Names on the buses 337 Denis Foreman

Connections with Brighton and Hove : Denis Foreman was a South African cricketer and footballer and the first non-white South African to play first-class cricket in England. He played for Sussex from 1952 to 1967, appearing in 130 first-class matches as a right-handed batsman who bowled occasional off-breaks. He scored 3,277 runs with a highest score of 104 against Nottinghamshire in 1967. Mr Foreman was the forerunner of five men in the latest South African touring team. Interestingly, he played three first-class matches for Western Province as ‘an honorary white’ in 1951, when apartheid laws had not been fully implemented. A multi talented sportsman, Foreman was scouted whilst playing football in Cape Town and was offered a contract to play in England — eventually playing 212 matches for Brighton and Hove Albion as an inside-left between 1953 and 1962. Despite scoring 63 goals for the club he still endured racial abuse from spectators. Foreman joined the staff at Shoreham Grammar School in 1974 where he was an inspirational PE teacher until 1995. He died in 2016 after a long illness, prompting many comments and fond memories from past pupils — a testament to a “kind, tolerant and gentle man.

337 Alexander Dennis Enviro - carried name since October 2020.