George Best

[lovejoy]

[RDN]

... but now he is dead, just two years older than me. And my life has just started....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just saw that he's died. 3 years older than me, and my life is just starting too. You were da.mn good George, but you could've been so much more. RIP.

//Edit: Brilliant quote on BBC news: Asked later what happened to the money he had earned, Best replied: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

[RDN]

Brilliant quote on BBC news: Asked later what happened to the money he had earned, Best replied: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

RIP

[ProfessorFart]

Its been nice to see people from all clubs, Man City and Liverpool in particular, paying their respects at Old Trafford today.

May he rest in the peace he never found in life.

[ProfessorFart]

May he rest in the peace he never found in life.

[Buff-horns]

he had a good innings ,despite his over drinking he had more years than "Crazy Horse"

, but maybe he should have left like Olly Reed whilst on a bar stool . he would have liked that exit ...........

Rodney Marsh was right when he said he knew how it would all end....

[Belfastboy]

his funeral is here in Belfast his home town next friday....i for one will be attending....and im sure with many thousands of other adoring fans...

[phuketsiam]

Not my quote, but I liked it

"I only saw George Best play once, for Fulham against Peterborough in 1976. He got the ball on the halfway line, flicked it up, and then lofted it high into the air. I remember the long silence - we could hear our keeper's feet slapping in the mud to get back. But he knew, and we knew. And when the ball brushed under the bar and into the net, we were silent a few seconds longer. Then the clapping began, like it does at the end of a classical recital. Measured at first, then swelling and growing all around the ground" - Tony Randall.

[lovejoy]

Best Moments: George Hits Cobblers For Six

"The closest I got to him was when I shook his hand at the end."

Ray Fairfax, ex-Northampton player

On 7 February 1970 United visited Northampton Town in the FA Cup. George Best was returning from a four-week suspension after knocking the ball out of the referee's hands in a League Cup semi-final against Manchester City in January.

If Northampton's defenders were hoping for Best to deliver a rusty performance they were sorely mistaken. Best smashed a double hat-trick past the Cobblers in an emphatic 8-2 win. But, as three Northampton players recall, it was a pleasure just to be on the same pitch as the Belfast boy...

Ray Fairfax

Northampton right back

"Everyone was talking about the match because it was George’s first game back. When I arrived at the ground I walked past six enormous mailbags full of welcome back letters for him.

Before the game, I was given a man-to-man marking job on George. Dave Bowen [Northampton boss] told me to ‘close him down, give him no room and follow him wherever he goes’. The lads said to me afterwards, ‘The closest you got to him was when you shook his hand at the end.’

The thing that people don’t remember is that it was only 2-1 at half-time and we thought we were doing OK… then all hel_l broke loose. George just kept going through us; it was totally demoralising.

He was so clever. With one of his goals he was lurking on the wing and I thought I’d keep an eye on him. Then Pat Crerand played a ball across and by the time I’d realised where George was he was heading the ball into the net. Every player would like to have that ability – it was brilliance bordering on arrogance."

"I wanted to show everybody. But after 70 minutes, when I'd scored six, I didn't want to score any more. It was getting embarrassing. So I spent the last 20 minutes at left back."

George Best

George Felton

Northampton outside right

"People still talk about that game. And whenever they show the goals everyone says: 'We saw you on TV last night.' And I know they've seen George going flying past me again.

I half-hoped he wouldn’t be playing, but he was one of my favourite players and I’d never seen him in the flesh before, so deep down I always hoped he would play. That day I was playing outside right and George was on the left wing so every time we kicked off we were face to face on the halfway line… we saw quite a lot of each other that day.

Considering he hadn't played for six weeks he was incredible. His fitness and his sharpness were astonishing. He was the most complete player I’d ever seen, let alone played. He had everything – he scored two goals with his head that day, his tackling was good; it was complete all-round talent. The one goal that stands out in my mind is where he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he feinted to shoot, Kim dived and he just chipped it with Kim stranded on the deck. I remember saying, 'Not bad for your first game back.’ And he just said, 'Yeah, not bad.' He wasn’t arrogant, he just let his feet do the talking…"

Kim Book

Northampton goalkeeper

"After the match I had a bad back from picking the ball out of the net! His finishing was like nothing I’d come up against. He had two superb feet and he could head the ball. He would just drop his shoulder and that was it – the ball was in the net.

