50 Years - 3 Pioneers
This month sees the 50th anniversary of the first time that three black players had appeared in the same Football League team.
West Ham United, almost 6 years before the ‘Three Degrees’ of West Bromwich Albion, fielded Clyde Best, Ade Coker and Clive Charles at a game against Tottenham at Upton Park on 1st April 1972. The game was tense but West Ham United managed to squeeze two into the back of the net with Coker scoring!
On Tuesday 19 April, Inclusive Irons, Love Football Hate Racism, WHUST and the authors of Football’s Black Pioneers will be celebrating the match of Easter Saturday 1972 with a mixture of live music from The Shimmer Tones, DJs and interviews with former players hopefully including Clyde and Ade via video!
West Ham United has donated signed shirts and other memorabilia which will be raffled on the night. At £10 tickets are priced affordably to encourage attendance with any profit going to a local charity. As Bobby Moore would have said – everyone is welcome.
In Bobby Moore's column in the Daily Mirror following the Spurs game he recognised what Clyde, Ade and Clive had achieved and in explaining the diversity of the West Ham squad said:
“In the part of Britain where we live it’s not unusual. The East End of London has been one of the most exciting places in the world for centuries. It’s cosmopolitan and has a welcome hand for most people.”
While Sir Bobby might have recognised the skill and courage of these players, many people, even some West Ham fans couldn’t come to terms with black men in a British sport. This moment comes amidst an era of Enoch Powell’s infamous Rivers of Blood speech, a rising National Front movement, and structural racism prevalent within every part of society.
As a prominent player, Clyde Best received abuse every match but he told The 42 about a particular letter he received that sent chills down his spine. He recalls:
“It warned me that as soon as I emerged from the tunnel and took to the field the following day, I would have acid thrown in my eyes,”
These aren’t a far cry from recent comments after the Euros but the players, the clubs, the officiating bodies, and society has made huge strides forward in the last 50 years thanks to these men who took that first step out onto the pitch.
They had no role models, simply a love for the beautiful game, and a courage to persist proudly in the face of abuse. Their legacy won’t be forgotten thanks to events like this one.
Check out the 50 Years, 3 Pioneers website for more information and book a ticket on eventbrite.