George Best....

[redrus]

GEORGIE BEST ONLY WORTH £5?

Thursday 26th October 2006

To think people said you couldn’t put a value on him…

From the MEN:

George Best is to be immortalised on a million commemorative £5 bank notes, it was announced today. The Ulster Bank is to issue the limited edition notes as a tribute to the footballing genius next month to mark the first anniversary of his death.

The celebration of one of Northern Ireland's best-known sporting heroes will feature George Best in both his Northern Ireland and Manchester United strips.

Finalised artwork for the note was unveiled at the bank's Belfast headquarters by chief executive Cormac McCarthy.

“At the outset of this project we wanted to ensure that, in celebrating the life of this legendary footballer, we paid fitting tribute to his contribution to football in Northern Ireland and beyond.

“We wanted to make it possible for fans throughout Northern Ireland and further afield to own their very own piece of unique George Best memorabilia.”

“By selecting the most affordable note denomination, five pounds, we have tried to make the notes as widely accessible as possible.

“This is the first time that Ulster Bank has commissioned a commemorative bank note and by limiting the print run to a million notes, we feel this makes the initiative even more significant.”

At the same time, the bank said that in keeping with its continuing community investment programme, it was making a donation to the George Best Foundation to support the promotion of cross-community contact through participation in football.

The £5 George Best notes will be available from mid-November and are expected to be snapped up by fans - with few actually going into general circulation.

The notes will then be available to purchase at any Ulster Bank branch in Northern Ireland from November 27.

redrus

[ThaiPauly]

Well I think its pretty cool....fiver, tenner <deleted>.its the price of two pints, and George would love that, so they can relate to it in NI

None of us will ever see our heads on a 1p coin will we?

RIP GB...will we ever see the likes again?...I for one was lucky enough to see him play.

Many of you are not old enough to have had that priviledge

TP

[redrus]

Agreed TP, any possible positive way of remembering George is a good thing for me.

You are a lucky man TP, a lucky man indeed....

redrus

[muckypups]

Me too TP, I was lucky enough to see George play many times including the 1968 European Cup win..

Great memories.. and a touching tribute from Ulster Bank...

RIP George

[Belfastboy]

i agree with TP....excellent idea...! plus the fiver is probably the most used note out of them all..

its looks pretty cool too, just like the great man...

i was lucky enough to meet him for an autograph and was at his funeral also..IMO the best player that ever graced the earth, pele's opinion too.. pity he played for a shit club like united, should have joined ian st john and the likes at the mighty pool..! lol

here a peek at the new note...

forgot to mention our airport is now named after the man himself too..."the George Best Belfast City Airport"

Edited October 26, 2006 by Belfastboy

[redrus]

Easy there Belfast, there was only ever one club for George....!

redrus

Edited October 26, 2006 by redrus

[farangconnection]

forgot to mention our airport is now named after the man himself too..."the George Best Belfast City Airport"

What next.........Heathrow changed to " Oliver Reed International"? While he was one of the greatest footballers that ever lived, he was also one of the biggest <deleted> that ever lived for throwing his life away so early. I can imagine all the youth of N.I. thinking." Wow ! If we go on the piss all our lives, maybe we'll get something named after us". No, sorry folks. In my mind his greatness and his stupidity cancelled themselves out. And I know what I'm talking about.

[muckypups]

A respect your opinion, but for me.. who had minimal contact with the guy off the pitch, he enhanced my life.. playing brilliant football for a team I love.

How he lived his life away from the game is not my concern.. I have no desire to be his (yet another) judge.

[farangconnection]

A respect your opinion, but for me.. who had minimal contact with the guy off the pitch, he enhanced my life.. playing brilliant football for a team I love.

How he lived his life away from the game is not my concern.. I have no desire to be his (yet another) judge.

I suppose I do look at it in a different light, as I very nearly went the same way. I was a <deleted>, so I'm more than entitled to my opinions. I agree, he did light up the football pitch. Along with Johann Cruyff and Pele ( a close third) they changed the face of football.

