Tommy Best

Thomas Hubert "Tommy" Best (23 December 1920 – 16 September 2018) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was born in Milford Haven, Wales.

Tommy Best
Personal information
Full nameThomas Hubert Best[1]
Date of birth(1920-12-23)23 December 1920
Place of birthMilford Haven, Wales
Date of death16 September 2018(2018-09-16) (aged 97)
Place of deathHereford, England
Playing positionCentre forward
Youth career
Milford Haven United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Cliftonville
Belfast Celtic
1947–1948Chester40(14)
1948–1949Cardiff City28(11)
1949–1950Queens Park Rangers13(3)
1950–1955Hereford United
Bromsgrove Rovers
Total81(28)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Best played as a centre forward. He was a veteran of the Second World War, serving in the Royal Navy. He made over 70 appearances in the Football League for Chester, Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers.[2]

Best was the first black professional footballer to play at the top level in Ireland and was also the first black player to appear for Chester in the Football League.[3][4]

Best died on 16 September 2018 in Hereford, Herefordshire from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 97.[5]

References

  1. Tommy Best. Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  2. Brown, Neil. Tommy Best (2 September 2012)Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  3. Tommy proved one of the Best (13 December 2006)Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  4. Tommy BestChester F.C.. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  5. Tommy Best, Hereford United striker, dies (17 September 2018)Hereford Times. Retrieved 17 September 2018.