With about 15 minutes to go I said to him, ‘Haven’t you had enough yet George?' and so he stood out on the touchline for the rest of the match. I can't say it was a pleasure to play against him, but to know that I played on the same pitch as him is something special. It's a good job he’d been out for six weeks… imagine what he’d have been like if he’d been fit!"

[RDN]

^^ I remember that game. I hope they show his goals again. Brilliant.

[Duality]

what a player and what a nice guy too. very sad day for world football fans. even man city supporters and scousers were at old trafford today to pay their respects to the man, we will never see the like of him again.

RIP George Best

[britmaveric]

RIP

[nev]

had the pleasure of watching georgie play many times the guy was a legend.

R.I.P.

[redrus]

Tears, and more tears.

http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?i...icategoryid=120

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=32...est+passes+away

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4466944.stm

http://manchesterunited.rivals.net/default...=2&stid=8397235

http://manchesterunited.rivals.net/default...=2&stid=8397236

redrus

even more sad.

Edited November 25, 2005 by redrus

[eddie11]

R.I.P George Best

[britmaveric]

[Totster]

RIP

totster

[The Gentleman Scamp]

He shouldn't have drunk so much, then he'd still be alive today and so would my mother who left this earth for exactly the same reasons - she never got her shit together.

I couldn't give a toss about football but I respect it's following and this is a sad day that should be acknowledged by all.

[Belfastboy]

i say fair play to Georgie...He lived every mans dream...and by god did he ever..!

looked like a beatle...

dated 3 miss worlds

played for man utd (shud have joined liverpool ahem)

had girls lining up outiside his door literally....

enjoyed his drink..but hey dont we all...

fair play george ...u certainly lived my dream....

RIP the greatest ever...and a TRUE BELFAST BOY AT THAT

[phuketsiam]

Its been nice to see people from all clubs,  Man City and Liverpool in particular, paying their respects at Old Trafford today.

May he rest in the peace he never found in life.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Genuine talent deserves recognition

I believe George Best is one of the reasons why Manu has so much support today, a lot of people my age or similar became interested in football and Manu because of him

[Pink Mist]

we have several threads running on this topic, so a merge is in order

[ThaiPauly]

Geoge was one of the best players that the United Kingdom ever produced, along with the also sadly departed Bobby Moore.

May you rest in peace George, you will never be forgotten.

Edited November 27, 2005 by ThaiPauly

[Nickerelastic]

He's at peace now.

[redrus]

Something to put a smile back on, from one recent great, to the greatest.

Cantona pays tribute to George Best

28/11/05 2:05 PM

Cantona Hails Reds Legend Best

Eric Cantona has paid tribute to the late George Best who passed away last Friday.

The Frenchman contacted ManUtd.com in order to express his personal thoughts on the United legend.

Cantona said: "After his first training session in heaven, George Best, from his favourite right wing, turned the head of God who was filling in at left-back.

"I would love him to save me a place in his team, George Best that is, not God."

Report by Gemma Thompson.

redrus

[Belfastboy]

Bestie funeral is on BBC here UK but i think its on BBC World ...

RIP mate

[lomatopo]

For people in Thailand I just noticed the following program is scheduled for later today, Sunday, 4 Dec.

ESPN

4/12/05

18:55:00 FOOTBALL FOCUS HONG KONG FOOTBALL FOCUS: GEORGE BEST TRIBUTE ® 00:30:00

[redrus]

Well, its a year on to the day.

My thoughts are still there for George, although I've been to I think 4 funerals since Georgies,....

I notice in page 1 a couple of messages from our own recently departed and missed Noel, little did we know eh....

Some moments from the life o George;

George...Simply the Best Link.

May all of our departed RIP.

redrus

Edited November 25, 2006 by redrus

[Tornado]

I have not been paying attention... I didnt realise he died!

I used to have his poster on my wall as well as Peles and ofcourse ABBA

Sad to hear he has gone... Belated sympathies to his family.