The legacy of some of Bermuda’s most famous footballers and their impact on the world stage is being celebrated in an exhibition to be unveiled at the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall today.

Titled More Than A Game — From Bermuda’s Fields To The World, the exhibition pays homage to former West Ham striker Clyde Best and other local legends that followed him, and the island that made it all possible.

Football has long-served as a gathering force in Bermuda, shaping collective identity and expressing what it means to be proudly Bermudian.

For players like Best, the game also became a means to confront social barriers, model sportsmanship and forge a legacy that continues to resonate far beyond the pitch.

More Than a Game is an inspiring, commemorative exhibition spotlighting Best — one of the first Black football superstars — his legacy and Bermuda’s contributions to the global game.

More than just a celebration of athletic excellence, the exhibition explores the deeper power of sport: its ability to unite people, transmit values, inspire pride and challenge social boundaries.

Through archival material, memorabilia, and community memory, the exhibition traces the evolution of Bermudian football — from segregation to integrated teams, from local pitches to international stages.

It follows Bermuda’s growing reach offshore, notably the national team that won the silver medal at the 1967 Pan American Games, Best’s barrier-breaking exploits in the English game and the generations of players he inspired that followed his career path.

At its core, More Than a Game celebrates a Bermudian hero while reminding us that sport can be both a source of pride, and a vehicle for social change — and that from a small place, big things are possible.

Among those whose achievements are highlighted in the exhibition along with Best are fellow professionals Shaun Goater, Randy Horton, Sam Nusum, Gary Darrell, Kyle Lightbourne and Nahki Wells.

Best is thrilled to see some of the island’s elite footballers receiving their flowers and hopes their legacies will inspire future generations as he was by others.

“I am where I am because I was able to watch good footballers and learn from them,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“There’s a lot of guys we need to put emphasis on that hopefully we’re going to be able to through this exhibition.”

Former New York Cosmos goalkeeper Nusum, who played alongside late Brazilian star Pele and compatriot Horton during a stint with the club, is delighted to be involved in the 95-minute film documentary celebrating Best and others who have made an impact on football globally.

“We in Bermuda don’t realise just how important and how much of an impact that Clyde has around the world, especially on Black people, because he was the one that really got it started,” he said. “If you look at the international leagues now to what it was then, a lot of what’s happened has been down to what he went through in the beginning.

“I am excited that we as Bermudians have punched above our weight for such a small country by producing people who have had an impact in other places, and happy to have helped in whatever way I could.”

Former forward Lightbourne, who played for a raft of clubs in Britain including Coventry City, Macclesfield Town, Stoke City and Walsall, is also featured in the documentary that was five years in the making.

“The whole Clyde Best story is amazing and everyone that’s been featured will be grateful for it,” he said.

“It’s just a great new initiative to bring awareness for the youngsters that are coming through to know what people have done in the past, and I am definitely honoured to be a part of that.”

Former Manchester City striker Goater is delighted to see local players being recognised in such a manner and to have played a part in putting Bermuda football on the world map during his illustrious career in Britain.

“A lot of hard work has gone into achieving the dreams that I wanted to, but what I didn’t realise is that I was always representing Bermuda because I’m Bermudian,” he said.

“I always represented Bermuda and as I got older and mature I realised that was something that I was always proud of; to see Bermudian Shaun Goater always be mentioned as the little kid from Court Street, back of Town, Marsh Folly, representing on the elite stage at the highest level.

“I am very proud to be among that and could only be thankful for all the people that helped me along the way in terms of my journey.”

More Than a Game is presented in conjunction with the premiere of the feature documentary Transforming the Beautiful Game — The Clyde Best Story.

The exhibition will be on view at the Bermuda Society of Arts from 5pm today to May 3.

A permanent iteration of this exhibition will be presented at the Diamonds International Building in Dockyard later this year.