Tommy Best

Tommy Best
Personal information
Full name Thomas Hubert Best[1]
Date of birth (1920-12-23)23 December 1920
Place of birth Milford Haven, Wales
Date of death 16 September 2018(2018-09-16) (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)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Hubert Best (23 December 1920 – 16 September 2018) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a centre forward. 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 and Hereford in the Football League.[3][4][5]

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