As excitement builds for the upcoming film, The Beautiful Game, which chronicles the groundbreaking career of Clyde Best, a persistent question remains in his native Bermuda: why has the man who changed the trajectory of global football yet to receive his country's highest order of merit?
Clyde Best is globally recognised as one of the first black players to compete in the First Division of English football. As a powerful striker for West Ham United between 1968 and 1976, Best scored 47 goals and established himself as a fan favourite at Upton Park despite facing persistent racist chanting from the terraces. His strength, skill, and toughness embodied the traditional English centre-forward role, making him difficult to dispossess and formidable in the air.
Best's impact transcended sport, pioneering a path for generations of black footballers in England and around the world.
Bermuda honored the first Olympic Gold Medal winner with the highest Order of Merritt for a Female, but the Bermudian who made an impact on the World is still not fully respected in his own country that he walks today!
Best was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in January 2006. However, for many years, fans, politicians, and the public have questioned why he has not been elevated to a Knighthood, the highest honour available to a Bermudian through the British honours system.
Bermudians are regularly nominated for a range of honours awarded by The King, including MBEs, OBEs, CBEs, The Order of Merit, and The Order of St Michael and St George. Despite this annual nomination process and almost two decades having passed since his MBE was announced, the question remains unanswered.
The lack of explanation as to "why not" lies within a specific government room in Bermuda, and successive governments have failed to provide a clear answer to the people. The anticipation for his film, The Beautiful Game, now serves as a potent reminder that while the world celebrates his legacy, his home country continues to face a difficult question regarding his formal recognition.
|