Anyway I guess it's true what they say. Reformed Alkies are the biggest <deleted>

[gpt]

A respect your opinion, but for me.. who had minimal contact with the guy off the pitch, he enhanced my life.. playing brilliant football for a team I love.

How he lived his life away from the game is not my concern.. I have no desire to be his (yet another) judge.

I agree, what happens off the park is not our business. I was also fortunate to see him play many times - Best, Charlton & Law, what a combination!

My favourite United memory happened before the Best era. About October/November '57, Dad came home from work and told me to put my coat on 'You are coming out with me' We went to a house less than a mile away. My first reaction was 'What have I done?' within 20 minutes, three or four cars pulled up and about 10 men walked in. A few minutes later, we were kicking a ball around in their back garden. I later found out that the house belonged to the parents of Bill Foulkes and the chaps that I had played with were most of the Babes.

[muckypups]

My favourite United memory happened before the Best era. About October/November '57, Dad came home from work and told me to put my coat on 'You are coming out with me' We went to a house less than a mile away. My first reaction was 'What have I done?' within 20 minutes, three or four cars pulled up and about 10 men walked in. A few minutes later, we were kicking a ball around in their back garden. I later found out that the house belonged to the parents of Bill Foulkes and the chaps that I had played with were most of the Babes.

What a wonderful story.. that sent a shiver down my spine.. thanks.

[taxexile]

must be the first time a wife beating drunk with no brains has been featured on a banknote.

its a sad irony that one so adept at stupidly throwing it all away should be featured on a banknote.

at least its not a tenner .

[redrus]

must be the first time a wife beating drunk with no brains has been featured on a banknote.

its a sad irony that one so adept at stupidly throwing it all away should be featured on a banknote.

at least its not a tenner .

One day, maybe one day, your bitterness will allow you to say something positive about anything connected with United.

You'll be an honary City fan if you carry on like this, I have faith in you though Tax....

redrus

[taxexile]

One day, maybe one day, your bitterness will allow you to say something positive about anything connected with United.

it is true that i am not a manchester united supporter , and it is true that i would like to see mr. purple nose ferguson and his motley crew of overpaid overstyled preening brainless spoilt numpty nancy boys lose all their matches from now on until eternity.

but you will never hear me denying that ferguson is a great manager of a team of great football talent , nor that their fantastic record over the past 15 years or so is without equal.

if only leeds were a tenth as good as manchester united.

as for best , well he was a genius on the field , running around on legs of magic , and an idiot off it stumbling along on legs like broken candles.

he should be remembered , unfortunately , as a bit of an idiot , someone who had it all , but only succeeded in wasting it , that should be his message from the grave.

are they so short of heroes in ulster ?...........

his image should be adorning bottles of moonshine , not banknotes.

Edited October 27, 2006 by taxexile

[redrus]

When a man is dead, you should stop fighting him, he can't stick up for himself.

When someone is dead, they should remembered for the good things they do. I've been a bit of a <deleted> in my time far nastier than Bestie ( who was never nasty-just drunk) and, would hope that people remember me for who I am now.

Why does George have to remembered for his bad bits now....!

Thats very sad.

redrus

Edited October 27, 2006 by redrus

[totlanh]

must be the first time a wife beating drunk with no brains has been featured on a banknote.

its a sad irony that one so adept at stupidly throwing it all away should be featured on a banknote.

at least its not a tenner .

And you sound so intelligent-<deleted>

[taxexile]

Why does George have to remembered for his bad bits now....!

you make a very good point , but it was you who started this post about best.

i have no wish to fight best , i enjoyed him as a footballer and was saddened by the news of his illnesses and after his liver transplant i was relieved , i hoped he would recover in every way.

but when the fact that the kindness and sacrifice of others was wasted on him came to light during his latter days , then i'm afraid i lost all respect for him. his actions in later life overshadowed his footballing genius for me.

he was ultimately a sad failure ,all of his own doing , and i dont think he should be regarded as a hero or role model for others.

nasty drunk or happy drunk , it makes no difference.

there must be thousands of people , afflicted with alcoholism , whose families would dearly love to have the chance of access to half of the opportunities for transplants , healthcare , aftercare , counselling and support for their loved ones that best had.

