George Best was a professional footballer from
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, who played for
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and the
Northern Ireland national teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders. In 1968, he won the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
with Manchester United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year. When fit, he was an automatic choice for Northern Ireland, but he was unable to lead them to
World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualification, despite being
cappedIn sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
37 times and scoring nine goals.
In 1999, he was voted 11th at the IFFHS European Player of the Century election, and 16th in the World Player of the Century election.
PeléHowever, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
named him as one of the 125 best living footballers in his 2004
FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
list and Best was named 19th, behind
Gerd MüllerGerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
, at the
UEFA Golden Jubilee PollThe UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll is the popular name for an online poll conducted in 2004 by UEFA as part of their Golden Jubilee celebrations, celebrating the best European footballers from the fifty previous years. The poll, available on UEFA's website, asked respondents to pick their ten favorite...
. In his native Northern Ireland, the admiration for him is summed up by the local saying: "
MaradonaDiego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
good;
PeléHowever, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
better; George Best."
He was one of the first celebrity footballers, but his extravagant lifestyle led to problems with
alcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, which curtailed his playing career and eventually led to his death in November 2005 at the age of 59. His cause of death was multiple organ failure brought on by a kidney infection, a side effect of the immuno-suppressive drugs he was required to take after a liver transplant. In 2007, GQ named him as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years. and in 2011 he was voted
Best Manchester United Footballer On Earth.
Early years and family
George Best was the first child of Dickie Best (1919–2008) and Anne Best (née Withers) (1922–1978), and grew up in
CregaghCregagh is an area southeast of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the name of a townland and has been adopted as the name of an electoral ward of the Borough of Castlereagh. The area is centred on the Cregagh Road. The Woodstock/Cregagh Road is a continuous arterial route in the...
,
BelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He was brought up in the
Free PresbyterianThe Free Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley in 1951. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland...
faith. Dickie Best was a member of the
Orange OrderThe Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
and the young George Best carried the strings of the banner in his local Cregagh lodge. In his autobiography, Best mentioned how important the order was to his family. Best had four sisters, Carol, Barbara, Julie and Grace, and a brother, Ian. Best's father Dickie died on 16 April 2008, at the age of 88, in the
Ulster HospitalThe Ulster Hospital is a hospital in Dundonald in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road....
in
DundonaldDundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
,
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He had been admitted to hospital four weeks earlier. Best's mother Anne died from alcoholism-related
heart diseaseHeart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
in 1978, aged 55.
In 1957, at the age of 11, the academically gifted Best passed the 11 plus and went to
Grosvenor High SchoolGrosvenor Grammar School is a co-educational controlled Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This inter-denominational school, with an increasingly multi-cultural population and outlook, has a staff of 73 full-time teachers....
, but he soon played truant as the school specialised in
rugbyRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. Best then moved to Lisnasharragh Secondary School, reuniting him with friends from primary school and allowing him to focus on football.
Manchester United (1963–1974)
At the age of 15, Best was discovered in
BelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
by
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
scout Bob Bishop, whose telegram to United manager
Matt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
read: "
I think I've found you a genius." His local club Glentoran had previously rejected him for being "too small and light". Best was subsequently given a trial and signed up by chief scout Joe Armstrong. His first time moving to the club, Best quickly became homesick and stayed for only two days before going back home to Ireland.
Best made his Manchester United debut, aged 17, on 14 September 1963 against
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in a 1–0 victory. He was too young to contend for a first-team place for much of the first half of the season. His second appearance came on 28 December against
BurnleyBurnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
. This
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match saw Best's first goal for United in a 5–1 win. Matt Busby used Best much more after the
New YearThe New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
and by the end of the season, Best had made 26 appearances, scoring six goals. Manchester United finished second, four points behind
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
In his second season, Best and Manchester United claimed the
league titleThe English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...
.
Best hit the headlines at the age of twenty when he scored two goals in a European Cup quarter-final match against Benfica in 1966. The Portuguese media dubbed him "O Quinto
BeatleThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
", "the
fifth BeatleThe Fifth Beatle is an informal title that various commentators in the press and entertainment industry have applied to persons who were at one point a member of The Beatles, or who had a strong association with the "Fab Four" during the group's existence...
" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. His talent and showmanship made him a crowd and media favourite. Known for his long hair, good looks and extravagant celebrity lifestyle, Best appeared on
Top of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in 1965. Other nicknames included the "Belfast Boy" and he was often referred to as
Georgie, or
Geordie in his native Belfast.
