Clyde Best - Football's Black Pioneers

Calvin Symonds at 92

Calvin Symonds became the first Black player to represent Rochdale AFC when he played for them in 1955. He is now 92 years young and living in Bermuda where he was born in 1932. It was our great privilege to meet him and his wife Valerie when we visited Bermuda recently.

Calvin is still something of a celebrity on the island, remembered as much if not more for his exploits as a cricketer.

A few days after the above photo was taken Calvin was interviewed for a local cable TV channel along with another Bermudian football legend, Clyde Best. It was our pleasure to be in the studio with them while they exchanged reminisces. Calvin’s memory is razor sharp and he was able to vividly describe goals he scored over fifty years ago.

Clyde, who also played cricket before leaving the island for a football career with West Ham, still refers to Calvin as ‘captain’ and acknowledges him as a true pioneer. Two true gentlemen!

A treat for West Ham fans

The postman has been busy delivering interesting old programmes to the home of Football’s Black Pioneers. Over the course of the coming days we will be adding new articles featuring historic Arsenal and Crystal Palace pioneers but West Ham are first up.

We feature John Charles debut for West Ham here: https://footballs-black-pioneers.com/about/west-ham-united-1962-63/

A decade later West Ham made history by fielding three black players in the same team, you can read about it here: https://footballs-black-pioneers.com/about/west-ham-united-1971-72/

Do keep an eye out for further additions.

Clyde Best – Football Icon

So much material is aired during Black History Month that it is easy to miss good things, the short film about Clyde Best that we feature here had slipped through our net. This does rather beg the question why black history only gets talked about for one month of the year, for us, the black contribution to British society (not just football) is something we should celebrate all year round.

Clyde was not the first black player at West Ham but it would have been impossible to write ‘Football’s Black Pioneers’ without discussing his experiences.

We are so grateful to JeanMaire Symonds, daughter of Rochdale’s first black player, Calvin Symonds, for sharing this film with us. Clyde and Calvin both still live in Bermuda where their sporting contributions are remembered with pride.

We are proud that our book has received many positive reviews, you can read some of the comments here: https://www.conkereditions.co.uk/must-read-reviews/