[muckypups]

must be the first time a wife beating drunk with no brains has been featured on a banknote.

Oh.. pyschopaths are OK then are they...

[redrus]

Why does George have to remembered for his bad bits now....!

you make a very good point , but it was you who started this post about best.

i have no wish to fight best , i enjoyed him as a footballer and was saddened by the news of his illnesses and after his liver transplant i was relieved , i hoped he would recover in every way.

but when the fact that the kindness and sacrifice of others was wasted on him came to light during his latter days , then i'm afraid i lost all respect for him. his actions in later life overshadowed his footballing genius for me.

he was ultimately a sad failure ,all of his own doing , and i dont think he should be regarded as a hero or role model for others.

nasty drunk or happy drunk , it makes no difference.

there must be thousands of people , afflicted with alcoholism , whose families would dearly love to have the chance of access to half of the opportunities for transplants , healthcare , aftercare , counselling and support for their loved ones that best had.

Put it like that Tax, I understand what you say. Put it like you did before, gets backs up.

His life was, his life. At no point did it ever become anyone elses.

I don't believe, "ultimately he was a sad failure", I believe time will put this right. I won't be showing my kids videos of him "stumbling, with legs like candlesticks", they'll only see him doing what he did 1st best, not 2nd best.

I now understand better your point of view although, I believe, it is tainted.

redrus

[taxexile]

they'll only see him doing what he did 1st best, not 2nd best.

nicely put.

he was always well received by the baying mob at elland road , he had everyones respect

[redrus]

must be the first time a wife beating drunk with no brains has been featured on a banknote.

its a sad irony that one so adept at stupidly throwing it all away should be featured on a banknote.

at least its not a tenner .

One day, maybe one day, your bitterness will allow you to say something positive about anything connected with United.

You'll be an honary City fan if you carry on like this, I have faith in you though Tax....

redrus

they'll only see him doing what he did 1st best, not 2nd best.

nicely put.

he was always well received by the baying mob at elland road , he had everyones respect

Cheers Tax.

redrus

[gpt]

When a man is dead, you should stop fighting him, he can't stick up for himself.

When someone is dead, they should remembered for the good things they do. I've been a bit of a <deleted> in my time far nastier than Bestie ( who was never nasty-just drunk) and, would hope that people remember me for who I am now.

Why does George have to remembered for his bad bits now....!

Thats very sad.

redrus

As Brutus said in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' - "The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones"

George was not the first high profile personality who had adverse publicity about his private life nor was he the last. Justin Fashanu and Freddie Mills, two sportsmen affected by adverse publicity. Other people include Fatty Arbuckle, Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Archer, Isobel Barnett - the list is endless.

The private lives of personalities should have no bearing on their professional lives.

taxexile said "there must be thousands of people , afflicted with alcoholism , whose families would dearly love to have the chance of access to half of the opportunities for transplants , healthcare , aftercare , counselling and support for their loved ones that best had." Sorry but you are wrong - it is the alcoholic who needs the help and if they don't want it there is nothing that anyone can do. I do speak from personal experience - my first wife was an alcoholic. My three daughters, myself, family and friends all tried to help her but to no avail. I could list all the things she did to me and my family but as she died almost 2 years ago, I will not speak ill of the dead.

Edited October 27, 2006 by gpt

[bradthai]

redrus.

agree with what you are saying, to a point.

not only in best's case , but in many others, the points remembered are all that seem to be remembered, the good points that is.

yes, a great footballer, no doubt about that, but a drunken idiot as well.

not meant in a way other than the truth.

maybe his pic on aa posters, or family violence promo material, helpgroups that is, might use his fame to help others.

[muckypups]

redrus.

agree with what you are saying, to a point.

not only in best's case , but in many others, the points remembered are all that seem to be remembered, the good points that is.

yes, a great footballer, no doubt about that, but a drunken idiot as well.

not meant in a way other than the truth.

maybe his pic on aa posters, or family violence promo material, helpgroups that is, might use his fame to help others.