The 1966–67 season was again successful, as Manchester United claimed the league title by four points. The following season, Best became a
European CupThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
winner after scoring in the final against Benfica. United won 4–1 and Best was later crowned
European Footballer of the YearThe "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
and
Football Writers' AssociationThe Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
Player of the Year. After this, his steady decline began.
Best opened two nightclubs in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, in the late 1960s,
Oscar's and the other called
Slack Alice's (which later became
42nd Street Nightclub). He also owned fashion boutiques, in partnership with
Mike SummerbeeMike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
of
Manchester CityManchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He developed problems with
gamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, womanising and alcoholism.
Best played at United when shirt numbers were assigned to positions, in the traditional English way, and not the player. When Best played at right wing, as he famously did during the later stages of the 1966 and 1968 European Cups, he donned the number 7. As a left winger, where he played exclusively in his debut season and nearly all of the 1971–72, he wore the number 11. Best wore the number 8 shirt at inside right on occasion throughout the 1960s, but for more than half of his matches during 1970–71. He was playing at inside left (wearing the number 10) in 1972 when he famously walked out on United the first time but was back in the number 11 for the autumn of 1973 before leaving for good. Best even wore the number 9 jersey once for United, with
Bobby CharltonSir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
injured, on 22 March 1969 at Old Trafford, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win over
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
.
In 1974, aged 27, Best quit United for good. His last competitive game for the club was on 1 January 1974 against Queens Park Rangers at
Loftus RoadLoftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
. In total Best made 470 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions from 1963 to 1974, and scored 179 goals (including six in one game against fourth division
Northampton TownNorthampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
— an extraordinary feat that in 2002 the British public voted #26 in the list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments). He was the club's top scorer for six consecutive seasons, and was the First Division's top scorer in the 1967–68 season. Over the next decade he went into an increasingly rapid decline, drifting between several clubs, including spells in South Africa, Ireland, United States, Scotland, and Australia.
Jewish Guild (1974)
Playing only five competitive matches for
Jewish GuildThe Jewish Guild is a social club in South Africa that was founded in the late 19th century. In its heyday, they fielded a football side that came runners up in the South African cup competition and even fielded George Best.-History:...
in South Africa, Best endured criticism for missing several training sessions. During his short time there, he was the main draw attracting thousands of spectators to the matches.
Cork Celtic (1975)
Best had a brief spell at
Cork CelticCork Celtic F.C. were a Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1959 and 1979 and played their home games at Turners Cross. The club had previously played in the league as Evergreen United...
in December 1975. He played only three league games, against Drogheda United,
BohemiansBohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
and
ShelbourneShelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
, but despite attracting big crowds he failed to score or impress. Being on a rolling contract with Cork his failure to show for a game saw him being dropped and subsequently leaving the club.
Fulham (1976–1977)
Best had a brief resurgence in form with
FulhamFulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in 1976–77, showing that, although he had lost some of his pace, he retained his skills. His time with the Cottagers is particularly remembered for a second division match against
Hereford UnitedHereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
on 25 September 1976 in which he tackled his own teammate, and old drinking mate,
Rodney MarshRodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
. Best stated later in life that he enjoyed his time most while at Fulham, despite not winning any honours.
United States (1976–1981)
Best played for three clubs in the United States:
Los Angeles AztecsThe Los Angeles Aztecs were a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81. The team was based in Los Angeles, California and part-owned by Elton John.-History:...
, Fort Lauderdale Strikers and later San Jose Earthquakes; he also played for the
Detroit ExpressThe Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...
on a European tour. Best revelled in the anonymity the United States afforded him after England and was a success on the field, too, scoring 15 goals in 24 games in his first season with the Aztecs and named as the NASL's best midfielder in his second. He and manager Ken Adam opened "Bestie's Beach Club" (now called "The Underground" after the London subway system) in Hermosa Beach, California in the 1970s, and continued to operate it until the 1990s.
