Episode 35: Clyde Best, English and NASL footballer from Bermuda, subject of documentary film

CLYDE BEST left his home in Bermuda in 1968, at age 17, to pursue his dream of playing professional football in England. He joined the club West Ham in London where he played for seven plus seasons. Then, it was off to the US to play in theNorth American Soccer League, first with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and then the Portland Timbers. Along this journey he became very good friends with Clive Charles and Ade Coker, both of whom played and coached in the US. They all first started a game together in 1972, the first time three Black players did so in England. Best is the subject of a documentary film, “Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story,” which will be part of the Aladdin Theater Film Festival in Portland June 4 and 5. The film can also be seen in film festivals in Boston and New York City. Go to ClydeBest.com for more information. Recorded May 21, 2026 THE SHOW:American soccer’s frontline storytellers interviewed by Emmy Award-winning John Shrader. It includes insight from the editors of Soccer America, the nation’s longest-runningsoccer publication, founded in 1971. New episodes released weekly. You can get more information on the program, produced by the John Shrader Media Group, at https://shradermedia.com/John Shrader's 30 years of TV and radio sports broadcasting included MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL. He is professor of Broadcasting and Sports Media & Communication at the University of Nebraska.