I agree, he did cut a sad figure in his later years, but I want to remember the joy he gave when playing....and as the site below seems to prove, better late than never...

http://www.georgebest.com/home.php

[redrus]

When a man is dead, you should stop fighting him, he can't stick up for himself.

When someone is dead, they should remembered for the good things they do. I've been a bit of a <deleted> in my time far nastier than Bestie ( who was never nasty-just drunk) and, would hope that people remember me for who I am now.

Why does George have to remembered for his bad bits now....!

Thats very sad.

redrus

As Brutus said in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' - "The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones"

George was not the first high profile personality who had adverse publicity about his private life nor was he the last. Justin Fashanu and Freddie Mills, two sportsmen affected by adverse publicity. Other people include Fatty Arbuckle, Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Archer, Isobel Barnett - the list is endless.

The private lives of personalities should have no bearing on their professional lives.

taxexile said "there must be thousands of people , afflicted with alcoholism , whose families would dearly love to have the chance of access to half of the opportunities for transplants , healthcare , aftercare , counselling and support for their loved ones that best had." Sorry but you are wrong - it is the alcoholic who needs the help and if they don't want it there is nothing that anyone can do. I do speak from personal experience - my first wife was an alcoholic. My three daughters, myself, family and friends all tried to help her but to no avail. I could list all the things she did to me and my family but as she died almost 2 years ago, I will not speak ill of the dead.

I'm sorry for your loss.

I speak from personal experience too. Too many of my friends and family have died or had they're lives changed irreversibly from drink. I guess some of us just see it in different ways.

George did pickle his own liver and, then pickled someone elses. Wrong and sad on both counts. I will not speak for the thousands of others that sit, cross fingered on waiting lists for the chance that lucky old George was given and wasted, as I understand the argument.

What makes it sad for many, as stated before is that George gave the world so much and, had so much more to give. Is that so much we should forget what George did on a football pitch and, remember him only as a drunk..?

There came a point where I made up my mind, as I had experience, the decision I came to was that George was never going to change, like so many others before him. What was my view to be. When I see the old guys sitting on the Cider bench in town, my heart does not bleed for them, they make their own choices in life. I'm more than likely to talk to them than cast them a disaproving glance though.

George will leave all of us with so many different feelings, right or wrong in whoever's view and, as a football fan, not just a Manchester United fan and with my families own experiences with drink related illness and death, I look on life with a much more positive view. I look on the life of George like that too. The Magic Dancer.

Thanks for reading me ramble.

redrus.

agree with what you are saying, to a point.

not only in best's case , but in many others, the points remembered are all that seem to be remembered, the good points that is.

yes, a great footballer, no doubt about that, but a drunken idiot as well.

not meant in a way other than the truth.

maybe his pic on aa posters, or family violence promo material, helpgroups that is, might use his fame to help others.

My view will not be shared by all, I don't really want it to be. This thread was started out of the good things George did. Georges alcoholism is another thread.

redrus

[marshbags]

GEORGIE BEST ONLY WORTH £5?

5 pound times 1 million notes = 5 million pounds, in my humble opinion.

I think of all the unassuming alcoholics who never got the chances in life that G.B. had and sadly he squandered them all.

That,s the biggest tragedy of all and also a fact.

May all my now deceased alcoholic friends who didn,t get these chances in life, R.I.P.

I miss you all

marshbags

P.S.

I remember taking my young brother to his first match at Hillsborough when Man. U. had all the greats of the Charlton, Law, Best era in the team and it was at that time headlined the match of the decade.

It ended 5-4 against us ( Sheff. Wed. ) but boy was it a match to saviour.

What an introduction for him and yes he was hooked on the Owls from then onwards, i was so chuffed for him to witness such a game.

It was a priviledge for all of us at the match and no mistake.

Edited October 27, 2006 by marshbags

[marshbags]

GEORGIE BEST ONLY WORTH £5?

5 pound times 1 million notes = 5 million pounds, in my humble opinion.

I think of all the unassuming alcoholics who never got the chances in life that G.B. had and sadly he squandered them all.

