Season 1963/64 would see a former Nigerian national football captain playing regularly in the Banbury Spencer side after making his debut for the club in October 1963 – this was left half Fabian Duru.

Fabian was born in Nigeria and was living in Kafanchan in the North of the country when he trained as a teacher at a local Mission. He though soon left that vocation behind and moved to Lagos where he got a job with the National Energy Company. He played football for the Nigerian national team in the 1950s and early 1960s. Nigeria was still a British colony until independence on 1st October 1960 and prior to that date were known, playing in red jerseys, as the Red Devils. Records are scarce and we are unsure how often Fabian played for Nigeria in the 1950s but he is quoted in an interview as never forgetting Nigeria’s 7-0 thrashing by Ghana in a 1955 game. That might suggest Fabian played in that game!

What we do know for sure is that he was in the Nigerian football team that unsuccessfully tried to qualify for the 1960 Rome Olympics. He also played for Nigeria in their 1962 World Cup qualifying campaign, a two-legged defeat to Ghana at the first stage which saw them exit the competition. He was captain of the Nigerian team in those two games played in August and September of 1960, both played shortly before independence. Upon independence there was a rebranding of the national football team with them adopting the green jerseys still worn today and becoming known as the Green Eagles. Fabian led Nigeria to the West African Games in October 1960, the first time Nigeria wore the green jerseys. Fabian was always proud of having been the last captain of the Red Devils and the first captain of the Green Eagles!

1960 was indeed a great year for Fabian. As well as captaining the side after independence and leading Nigeria to the West African games, that year the Electricity Company of Nigeria lifted the Challenge Cup, with Fabian captaining the Lagos side. And finally, he won Nigeria’s Sportsman of the Year award, the first time a footballer had won the award!

Fabian’s last game for the Nigerian national team would come against Ghana in April 1961 in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The newly independent Nigeria was though keen to train up its brightest personnel for the challenges that lay ahead. The National Energy Company was no exception and in 1961 sent Fabian to England to study electro-engineering at Liverpool University. But still keen on continuing to play football, he was signed on by New Brighton. He made his first team debut for them in January 1962 and, although supposed to be a left half, he was played mostly as a left winger. Fabian spent the season playing on the Wirral and had a trial at Southport, before he made the switch to Prescot Cables at the start of the 1962/63 season. Fabian suffered a serious leg injury which kept him out of the team between October 1962 and February 1963, only to suffer a further injury in his comeback game at Chorley, which kept him out almost to the end of the season.

Fabian moved to Banbury in the summer of 1963, taking a job at Switchgear & Equipment based in Southam Road but travelled to Leamington Spa one day a week to continue his education.

Fabian, still keen on playing football, joined Banbury Spencer for season 1963/64. He was a left sided player who could also get forward from his usual left half playing position. Fabian made his first team debut for Spencer on Saturday 19th October 1963 in a home West Midlands League game against Moor Green and would go on to make a total of 27 appearances for the club that season. He would remain with the club for season 1964/65 but make just a further four first team appearances, the last being a West Midlands League game away to Dudley Town on Tuesday 13th April 1965.

Fabian’s first goal for Banbury Spencer came on Saturday 11th January 1964 in a 4-3 home defeat in a West Midland League game to Lye Town and the only other time he got on the scoresheet was in a league game at Bromsgrove Rovers on Saturday 14th March of the same year when he scored Spencer’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat.

Fabian was the first black player to play for the club. He would later play for Easington Sports, seen here in a Sports' team picture from that time.

Whilst in Banbury Fabian met a Dutch girl, Ronni van der Eem, and they would marry in August 1964. Ronni would subsequently work in the payroll department at the Spencer Corsets factory.

After eventually losing his job with Switchgear in a restructuring of the business after a merger, Fabian subsequently worked for a number of companies including British Leyland in Cowley before in the summer of 1976 he secured a job more suited to his qualifications with the local water supply company.

However, at the end of October of 1976, Fabian received a letter from the Nigerian Embassy offering him a job back in Nigeria as the head of the Electric Department of Public Works for the entire Benue State of Nigeria. Fabian accepted the offer and so after 15 years in England he returned to Nigeria in December 1976, settling in Makurdi, with his wife and two sons and adopted daughter following him the following summer when suitable accommodation had been sorted.

Fabian would live the rest of his life in Nigeria, serving on the Nigerian Football Federation Board and becoming involved with Lobi Bank Football Club in Makurdi, Fabian died in Makurdi in December 2006.

Current Club Chairman Ronnie Johnson has very fond memories of Fabian.
"Fabian was a larger than life character. As I started my football career in youth football Fabian took charge of the Under 18’s at Easington Sports and also Sinclair United for whom I both played and he was a fantastic coach and mentor to all the lads. It is funny how a kind gesture still remains with me 50 years on when Fabian realised that I wanted to attend a Soul Band concert at the local Tech College after a particular game and also aware I was short of cash came to me after the game and gave me the entrance money and told me to have a good night. That was the man, a true caring gent and not a bad footballer as well. Memories! Thank You Fabian."

The following two photographs show Spencer players training at the Spencer Stadium around 1964. They give an excellent view of the old covered enclosure along the side of the ground. In both of them one can see Fabian Duru.