Like most Bermudians I read with interest those individuals selected in the Queen’s New Year’s List.
When I saw that Clyde Best had been awarded the MBE I was a bit surprised, because, after all, he is Bermuda's most accomplished footballer and arguably the island’s most accomplished sportsman.
I thought he would have received a knighthood at the very least.
Please understand that I am not a supporter of the institution of conveying titles as I feel that it encourages class division and represents the last vestiges of colonialism.
In fact, I can think of more than one person who lost my respect when they accepted these honours. But like most other people in Bermuda I read the paper and take note of these things.
Born February 24, 1951, Best received his first Bermuda cap at the age of fifteen and was the youngest member of the 1967 Pan American Silver medal squad.
In 1968, at the age of 17, he left Bermuda to join West Ham United football club. He moved swiftly through the ranks to become a first team starter and played with England World Cup winners, Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst.
Best played 186 games for the East London team and scored 47 goals for West Ham over seven seasons between 1969 and 1976. Best proved to be a good role model for many black youngsters at a time when the game was dominated by white players in England.
In fact former Nottingham Forest defender Viv Anderson, who became the first black player to represent England, credits Clyde Best as being an inspiration to him.
Best also played for Feyenoord in the Holland as well as the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Toronto Blizzard and Portland Timbers in the North American Soccer League.
Unfortunately against his better judgment Best also played in a couple of exhibition matches in South Africa.
This sounds innocent on the face of it but he played them at a time when apartheid was at its worst.
This contravened the Gleneagles agreement and was frowned upon by many Bermudians, particularly black Bermudians at the time.
During this era many black sportsmen from all over the world were being courted by South Africa in an attempt by the apartheid regime to break the boycott placed on its sport, portray an image of normalcy and bring first class sporting events to its sports-mad population.
Many West Indian cricketers had to deal with the lure of South African gold.
Some capitulated and travelled to South Africa, others such as Michael Holding and Vivian Richards stood firm.
Holding, when he found out that Lawrence Rowe and other West Indian cricketers had agreed to go, felt hurt and betrayed and stated publicly that he believed: “These men were selling themselves. If they were offered enough money they would probably agree to wear chains. They would do anything for money”.
Viv Richards who once said “he would not play in apartheid South Africa for all of the gold in South Africa's mines”, later visited the new South Africa and was told by Bishop Desmond Tutu that he (Tutu) had prayed for him regularly because of his decision not to play in apartheid South Africa and assured Richards that he had in his own little way helped to fight apartheid.
When one looks at Clyde Best’s contribution to the sport of football in its entirety one cannot help but recognize both its significance and importance.
It is a shame that it was stained by his trip to South Africa.
Perhaps that was the reason he was not awarded a knighthood, I for one, can think of no other.