That,s the biggest tragedy of all and also a fact.

May all my now deceased alcoholic friends who didn,t get these chances in life, R.I.P.

I miss you all

marshbags

P.S.

I remember taking my young brother to his first match at Hillsborough when Man. U. had all the greats of the Charlton, Law, Best era in the team and it was at that time headlined the match of the decade.

It ended 5-4 against us ( Sheff. Wed. ) but boy was it a match to saviour.

What an introduction for him and yes he was hooked on the Owls from then onwards, i was so chuffed for him to witness such a game.

It was a priviledge for all of us at the match and no mistake.

Sorry for the word " against " and it should of course read for ( Sheff. Wed. )

Man Utd. won a lot of admirers if not the match and all credit to them.

A Jack Whitham hat trick, one from J Ritchie and an own goal i seem to remember was the other one.

I remember thinking how small Bestie looked but he was a tough nut, typical of smaller blokes of his build.

Man . Utd won the European cup prior to this which went into extra time and i remember watching it in Kluang, Malaysia on the tele as a squadie, we all went crackers because it was a British team.

This was for me a memorable performance also, for the Man U greats and also sticks in my past footballing games regarding excitement and their achievements.

marshbags

Edited October 27, 2006 by marshbags

[nev]

had the pleasure watching george best play on many occasions in the 70's great memories of the best law and charlton combination.

i cannot understand why they put a footballer on a bank note,think this should be reserved for royalty or people who have contributed too the country and done great things for society.

i would not knock george best for what he did in his life, i only have fond memories of watching his magic.

i used to walk past the house he had built in bramhall and have a chuckle has he must have been pissed when it was designed it looked like a toilet block.well it was the seventies .

[redrus]

Anyone wants to order a £5 George note, here's the link.....!!!!!

From the MEN:

Football fans around the world are clamouring for the new George Best £5 notes.

Ahead of the anniversary of his death, Ulster Bank yesterday unveiled the first batch of notes bearing the image of the Manchester United and Northern Ireland international.

One million notes will be issued. The first printed was presented to the soccer legend's sister, Barbara McNarry, and the last to his father Dickie Best.

Demand for the notes is huge and they are already being offered on internet auction sites for up to £100.

They go into general circulation on November 27 in tribute to a man many consider the greatest footballer of his generation.

Best's sister Barbara broke down in tears as she was presented with the first note at a reception in Belfast.

She said it marked a “very, very special and unique” person. She added: “It is a moving, unique and lasting tribute to George which is greatly appreciated. The Ulster Bank is ensuring his memory lives on.”

redrus

Edited November 14, 2006 by redrus

[muckypups]

This weekend sees a year since George died..I'll say no more than to reprint this article..

We remember George Best. Never forgotten

With the anniversary of Georgie's sad passing this weekend, regular contributor Tom Clare recalls the Best of Times...

The Best Years Of My Life

Since George’s passing in late November 2005, I have been asked so many times by people who never ever had the privilege of seeing him play, whether or not all the stories that abound about his skill are true, or if they are just some exaggeration. It is so difficult explaining to them how brilliant George was. It is also nigh on impossible to convince young people today who only saw pictures of George in his later years, that not only was he a footballer extraordinaire, but also a man of such glamour that he would never have looked out of place on a Hollywood film set!

