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.