“I was shaking in my boots.”

No, former football great Clyde Best was not recalling the first time that he turned out for West Ham United against Arsenal in England.

He was remembering the first time he walked out to the wicket in Cup Match playing for Somerset against St George’s.

The year was 1966. He was 15.

“I could hardly put my pads on in the dressing room,” said Best, who was the first athlete to be inducted into the Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame. “My hands were shaking so much.”

Like many of Bermuda’s leading sportsmen, Best, now 63, was a two-sport athlete — football in the winter, cricket in the summer.

“I loved both sports,” said the man who was one of the first black players in the old English First Division when he made his debut in that 1-1 home draw against Arsenal in August 1969 aged 18.

Best played his second Cup Match in 1968 and no doubt would have turned out for Somerset many more times had he not joined up with West Ham later that summer.

In fact, it is fair to say that many in Bermuda do not know that Best played Cup Match — especially at such a young age.

Very few 15-year-olds have made an appearance in Bermuda’s most popular sporting occasion.

“When you were a little boy in Bermuda, you really looked forward to Cup Match,” he said. “Every boy in Bermuda had dreams of playing in Cup Match and I was no different. When it happened, it really was a dream come true. My only regret was that I didn’t get a chance to play any longer. I knew I would have been able to do some things, especially with the bat.”

As it was, Best’s performance was not startling during those two Cup Matches, which were both played in the east end. Records show that he batted four times, scoring a total of 21 runs, with his highest score being 12 not out. He also bowled two overs in the Annual Classic, taking one wicket for 23 runs, and he also took a catch.

“St George’s had a devastating team back in those days, players like Clarence Parfitt, Lee Raynor, Eldon Raynor, Lloyd James and Neville Darrell,” Best said. “[Alma] “Champ” Hunt was also the Somerset coach at the time. I had a chance to rub shoulders with some of the greats.

“When I played for the first time, it was with Charles Swan, Reggie Tucker, Joe Bailey, [St Clair] “Brinky” Tucker, [Rudolph] “Shorty” Spencer and [George] “Friday” Bremar and the crowds were unbelievable.”

It was when he went out to bat that the nerves really kicked in. “I was comfortable when I was fielding,” he said. “I liked fielding in the slips but in those days, being the youngest, they put you in the covers. Second slip was my speciality, but when you are 15, you did as you were told. In those days, I batted number 11. The youngest goes in last!”

When he had to go out and bat for the first time, he had been watching “Clarence Parfitt ripping through everybody”.

He explained: “Just before I went out to bat, Reggie Tucker got hurt. He was hit in the shoulder trying to hook Lee Raynor and back in those days, we were playing on concrete. Once I saw what happened to Reggie, I was more nervous, as I had to go in next.”

Best’s fond memories of playing cricket when he was a youngster remain with him to this day. “We would often play in the Somerset car park,” he said. “There were so many people playing cricket that you dare not get out because you knew you wouldn’t get another chance at bat. You had guys who played league cricket playing with younger boys and giving them advice. It was a wonderful time. The older guys always made sure you did the correct thing.

“I feel so blessed that I came up in a time when we had great cricketers and footballers. To be in that same company and learning from them was brilliant. Having people like [Cal] “Bummy” Symonds, who was a role model on and off the field. He was a real no-nonsense guy and you listened to everything he said.

There were tons of people like him back them, players like [Austin] “Cheesy” Hughes, [Rudolph] “Bunkers” Bean, Eldon, Lee and Sheridan Raynor and, of course, [Elliott] “Jonah” Pitcher. They taught you the right way to do things.”

In his second Cup Match, Best’s captain was Randy Horton, who also became a professional footballer. “Randy was a bit older than I was and he picked me in 1968,” said Best of the now Speaker of the House.

Best said of playing against men while still a boy: “I was fairly big guy at 15 and that helped. We didn’t have children’s leagues, so I had to play with men. In football, I was often 13 or 14 years old playing with and against men. We were playing in games with the guys from the [Royal Navy] ships. We knew how to take a knock. You knew how to take care of yourself at an early age and that made a difference [for when he turned professional with West Ham].”

Best’s father was from Barbados, having come to Bermuda while in the merchant navy. “They are cricket-mad down there and I was brought up in a cricket family,” Best said. “I go back to Barbados every now and then. I will try and get down there next year when England tour. I have some family left down there; an elderly auntie and some cousins.”