The Best of Both Worlds

This triptych, based on an article in a 1974 football annual, both pays homage to West Ham legend Clyde Best and shows how the language used to describe black players has changed over the decades. Interestingly the article predicted that a “coloured” footballer would play for England by 1978, which came true when, in that year, Viv Anderson became the first black player to receive a full England cap. Bermuda born Best made his debut for The Hammers aged 18 in 1969, between then and 1976 he played 218 times and scored over 50 goals.