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to racial comments by anybody – team-mates, officials or supporters. Indeed, I looked upon
Belfast as my second home". By playing for Celtic, Best became the first black professional player to appear at the top level in Ireland at the age of 19. He spent one season with the club, playing alongside internationals such as
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in the match, scoring one of
Drumcondra's goals, and impressed enough to be offered a deal with Belfast Celtic. He was given the nickname "Darkie Best" during his spell at the club, although Best maintained that any reference to his skin colour was affectionate, later stating: "I was never subjected
463:
but was overlooked. Best later stated his belief that he was ignored due to the colour of his skin, commenting "You have to remember that black players were a rarity I'm forced to the conclusion that I was a victim of prejudice."
442:
The following season, Best began the campaign as the club's first choice striker and scored five goals in his first eight appearances. However, he dropped out of favour and, having spent just over one season at
435:
on 30 October 1948, playing five consecutive matches before dropping out of the first team. He was restored to the side at the end of the 1948–49 season, scoring his first goal in a 4–0 victory over
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after a successful trial, making his move into the professional game at the late age of 26 due to the hostilities. He made a goalscoring debut for the club on 23 August 1947 in a 2–1 win over
309:. 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 and Hereford in the Football League.
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in the
Football League. He scored 14 goals in 40 league appearances for Chester and, after his first season, attracted attention from a number of clubs, including
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for a fee of £7,000 as it was the closest to his hometown. His fee was a club record sale for
Chester at the time and would stand until the sale of
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455:. During his time with Cardiff, he was informed by the management team that he was expected to be called up to represent
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and the chief petty officer on the ship introduced Best to the football teams in the area. Best attended a match between
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at
Grosvenor Park and was asked to play when Drumcondra proved to be short of a full team. He played against
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with his wife, Eunice, and the couple had three children, Jennifer, Paul and Judy. He suffered from
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on 12 March 1949. He played in the last thirteen matches of the season, scoring six times.
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vessel. When the ship was damaged by a German air raid, it docked in
Pollock Dock at
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734:"Sentimental return to Chester for former Hereford United star Tommy Best"
541:. Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database
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277:(23 December 1920 – 16 September 2018) was a Welsh professional
447:, he made his final appearance for the club in a 2–0 defeat to
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in later life and died on 16 September 2018 at the age of 97.
687:"Great to hear former Bull Tommy Best is still going strong"
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in 1951. He made his debut for the club in a 2–0 defeat to
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Following his retirement from football, Best worked in a
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He later had spells with non-league sides
Milford Haven,
766:. Nottingham: SoccerData Publications. pp. 48–49.
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at international level in the absence of the injured
407:, becoming the first black player to represent the
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791:. Leicester: Conker Editions. pp. 168–169.
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874:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia
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634:"Tommy Best, Hereford United striker, dies"
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268:*Club domestic league appearances and goals
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709:"Fans' warm welcome for club stalwart Tom"
471:, where he made over 100 appearances, and
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869:Belfast Celtic F.C. wartime guest players
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391:, Australia after being stationed there.
383:. Best also played for fellow Irish side
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572:. Belfast Telegraph. 13 December 2006
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293:, he made over 70 appearances in the
844:Royal Navy personnel of World War II
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662:. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 22.
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849:Men's association football forwards
636:. Hereford Times. 17 September 2018
346:was stationed aboard HMS Gloman, a
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787:Hern, Bill; Gleave, David (2020).
736:. Hereford Times. 19 February 2009
394:
14:
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839:Sportspeople of Barbadian descent
834:Welsh people of Barbadian descent
711:. Chester Chronicle. 23 July 2013
689:. Hereford Times. 3 February 2016
617:
419:, but eventually chose a move to
364:Dublin and Belfast Inter-City Cup
889:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
764:The Definitive: Cardiff City F.C
537:Brown, Neil (2 September 2012).
451:in November 1949 before joining
387:and went on to play football in
904:English Football League players
829:Sportspeople from Milford Haven
780:
899:Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. players
701:
570:"Tommy proved one of the Best"
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487:bakery. He retired to live in
1:
660:The Who's Who of Cardiff City
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894:Hereford United F.C. players
16:Welsh footballer (1920–2018)
7:
864:Belfast Celtic F.C. players
10:
925:
762:Shepherd, Richard (2002).
517:Barry Hugman's Footballers
399:In July 1947, Best joined
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884:Cardiff City F.C. players
879:Chester City F.C. players
859:Cliftonville F.C. players
789:Football's Black Pioneers
342:as a teenager and during
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325:father and Welsh mother.
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909:Black British sportsmen
854:Welsh men's footballers
658:Hayes, Dean (2006).
433:West Bromwich Albion
106:Milford Haven United
27:Personal information
493:Alzheimer's disease
453:Queens Park Rangers
307:Queens Park Rangers
285:. A veteran of the
210:Queens Park Rangers
23:
275:Thomas Hubert Best
35:Thomas Hubert Best
21:
773:978-1-899-46817-1
669:978-1-85983-462-6
473:Bromsgrove Rovers
317:Best was born in
289:, serving in the
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241:Bromsgrove Rovers
69:16 September 2018
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449:Sheffield United
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417:Blackburn Rovers
381:Norman Kernaghan
338:Best joined the
287:Second World War
281:who played as a
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50:23 December 1920
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437:West Ham United
405:Oldham Athletic
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395:Football League
377:Jimmy McAlinden
352:Belfast Harbour
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295:Football League
228:Hereford United
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370:international
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283:centre forward
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158:Belfast Celtic
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111:Senior career*
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93:Centre forward
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78:Place of death
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73:(aged 97)
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55:Place of birth
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605:. Chester F.C
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372:Bertie Fulton
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40:Date of birth
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738:. Retrieved
713:. Retrieved
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691:. Retrieved
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640:17 September
638:. Retrieved
607:. Retrieved
603:"Tommy Best"
574:. Retrieved
543:. Retrieved
539:"Tommy Best"
532:
520:. Retrieved
516:
513:"Tommy Best"
507:
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421:Cardiff City
408:
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385:Cliftonville
344:World War II
337:
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303:Cardiff City
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192:Cardiff City
145:Cliftonville
131:
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99:Youth career
71:(2018-09-16)
18:
824:2018 deaths
819:1920 births
461:Trevor Ford
445:Ninian Park
348:minesweeper
89:Position(s)
813:Categories
545:2 November
499:References
479:Later life
389:Queensland
360:Drumcondra
340:Royal Navy
313:Early life
291:Royal Navy
279:footballer
46:1920-12-23
22:Tommy Best
413:Blackpool
323:Barbadian
223:1950–1955
205:1949–1950
187:1948–1949
169:1947–1948
84:, England
32:Full name
489:Hereford
82:Hereford
740:15 June
715:15 June
693:15 June
609:15 June
576:15 June
522:15 June
401:Chester
368:Ireland
362:in the
334:Ireland
299:Chester
174:Chester
61:, Wales
795:
770:
666:
329:Career
457:Wales
409:Blues
321:to a
251:Total
116:Years
793:ISBN
768:ISBN
742:2016
717:2016
695:2016
664:ISBN
642:2018
611:2016
578:2016
547:2012
524:2016
415:and
379:and
358:and
305:and
297:for
262:(28)
199:(11)
181:(14)
126:Apps
120:Team
427:to
217:(3)
134:Gls
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750:^
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678:^
650:^
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555:^
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257:81
214:13
196:28
178:40
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.