By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - For Clyde Best, a trailblazer for Black soccer players in England, the best way to answer the racism he endured after arriving as a teenager from Bermuda
Clyde Best: The West Ham Legend Who Changed English Football Forever
The Trailblazing Journey of Clyde Best
By Martyn Herman
LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - For Clyde Best, a trailblazer for Black soccer players in England, the best way to answer the racism he endured after arriving as a teenager from Bermuda was with his feet.
Early Lessons and Motivation
"I was always taught, when you go to England, you're not playing for yourself, you're playing for those coming after you," Best, now 75, told Reuters.
"If I would have let the fans rattle me, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now when a large percentage of players of colour are playing in the league."
From Bermuda to West Ham United
Best's journey from a soccer‑mad youngster in Bermuda to joining West Ham United in 1968 is chronicled in a new film, "Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story."
It premiered this week at Sadler's Wells East, close to the London Stadium where West Ham now play — a far cry from the raucous days of Upton Park in the 1970s when football hooliganism was rife and attitudes less enlightened.
Settling in East London
Not that Best had trouble fitting into London's East End, where he initially lived in the home of Jessie Charles, mother of fellow Black players John and Clive.
"When I was playing, people got to know who you were," Best said. “Living in East London, you know the right people, you know what I mean?”
Breaking Barriers on the Pitch
World Cup Heroes and Team Integration
WORLD CUP HEROES
Walking into a West Ham dressing-room graced by World Cup heroes Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters might have been daunting, but Best describes them as welcoming and Moore as one of the “greatest human beings” he has ever met.
Facing Racism and Overcoming Adversity
Away trips were more challenging and Best vividly recalls one match at Everton’s Goodison Park.
"They were giving me what we call the monkey chant," he said. "I got tired of it this day and I said to Frank Lampard, ‘when you get the ball up, just give it to me’.
"I carried the ball from outside our box all the way to the Everton goal. The boy Terry Darracott was holding my shirt, I just dragged him along. As the goalkeeper came, I just dropped my shoulder and clipped the ball over the top of his head.
"And the jeers turned into cheers. I remember (Everton's) Joe Royle came to me after the game and Big Joe said ‘Clyde, that is the best goal I’ve ever seen here’. To hear that from a person like Joe gives you more energy.
"There were problems, but I think I dealt with it in a good fashion because I wasn’t only thinking about myself."
Threats and Team Solidarity
On another occasion he received a sinister letter on the eve of a game saying he would have acid thrown in his face.
"Bobby (Moore) organised the players into a cordon on both sides of the tunnel. I’ve never run so fast in my life as in that game," Best said.
Career Highlights and Lasting Impact
Best was given his West Ham debut, aged 18, by manager Ron Greenwood against Arsenal. He went on to score 58 goals in 218 appearances and in 1972 West Ham became the first English club to field three Black players in the same starting XI, with Best alongside Ade Coker and Clive Charles.
Legacy and Influence on Future Generations
Best’s legacy inspired generations of Black players. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright chose the number eight shirt in his honour, while former England striker Les Ferdinand, who attended the premiere of the film, calls Best a pioneer.
"He trod that path, before any of us. He needs to be recognised,” Ferdinand said.
Life After Football
Best now lives back in Bermuda but still attends the odd West Ham game despite “the heartache” he says they cause him.
His philosophy for life remains simple: treat people the way you want to be treated.
A Lesson Passed On
For Best, it is a lesson learned in hostility -- and passed on in hope.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
