1973 and Me

Book excerpt: In 1973, and despite a lack of Test success, West Indies cricket still played a central role as a medium of Caribbean self-expression in Britain. 1973 and Me reveals why this was a landmark year for many of the contributors, using first hand testimonies and Colin Babbs's personal memoir of this iconic year. This was the year Colin 'discovered' cricket on television, which provided intense competition to his devotion to football Leeds United, the emergence of Clyde Best and more. The book reflects on patterns of Colin's family and Caribbean migration to Britain, wider perspectives on history, identity, music and politics, shared family experiences of television in the 1970s, a collection of memorable events, and interplay with the 1973 West Indies tour.