Clyde Best: English game’s first black superstar who inspired generation

The Sunday Times 03/07/2026 Clyde Best’s father, a naval man, a deputy commissioner in Bermuda’s prison service, embedded a thought in his son’s head when he left for London. Best was 17 and, about a year after signing for West Ham United, would become English football’s first black superstar. “My dad told me you’re not playing for yourself, you’re playing …

‘You’re playing for everybody else’ – Clyde Best was one of the first Black players to play in England, but his legacy spans across the Atlantic Ocean

Goal 02/27/2026 Clyde Best was a hero for West Ham, but the majority of his career was spent spreading the gospel of soccer across North America Pele called Clyde Best the prince. It was September 1970, and West Ham were playing a high profile friendly against Santos in Randall’s Island, New York – a match set up by the North …