Football has always had it stars in the game, even long before George arrived in this world. However I think that it is true to say that George was the very first of the soccer ‘superstars’. The first time that I ever saw him though, you would have thought that he would never ever reach anything akin to that kind of status. In late 1962 I was a young trialist with Preston North End Football Club, and on a cold, miserable winter Saturday morning, I had been selected to play in goal for the North End ‘A’ team, against Manchester United. Home games for the North End juniors were played on pitches situated on the old pig farm at Fulwood, and the dressing rooms consisted of a couple of wooden huts that housed a couple of rooms for changing in, then along the corridor, a few rooms with ceramic baths inside – no shower facilities back then! Being a staunch United supporter, it was enough for me that I was turning out against United’s youngsters, and my nerves were on edge as I made my way from the dressing room and out onto that windswept pitch. The pitch had been rolled flat but was really only on nodding acquaintances with grass at that time of the year and after 5 minutes of play, it became a mud patch. In those days, there was little pre-match warm up and I took my place between the goalposts as our forwards fired in a number of the old leather footballs at me. As we lined up to kick off, I noticed this small, frail, waif of a boy, standing in the outside right position for United. He stood there waiting for the kick off, shivering in the chill wind, his hands gripping the white trim cuffs of his red shirt and it seemed as though he was in imminent danger of being blown away. For a boy of such frail build, it seemed that he had no right to be out there on that pitch, particularly as he faced some big lads in the North End defence who were not averse to being a little over physical. At that time I had no idea of this young boy’s name, but by the end of the match, after I had picked the ball out of the net six times, I made it my business to find out! Coming off the field I shook hands with United’s inside right, Barry Grayson, and asked him the name of the young boy who had just run our defenders ragged throughout that morning. It was to be the very first time that I had ever heard the name George Best.

Even today, I can still see him gliding over the surface of that mud heap that we played upon, the ball seemingly tied to his boot laces, and our big defenders struggling to get a tackle anywhere near to him. One or two tried to verbally intimidate him, but even at that tender age, he could look after himself and his temperament was unflappable. He had a huge appetite for the ball, and once he did have it, he hurt you. Little did I know that day that what I was witnessing and suffering, would also be witnessed and suffered by some of the best teams and defenders that the game of football has ever known!

My own aspirations to a career in League football came to an end at the close of that season when I was told that my trial period was unsuccessful; a huge disappointment for a young 18 years old boy. For young George Best though, the following season was his break through season into First Division football!

George made his debut against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford in September of 1963 some ten months or so after the game that I have mentioned. I was stood on the Stretford End that day and watched as he came out of the players tunnel and trotted towards what had now become the most vocal part of the ground. I had to smile as I listened to the fans stood around me, asking questions about this wee slip of a boy. Their fear was that he wasn’t physically strong enough to survive in the First Division. My own memories of that encounter at Fulwood were all too prevalent at that time, and I had no fears about him whatsoever! By half time those questioning fans had been given their answer! The rest is of course, history.

George did not arrive on this earth or at Old Trafford as the complete player. He made himself into the truly exceptional player that he was by working hard at his skills. He made himself into the two-footed player that he was by practicing to the point where he became uncertain as to which was his stronger foot - a lesson that I wish that some of today’s so called superstars would take heed of! It gave him all the options that he needed to beat an opponent on either side, and in and around the penalty box, where he was a deadly finisher with either of those feet. He just loved the feel of the ball, and once he had it, he didn’t give it away cheaply. George had that gift of exceptional speed off the mark, great stamina, wonderful balance, and the ability to stay on his feet and even ride the hardest of tackles. He had a huge great heart and appetite for the game, and he never ever shirked the challenge – in fact he relished it! He had an inherent self belief in his own ability and whatever that challenge, be it physical, mental or tactical, he met it head on. His control of the ball under the most violent of pressure was hypnotic and he was brave beyond belief.

He played the game in an era when forwards were not a protected species as they are today. The tackle from behind was very much a part of the game in his day. At that time, matches against teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Leeds, and Manchester City, meant that forwards had the likes of Peter Storey, Ron Harris, Tommy Smith, Billy Bremner and Norman Hunter, and also Mike Doyle lying in wait and queuing up for them. There were also more defenders of that stature in the game at that time but they are too many to mention. They were a daunting prospect to have to face! A prospect that I think had some of today’s over paid, over pampered, and over rated players had to face, would see them suddenly affected by loose bowel syndrome and a withdrawal from the match!

I have so many memories of games that George played for Manchester United, and most fans would say that his finest performance was against Benfica in the Stadium of Light in Lisbon in 1966, during the European Cup Quarter Final second leg game. Leading 3-2 from the first leg at Old Trafford, Sir Matt had told the players before they went out for the game; “Play it tight for the first 20 minutes or so.” By the 20th minute of that game, George, by his superlative performance, had put the game beyond the Portugese team and United were 3-0 ahead! Coming in at half time, Sir Matt was heard to remark; “I see that you never listened to me!” It was after this game that George bought the famous sombrero and the pictures of him wearing it were flashed around the world – it was the birth of “El Beatle” and the start of his being a ‘superstar’ celebrity.

