Cruickshank
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On the left are some of Matthew's sketches prior to the Doodle launch and below, he shares some thoughts on the making of the Doodle:
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Q: What was your creative approach for this Doodle? Why did you choose this approach?
We found very old football trading cards online. This formed the basis of the Doodle, along with simple animation in order to celebrate Frank even more.
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Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?
I drew from my memories of being a very average footballer in England with a love of the game. But more importantly, I imagined how many barriers Frank broke down as a brilliant footballer in a minority. He took his talent to the pinnacle.
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Q: What do you hope people will take away from this Doodle?
A love of football and a celebration of the diversity we have in the modern game today. Frank really played his part in achieving that.
GOOGLEÂ ARTS & CULTURE EXHIBIT
The Frank Soo Foundation has collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to create an exhibit on Frank's Story. Scroll to go through his story or click below to visit the platform.
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About Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture puts the collections of more than 1,800 museums and stories at your fingertips. It’s an immersive way to explore art, history and the wonders of the world. The Google Arts & Culture app is free and available online for iOS and Android.
Google’s team helps to preserve and bring the world’s art and culture online so it’s accessible to anyone, anywhere. Read about Google’s latest projects on the Google Keyword blog.