Tommy Best

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. 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.

Early life Best was born in Milford Haven to a Barbadian father and Welsh mother.

Career Ireland Best joined the Royal Navy as a teenager and during World War II was stationed aboard HMS Gloman, a minesweeper vessel. When the ship was damaged by a German air raid, it docked in Pollock Dock at Belfast Harbour and the chief petty officer on the ship introduced Best to the football teams in the area. becoming the first black player to represent the Blues in the Football League. His fee was a club record sale for Chester at the time and would stand until the sale of Billy Foulkes to Newcastle United in 1951. He was restored to the side at the end of the 1948–49 season, scoring his first goal in a 4–0 victory over West Ham United on 12 March 1949. He played in the last thirteen matches of the season, scoring six times.

Later life Following his retirement from football, Best worked in a Mother's Pride bakery. He retired to live in Hereford with his wife, Eunice, and the couple had three children, Jennifer, Paul and Judy. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease in later life and died on 16 September 2018 at the age of 97.