Clyde Best left his native Bermuda, aged 17, to London in 1968 - which naturally came as a culture shock. As he stood there alone in Heathrow airport, the terminals seemed that bit more vast. Feeling alone despite being surrounded by hundreds of people. But determined to make something of himself, Best kept going. When the Tube doors closed and the carriage began to move, the teenager would never have predicted the journey to come.
Best did not arrive in England without a plan, he was there for solely one reason - football. The striker put pen to paper at West Ham and became one of the first black footballers to play the sport in England. In stark contrast to the modern game, there were very few black players but the ones that were on the pitch were subjected to vile abuse from those on the terraces.
Now aged 65, Best, reminisces of those early days playing in the First Division. Speaking to the Daily Star;
It was a hostile time. Racism was endemic in English football. I was still young, a teenager, living in digs in Jessie Charles' home in 1970.
I got this anonymous letter - it made my blood run cold - warning me that as I emerged from the tunnel I would have acid thrown in my eyes. It knocked me sideways.
I'd had plenty of stick when we played away from home about the colour of my skin.
I'll never forget going to Everton and hearing perpetual monkey chants. I knew the best way to silence them was to score - which I did. There were police on each side of the tunnel as Bobby Moore led us out. I have never run so fast in a game.
In those days as a black player you were in for a hard time where ever you went away from home. You just had to tough it out.
I always tried to remember what my dad told me before I left: I was playing for those who came after me.
And that he did.
Despite the torrent of abuse, Clyde Best would spend eight seasons in the East London before moving stateside to ply his trade for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He would later play for the Portland Timbers and Feyenoord before eventually managing Bermuda for a brief spell in the late nineties.
Best's biggest regret of his career was the fact he did not feature in West Ham's triumphant 1975 FA cup final. Only one foreign player started that day, Irishman, Jim Conway who kitted out for Fulham. The former Bohemians midfielder would coincidentally link up with Clyde Best at the Portland Timbers.
Best's autobiography, 'The Acid Test' is out now.
