Tommy Best
Welsh footballer (1920-2018)
Thomas Hubert "Tommy" Best (23 December 1920 – 16 September 2018) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was born in Milford Haven, Wales.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Hubert Best[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 December 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Milford Haven, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 16 September 2018 (aged 97) | ||
| Place of death | Hereford, England | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Milford Haven United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Cliftonville | |||
| Belfast Celtic | |||
| 1947–1948 | Chester | 40 | (14) |
| 1948–1949 | Cardiff City | 28 | (11) |
| 1949–1950 | Queens Park Rangers | 13 | (3) |
| 1950–1955 | Hereford United | ||
| Bromsgrove Rovers | |||
| Total | 81 | (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
change- ↑ "Tommy Best". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ↑ Brown, Neil (2 September 2012). "Tommy Best". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
- ↑ "Tommy proved one of the Best". Belfast Telegraph. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ↑ "Tommy Best". Chester F.C. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ↑ "Tommy Best, Hereford United striker, dies". Hereford Times. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
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