As I pick the back pocket of my memory however, my own view is that the finest performance of his career came at Windsor Park in Belfast wearing the green shirt of his beloved Northern Ireland against Scotland in 1967. On a quagmire of a pitch he tormented one of the best full backs British football has ever seen, and gave him the chasing of his life. Not only him, but also the whole of the Scottish team as well. That full back was none other than Tommy Gemmell of Celtic who less than six months earlier had become one of the famous “Lisbon Lions” for his part in Celtic becoming the first British Club to lift the European Cup. Best’s performance that afternoon was mesmeric and he destroyed a very good Scottish team who just six months earlier, had beaten England, the then World Champions at Wembley. If my memory serves me right, Northern Ireland won that game against Scotland 1-0 with George laying on the winning goal for David Clements.

There was so much written about George Best during his time on this earth. So called journalists who should have known better were always so quick to denigrate a man who, to those that really knew him, was a lovely, warm hearted, loving, generous, genuine human being. Of course, that side of George’s personality didn’t sell newsprint or make the kind of headlines that the media wanted. The real truth is that when you really got to know George, he was still unspoiled by all the fame and glory.

One of the better known and more capable journalists of the day, tells a story of just how unaffected the young George Best was in finding himself the very first British footballer to be treated like a showbiz pop star. The Brown Bull used to be a pub at the bottom end of Chapel Street in Salford, and during the ‘60’s was a favourite haunt of the United players after a game. After a certain European Cup tie played at Old Trafford, players and journalists had gathered in the said pub. Nobody had given much thought to dinner but, by the time that the after-hours session was in full swing, hunger was becoming a problem. At least that is until George went around taking fish and chip orders for everyone in the bar, after which he disappeared. Apparently, he returned some half-an-hour later, not merely with all the orders accurately filled, but also with plates, knives and forks for everybody. The waiter that night seemed less like a superstar than the appealing young boy who had worked small miracles with a tennis ball on the streets of the Cregagh housing estate in East Belfast. I could never envisage any of today’s highly paid players doing anything like this, be it for journalist or fan alike. Unlike George and his contemporaries, they have become far too distant and unapproachable.

George did have his problems in life, there is no denying that. He was a sick man and we all knew it. But as in the challenges he met on the football field, he also met the challenges of life head on – he didn’t hide, nor did he ever seek sympathy. There is no doubt that great sportsmen are immensely vulnerable when their gifts and the drama that they create begin to fade. They feel the rest of their lives may loom like a dreary anti climax. George was a very loving person. He loved his family, loved his wives and his son Calum, loved his country, loved people, loved the game of football and Manchester United, and had a huge love and zest for life. That he left this world too early is an understatement of huge proportions. The wonderful memories that he left us with are a legacy to the time when we were seeing the world’s most popular game played by a boy who was better than most that have ever played it throughout its long history. I just wish that today’s generation could have watched George play at least one game in the Premiership. On pitches that resemble a snooker table, with a ball so light, and forwards being protected as they are, I salivate at the thought of a young George running with the ball at today’s defences! I look back with great fondness on that Saturday morning late in 1962 at Fulwood, when I first saw him clutching the cuffs of his shirtsleeves whilst he awaited the kick off. I also feel privileged that I was around to watch him from the terraces throughout his career. The pleasure watching George play the game of football brought to countless millions of my generation can not be measured. The nostalgia floods back whenever I think of him, and the wondrous quality of nostalgia is that it is unchallengeable. Without doubt, the years in which I watched George Best play the game of football were the Best years of my life!

November 25th 2006, will celebrate the first anniversary of his passing.. I will shed a tear, raise a glass, and remember a true son of Northern Ireland, and a true son of the Manchester United family. Sleep on in peace dear George.

From Red News...