New Mural Features Bermudian Football Stars
A mural featuring five Bermudian football stars — Clyde Best, David Bascome, Shaun Goater, Nahki Wells and Kyle Lightbourne — located on the side of Jamaican Grill on Court Street is in its final stages of being completed.
As one of Britain’s first black football stars, Clyde Best was regularly targeted with racist chanting from the terraces, but eventually became a fan favorite. Considered not only a world class footballer, but one who paved the way for the black footballers of today, Mr Best played 218 games and registered 58 goals for West Ham over 7 seasons between 1969 and 1976.
David Bascome started his First Division soccer career at the age of 16 with North Village Rams. At 20 years of age, he signed his first professional contract with the Harrisburg Heat of the National Professional Soccer League, USA. Now retired as a player, he spends his time coaching and giving back.
Shaun Goater is most well-known for his time at Manchester City, where he scored over 100 goals between 1998 and 2003, finishing as the club’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons. Mr Goater — who retired in 2006 — represented Bermuda 36 times, scoring 32 goals.
Kyle Lightbourne played for the PHC Zebras before moving to England to play for Scarborough at the age of 23. He played 21 times for Scarborough before joining Walsall in September 1993. Mr Lightbourne moved to Coventry City, and then moved to Stoke City where he scored 10 goals in 52 appearances.
Nahki Wells, the only still active player featured on the mural, is the first Bermudian footballer to score at the iconic Wembley Stadium. The 23-year-old will continue his career with Bradford City this upcoming season.
Update: The mural — which was painted by local artist Manuel Palacio — was organised by N.E. Hamilton EEZ Officer Roxanne Christopher in connection with the Community Action Week Volunteer Programme hosted by Habitat for Humanity.
Decorating the sides of buildings is a common practice of urban people across the world, and combining that with the positive image of these great men is just fantastic. This is just the kind of thing that we need in Bermuda.
Cool
I LOVE this!!! Who is the artist?
Great mural. Beautiful mural.
But why isn’t Andrew Bascome on it as well? The guys a legend
Very nice. Great way to show appreciation.
Get em nahki
NICE!!!
This is amazing! Well done Mr. Palacio!
Alright, I will say it! These are magnificent and a great idea but can you fix Nahki’s eyes please! They look like he’s a bit cross eyed!
What about Khano Smith, John Barry and Reggie Lamb.
Another mural on the way !
..to the questions above about other sportsmen – Maybe another building in the area can commission the artist to do the rest of the sportsmen named above and maybe even others.
Great concept, artistic work and very inspirational! Well done to all.
Let’s not forget track and field.(Bermuda’s first gold medal was won at a Carifta Game back in the 70′s )…cricket(Clarence Parfitt…..rugby…boxing(Clarence Hill),,,,,hockey….swimming!
If Front Street painted whites on the outside of their shops we would shout out racism…so lets be inclusive artist! By painting just blacks we are further boxing ourselves into certain areas of town…————————–
We need to start acknowledging all Bermudians who have made contributions locally and internationally! I really thought Sir John Swan, Sir Edward Richards, Sir Henry Tucker, Mr. Saul, should have been by now named a Hero of the Year! But the way it was started I saw it leading to play towards a certain sector of Bermuda!
Another observation for all to digest is under the PLP reign not one Public Building was named after a white person! Not even Dr. Barbara Ball! I am a black person,so you tell me who has been playing the race card! Less we forget!
Sorry to interrupt with actual facts, but Henry Tucker was named the National Hero a couple of years ago. And for god sakes it’s a fun mural celebrating our best football players, stop making everything racial.
I agree….our young black men who frequent the court street area need to see some positive role models that look like them more than the negative reports of young black men the paper puts on front page on a daily basis.
Also if we Don’t celebrate ourselves who is going to do it for us???
Are you serious!!! After all the atrocities black people had to endure this is the best you can come up with? First of all Front Street don’t need to paint whites on their shops, just mentioning Front Street alone identifies a certain segment of society in Bermuda who have benefited from the hard working people in this island who where under paid ,mistreated ,discriminated against to say the least. Not taking away the contributions that the gentlemen names you mentioned, I”ll have to differ with you. These men where a part of the organization that enforced the hardship of black people in this island. And for Dr, Barbara Ball she has pictures of her in the BIU Building (If you”ve ever been in there) there”s even a awesome article about her in The History Of The Bermuda Industrial Union (if you ever read it) and she is a lifetime honorary member of the Bermuda Industrial Union , compared to being ostracized by the white society (Front Street) the Medical Associates, the white administration at King Edward Hospital, her church St. Michael’s Roman Catholic in Paget Parish ,just to name a few. And as a black person you need to understand your history to appreciate the awareness of the black struggle.
P.s I guess you refer Britain as your Motherland too. LOL
What about Dr Brown he liked to RUN just saying
That’s such a beautiful picture to see first thing in the morning while walking to work. Maybe for the younger children the names can be put at the bottom, as I myself didn’t recognize Clyde Best and Kyle Lightbourne. I definetly knew the others though. I love it. Colorful, meaningful, gives such a plesant vibe there.
Its Kind of sad on my part that I only know 2 of the foot ballers on the wall Goater and Wells. Im hoping they was before my time
@Mazumbo
I have been in the Union building more times than you have haf birthdays. I am an ex union member…so I know what pictures hang on the walls.
So what you are saying an the a few other responders you are still missing the point!
Reminded me of football street in Yeadon. If I win the lottery I’m defiantly flying to Bermuda to see this, looks quality, the futures bright for Nahki, just needs to stay focused and he’ll become a legend in Bermuda.
Could Mr Manuel Palacio re-paint Bradford City A.F.C. Official Club Crest. Here is a link to our real logo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bradford_City_AFC.png
P.S. Nahki looks like he’s wearing make-up