Hibernian (1979–1981)
Best caused a stir when he returned to the UK to play for the Scottish club
HibernianHibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
. Hibs, who were suffering a decline in fortunes and were heading for
relegationIn many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the
Premier DivisionThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
, signed Best on a "pay per play" basis after the club chairman, Tom Hart, received a tip-off from an
Edinburgh Evening NewsThe Edinburgh Evening News is a local newspaper based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is published daily . It has a circulation of 68,000 and is owned by Johnston Press, which also owns The Scotsman and many regional titles throughout the UK.Much of the copy contained in the Evening News concerns local...
reporter that he was available. Even though Best failed to save Hibs from relegation, gates increased dramatically, as Hibs' attendance quadrupled for his first match at
Easter RoadEaster Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
. One infamous incident saw Best initially sacked by Hibs after he went on a massive drinking session with the
French rugby teamThe France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, who were in
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to play
ScotlandThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. He was brought back a week later.
Best returned to the USA to play for San Jose Earthquakes in what was officially described as a "loan", though he only managed a handful of appearances for Hibs in the
First DivisionThe Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
in the following season. He returned one last time to Easter Road in 1984, for
Jackie McNamara'sJackie McNamara is a retired Scottish professional footballer who played for Cumbernauld United, Celtic, Hibernian and Greenock Morton. His son – Jackie McNamara, Jr...
testimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
against
NewcastleNewcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. In his third season in the States, Best scored only once in 12 appearances. His moves to Fort Lauderdale and San Jose were also unhappy, as his off-field demons began to take control of his life again. After failing to agree terms with
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 1981, he was invited as a guest player and played three matches for two Hong Kong First Division teams (Sea Bee and Rangers) in 1982.
Bournemouth (1982–1983)
In late 1982,
BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
manager
Don MegsonDonald Harry Megson is an English former footballer and football manager.Don Megson is regarded as one of Sheffield Wednesday's greatest servants. He was signed from Mossley in the Cheshire League by Wednesday in 1952...
signed the 36-year-old Best for the
Football League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
side, and he remained there until the end of the season, when he finally retired from football at the age of 37. The following season
Malcolm AllisonMalcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
apparently persuaded him to sign for
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
but he never made a League appearance for them.
Brisbane Lions (1983)
Best played in a friendly for Newry Town against
Shamrock RoversShamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
in August 1983
before ending his professional career exactly 20 years after joining Manchester United with a brief four-match stint playing for the
Brisbane LionsQueensland Lions Football Club is an football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-History:The club was founded in 1957 as Hollandia-Inala Soccer Club by Dutch immigrants. From the start they were based at grounds in the Brisbane suburb of Richlands, where they still play...
in the
Australian National Soccer LeagueThe National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
during the 1983 season.
He also was a guest player for an exhibition match between Dee Why Football Club and Manly Warringah held on 27 July 1983. Dee Why won the match 2-1, with Best having scored the winning goal. www.dyfc.com.au
Testimonial (1988)
On 8 August 1988, a testimonial match was held for Best at
Windsor ParkWindsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
. Among the crowd were Sir Matt Busby and Bob Bishop, the scout who discovered Best, while those playing included Ossie Ardiles,
Pat JenningsPatrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...
and
Liam BradyLiam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....
. Best scored twice, one goal from outside the box, the other from the penalty spot.
International career
He was capped 37 times for
Northern IrelandThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, scoring nine goals. Of his nine international goals four were scored against
CyprusThe Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
and one each against
AlbaniaThe Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
,
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
,
ScotlandThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
,
SwitzerlandThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and
TurkeyThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
.
On 15 May 1971, Best scored possibly the most famous "goal" of his career at
Windsor ParkWindsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
in Belfast against
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. As
Gordon BanksGordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
, the English goalkeeper, released the ball in the air in order to kick the ball downfield, Best managed to kick the ball first, which sent the ball high over their heads and heading towards the open goal. Best outpaced Banks and headed the ball into the empty goal, but the goal was disallowed by referee Alistair Mackenzie.
Best continued to be selected for Northern Ireland throughout the 1970s, despite his fluctuating form and off pitch problems. There were still glimpses of his genius; in 1976, Northern Ireland were drawn against
the NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in
RotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
as one of their
1978 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 107 teams entered the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
matches. The Netherlands, who were runners-up in the
1974The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
and
1978The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
World Cups, and their star player,
Johan CruyffHendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
, were at their peak at the time. Five minutes into the game Best received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. Best took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet – nutmegging arguably the best player in the world at that time.
Best was considered briefly by manager
Billy BinghamWilliam Laurence "Billy" Bingham, MBE is a former international footballer and football manager. He is currently a scout for English Football League Championship side Burnley....
for the 1982 World Cup, but at the age of 36 and his football skills dulled by age and drink, he was not selected in the Northern Ireland squad.
