Youra Eshaya

Youra Eshaya Pera (Template:Langx, Template:Langx) (1933-1992) is a former Assyrian and Iraqi football player who was the first Iraqi player ever to play in England.

Early life

He was born in 1933 in Iraq to Eshaya Pera and Batishwa Benyamin. His family moved to Baghdad to live at the Royal Air Force Station Hinaidi in 1935, where Youra's father worked for the Royal Air Force (RAF). In 1937, the family was transferred to Habbaniya along with the rest of the Hinaidi Assyrian and Armenian civilians and the Assyrian levies employed by the Royal Air Force.

Football career

At the age of 15, Youra started to play Levy Civilian in the RAF Football League in Habbaniya. He was soon promoted to the senior team for the 1949/50 season.

In April 1953, Flight Lieutenant R. K. Weston, a talent-scout for Bristol Rovers spotted him and recommended him to Bert Tann the Bristol Rovers manager at that time. Youra arrived in England on in August 1954. Since he only got a one-month work permit in England, he had to appeal twice to extend his work permit. He finally worked as a miner in order to stay in England while playing as an amateur for Bristol Rovers 3rd team in the Western League. He was granted employment by the National Coal Board and he started working as a miner at Pensford Colliery, Somerset, on November 7, 1954.

Youra played only four games in his second season before the president of the Royal Iraqi Air Force FC, Brigadier Kadhim Abbadi, invited him back to Iraq. He was offered an Iraqi citizenship and a place for him on the Force as a warrant officer provided he play for his club and returned to Baghdad in December 1955.

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.

No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	19 October 1957	Beirut	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Morocco	flag alias = Flag of Morocco.svg	flag alias-1666 = Flag of Morocco (1666–1915).svg	flag alias-1913 = Flag of Spanish Morocco.svg	flag alias-civil = Civil Ensign of Morocco.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Morocco.svg	link alias-naval = Royal Moroccan Navy	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Royal Moroccan Air Force.png	link alias-air force = Royal Moroccan Air Force	flag alias-army = Flag of the Royal Moroccan Army.svg	link alias-army = Royal Moroccan Army	flag alias-navy = Flag of the Royal Moroccan Navy.svg	link alias-navy = Royal Moroccan Navy	flag alias-military = Flag of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.svg	link alias-military = Royal Moroccan Armed Forces	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || 2–3 || 3–3 || rowspan="2" | 1957 Pan Arab Games
2.	23 October 1957		{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Libya	flag alias = Flag of Libya.svg	flag alias-1864 = Flag of Vilayet-i Trablusgarp.svg	flag alias-1911 = Flag of Italy (1861–1946).svg	flag alias-1949 = Flag of Cyrenaica.svg	flag alias-1951 = Flag of Libya (1951–1969).svg	flag alias-1969 = Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg	flag alias-1972 = Flag of Libya (1972–1977).svg	flag alias-1977 = Flag of Libya (1977–2011).svg	flag alias-transition = Flag of Libya (2011 combined).svg	flag alias-air force = Flag of the Libyan Air Force.svg	flag alias-army = Flag of the Libyan Ground Forces.svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Libya.svg	flag alias-naval-1977 = Naval Ensign of Libya (1977–2011).svg	flag alias-navy = Flag of the Libyan Navy.svg	link alias-navy = Libyan Navy	flag alias-military = Flag of the Libyan Ground Forces.svg	link alias-military = Libyan National Army	link alias-army= Libyan Ground Forces	link alias-air force = Libyan Air Force	link alias-naval = Libyan Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }} || 2–1 || 3–1

Retirement

He was forced to retire in 1971 after he married a Swedish woman because the Baathist Government prohibited military personnel from marrying women from non-Arab countries. He was later transferred to Habbaniya air base where he coached and trained military sportsmen. He moved to Sweden where he worked as a youth soccer coach. He died on July 21, 1992, at the age of 59.

References

• Assyrian Information Medium Exchange- Sports Page
• Youra Eshaya Pera - first Iraqi football player abroad Hassanin Mubarak
• Clan information, grave picture