November 25th is the anniversary of the passing of one of footballs true greats, the incredible George Best.
Best was born and raised in Belfast and at the age of 15 he was discovered by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop, whose telegram to manager Matt Busby prophetically read: “I think I’ve found you a genius”.
He broke into the United first team at the age of 17 and soon became a crowd favorite, with his silky style and long-haired good looks earning him the nicknames “El Beatle” or “the Fifth Beatle” and making him football’s first international superstar. He helped United to several honors, including the European Cup in 1968, and in the same year he was named European Footballer of the Year.
Initially a shy lad who spent most of his time in snooker halls, Best developed a thirst for the high-life and at one point owned a nightclub, a couple of restaurants and even some fashion boutiques.The limelight wasn’t great for his playing career though and he began to suffer as he battled with alcoholism.
In those days footballers salaries were a fraction of what top players earn today but, with his pop star image and celebrity status, Best still earned a tidy fortune. He lost almost all of it. When asked what happened to the money he had earned, Best would quip: ‘I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered…’
Comments like that only endeared him further in the hearts of many. The sense of humour, the cheeky smile, the twinkle in the eye and of course the breathtaking skills made him a phenomenon.
But he was no stranger to controversy either. Both of his ex-wives accused him of assault, he went to court for fracturing the nose of a waitress at a nightclub, he stole money from a woman’s handbag to pay for a drinking session, he was imprisoned for drunk-driving and assaulting a police officer and his cousin – killed during rioting in Belfast – was found to be a member of the UDA.
Ultimately alcohol was at the root of all his troubles and it eventually cost him his life. The former Northern Ireland international and Manchester United superstar died in London in 2005. He was just 59.
He had been admitted to hospital suffering from a kidney infection caused by the side effects of immuno-suppressive drugs used to prevent his body from rejecting the transplanted liver he had controversially received in 2002.
Tributes to Best poured in from the world of football, including from arguably the three greatest football players ever, Pelé, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. The Premier League announced that a minute’s silence would be observed before all Premier League games to be held over the weekend of his death; however at many grounds a minute’s applause broke out in his honour.
The first match at Old Trafford after Best’s death was an emotional affair. It was a League Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion, the club against which he made his début for United in 1963. The match was preceded by tributes from former team-mates incuding Sir Bobby Charlton. Best’s son Calum and former team-mates, members of the West Brom team which he played against in his début, all joined the current United squad on the pitch for a minute’s silence, during which fans in every seat held aloft pictures of Best.
Over 100,000 mourners lined the streets of his native Belfast ahead of his funeral service at the Grand Hall which was relayed to 25,000 mourners in the grounds of Stormont, all of which was covered live on BBC TV.
Later that year it was announced the Belfast City Airport was to be renamed in his honour.
The great and the good had plenty to say about George Best, here are a few quotes;
“For those who witnessed Best’s brief zenith in the 60’s, the effect went beyond the realisation that we were seeing the world’s most popular game played better than all but two or three men in its long history have ever played it.”
Hugh McIlvanney, Sports Journalist
“Shellito was taken off suffering from twisted blood!” United team-mate Pat Crerand after Best had given Chelsea full-back Ken Shellito a torrid time.
“He’ll never be Best. Nobody will. George was unique. The greatest talent our football has ever produced – easily! Look at the scoring record, 137 goals in 361 league games. A total of 179 goals for United in 466 matches played. That’s phenomenal for a man who did not get his share of gift goals that sometimes come to specialist strikers.”
Sir Alex Ferguson on the “stupidity” of likening Ryan Giggs to Best.
“Keegan is not fit to lace Best’s drinks.”
John Roberts, football writer, after Best said Kevin Keegan was not fit to lace his boots.
“When I look back on a life that was too brief, too troubled – whatever bright light George attempted to shine on it at time – I share that sense of wonder, sometimes disbelief when I think of how good he was and all those improbable things he achieved under such immense pressure.” Bobby Charlton
Best on his demise from Old Trafford at the age of just 26:
“It had nothing to do with women and booze, car crashes or court cases. It was purely football. Losing wasn’t in my vocabulary. When the wonderful players I had been brought up with – Charlton, Law, Crerand, Stiles – went into decline, United made no real attempt to buy the best replacements. I was left struggling among fellas who should not have been allowed through the door. It sickened me that we ended up being just about the worst team in the First Division.”
George Best – gone but never forgotten.
@KGHof
Karl Hofer writes for BobbyFC.com – the football site with a retro twist.