The Clyde Best Story

[John Drake]

Interview with Clyde Best in the Grauniad promoting a film made about him. Might interest some of the oldies on here.

Lovely quote about Sir Bobby: “A person like Bobby Moore, if you didn’t know him, you would have never known he was captain of England. The Lord gave us one of the best human beings that could be on Earth because he would do anything for anybody.”

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rview-film

Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story is showing for a week at Sadler’s Wells East from 25 March

[wingdamage]

Takes me back. Was there for the Chelsea 4-2 as a little kid in the visitors end at the Bridge and remember being surprised and confused it being deserted as all our fans were in the shed.
Got a hoop shirt with a picture of Bobby superimposed on the front, he had a lot of hair!
Worked at Sadlers Wells for 16 years doing sound - alot of comments on this post are bringing back fond memories. 
Watched Clyde in the early seventies and remember him as a collosus. 

[honky cat]

Hes on "Ironcast" today, such an interesting story and a proper gentleman.

But ffs carlton cole, as much as i liked him as a player, he is not suited to media. He clearly didnt prepare any questions or do any proper research before meeting Clyde, it was drivel, and quite disrespectful really. I see hes not on TNT anymore with joe cole.
 

[simons]

Maybe you’ll still get the chance one day Manuel. 

[Manuel]

He certainly left a big legacy behind. A player who I would have liked to have met and had a chat with, preferably in Bermuda over a pina colada or the like. 

[simons]

Might pop along to the Sadlers Wells for this, which I’ve never been to before. 

[side effect]

My mum let me stay of school as Clyde was bringing his tickets round for my brother to sell as that was one of their perks.

I still remembered him ducking under the door frame as he came in.

Clive Charles also.

And I missed the time Bobby Moore was there as friends told me he had just come out my house.

I was that stupid I thought I was related to him.

[panamahat]

That towering back post header at the Bridge in the comeback 4-2 win in front of our half of the Shed .

[David LE]

He was a big lad, tried hard and us supporters had an affection for him. However his first touch and overall maladroitness on the ball meant he would never become a top player. Ade Coker by comparison was a more polished player, having come through our junior ranks, but like Best did not have all the ingredients to become a top player.

He was like Carlton Cole, but with a bit of talent.

[,]

He was a big lad, tried hard and us supporters had an affection for him. However his first touch and overall maladroitness on the ball meant he would never become a top player. Ade Coker by comparison was a more polished player, having come through our junior ranks, but like Best did not have all the ingredients to become a top player.

[zebthecat]

Clyde was one of the core players who entertained us in the early 70's.
I always seem to remember him playing in the iconic away kit of that era,the two claret hoops on the blue background. Great shirt,kept mine for years.

Ferret will be wondering who the f*** Clyde is.

I loved that shirt.
Still have the Subbuteo set of this up in the attic.

[violator]

I don't think I ever saw him live, his last season of 1976 was when my old man started taking me to games.
I always remember photos of him wearing the hooped away shirt. Maybe he injured for the 75 cup final, or fell foul of the one sub rule at the time.

[BoleynGone]

Clyde was one of the core players who entertained us in the early 70's.
I always seem to remember him playing in the iconic away kit of that era,the two claret hoops on the blue background. Great shirt,kept mine for years.

Ferret will be wondering who the f*** Clyde is.

[zebthecat]

Read this yesterday and it is a great article.
The shit he had to go through just to play is, thankfully, a thing of the past.
Bobby Moore, Clyde, Trev and Pop Robson are a big part of my early memories of West Ham as a little kid.

[Fauxstralian]

Modern black players owe a lot to people like Clyde who paved the way for them & took horrendous abuse

[Mike Oxsaw]

Good read. I was in the Chicken Run for his first game at home.

Several slaps were soundly handed out when some people started loudly calling him a "Silvery Moon", accompanied with comments like "He's fuckin' one of us and i you don't cut it out, I'll spark you out".

Sadly the racism lingered for a while but he won all but the most bigoted over and he gave me many of my best (sic, i know) moments watching the team.

[Far Cough UKunt]

No one from West Ham to meet him at the airport.

Some things never change.

[Mex Martillo]

I like that photo of Hurst, Rednapp, Best and Brooking.
Never imagined they were altogether at West Ham.

[Massive Attack]

The old man still talks fondly of Best when he used to watch him regularly. Always comes across well and genuine with a strong connection to West Ham after all these years.

1 thing I didn't realise until now was how young he was starting out in the game playing for us till around 25 before leaving. I'd imagined he would have been here from the age of 25 onwards.