David Best 1943-2025
Posted on 10th Dec 2025 by David Taylor
The news that David Best passed away yesterday was received with sadness at The Pompey History Society
David Best - 6 September 1943 - 9 December 2025
David Best was born in Wareham, Dorset and joined his local club then known as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic in 1960 and would play 230 times for the Cherries. He was a key player in the Boscombe side that ran Pompey close in the Third Division championship which the Blues won and sadly Grimsby just stole second place.
He moved to Oldham Athletic in 1966 where he would play another 98 games before moving on to Ipswich Town where he became a real hero.
Best was a key player in Bobby Robson’s side that played in Town’s first European campaigns. In all he featured 199 times keeping 62 clean sheets and then perhaps surprisingly he moved to Pompey in the spring of 1974 replacing John Milkins who had moved on to Oxford United.
Dave was at Fratton Park for a little over twelve months and made 53 appearances in a side that was slipping towards eventual relegation in 1976. He was a real character between the sticks and I can remember him when Pompey needed to press forward towards the end of a game running out to take throw ins to the approval of the North Terrace fans.
After leaving Pompey Dave returned to the now AFC Bournemouth and then was player manager at Dorchester Town.
All at the Pompey History Society send David’s family and friends their sincere condolences.