International goals
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 |
14 November 1964 |
LausanneLausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
|
|
1–1 |
1–2 |
1966 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
|
| 2 |
25 November 1964 |
Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
|
|
1–1 |
2–3 |
1965 British Home Championship The 1965 British Home Championship was an outright victory for the English football team in the run up to the 1966 FIFA World Cup which was held in the country...
|
| 3 |
7 May 1965 |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|
4–0 |
4–1 |
1966 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
|
| 4 |
13 October 1968 |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|
1–1 |
4–1 |
1966 FIFA World Cup qualificationA total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
|
| 5 |
21 April 1970 |
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
|
|
1–3 |
1–3 |
1970 British Home Championship The 1970 British Home Championship Home Nations international football tournament was a heavily contested series which contradicted the common view that it would be little more than a warm-up for the English team prior to the 1970 FIFA World Cup, at which they were to defend the title they had won...
|
| 6 |
3 February 1971 |
Nicosia Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
|
|
3–0 |
3–0 |
UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying |
| 7 |
21 April 1971 |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|
2–0 |
5–0 |
UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying |
| 8 |
21 April 1971 |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|
3–0 |
5–0 |
UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying |
| 9 |
21 April 1971 |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
|
4–0 |
5–0 |
UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying |
Club
Manchester United
- Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(2): 1965, 1967
- European Cup
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 1968
Individual
- European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
: 1968The 1968 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to George Best on 24 December 1968.Best was the first Northern Irish national to win the award...
- Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
: 1968
- PFA
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
England League Team of the Century (1907 to 2007): 2007
- Professional Footballers Association: ALL STAR Award Winner Division 2 (Fulham) 1977
- Freeman
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Castlereagh, 2002
- Inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
, 2002
- Honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast, 2001
- PFA Special Merit Award, for his services to football, 2006
Career statistics
| Club |
Season |
League |
Cup |
League Cup |
Continental |
Other1 |
Total |
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
|
1963–64 |
17 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
– |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
6 |
| 1964–65 |
41 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
– |
11 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
59 |
14 |
| 1965–66 |
31 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
– |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
43 |
17 |
| 1966–67 |
42 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
– |
0 |
0 |
45 |
10 |
| 1967–68 |
41 |
28 |
2 |
1 |
– |
9 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
53 |
32 |
| 1968–69 |
41 |
19 |
6 |
1 |
– |
6 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
55 |
22 |
| 1969–70 |
37 |
15 |
8 |
6 |
8 |
2 |
– |
0 |
0 |
53 |
23 |
| 1970–71 |
40 |
18 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
– |
0 |
0 |
48 |
21 |
| 1971–72 |
40 |
18 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
3 |
– |
0 |
0 |
53 |
26 |
| 1972–73 |
19 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
– |
0 |
0 |
23 |
6 |
| 1973–74 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
– |
0 |
0 |
12 |
2 |
| Total |
361 | 137 | 46 | 21 | 25 | 9 | 34 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 470 | 179 |
Dunstable TownDunstable Town have always been associated with Royal Blue and White, in a number of combinations. Unlike some of the larger clubs who hold an identity with one particular pattern, Dunstable have had stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, pin stripe and plain shirts...
|
1974–75 |
5 |
0 |
|
|
– |
– |
|
|
|
|
| Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
|
1975–76 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
– |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
| Cork Celtic Cork Celtic F.C. were a Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1959 and 1979 and played their home games at Turners Cross. The club had previously played in the league as Evergreen United...
|
1975–76 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles AztecsThe Los Angeles Aztecs were a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81. The team was based in Los Angeles, California and part-owned by Elton John.-History:...
|
1976 |
23 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FulhamFulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
|
1976–77 |
32 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
|
| 1977–78 |
10 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
|
| Total |
42 | 8 | | | | | Los Angeles Aztecs
| 1977 |
20 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1978 |
12 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
32 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers |
1978 |
9 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1979 |
19 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
28 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hibernian Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
|
1979–80 |
13 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1980–81 |
4 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
17 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Jose Earthquakes |
1980 |
26 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1981 |
30 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
56 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | |
BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
|
1982–83 |
5 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
– |
|
|
|
|
| Brisbane Lions Queensland Lions Football Club is an football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-History:The club was founded in 1957 as Hollandia-Inala Soccer Club by Dutch immigrants. From the start they were based at grounds in the Brisbane suburb of Richlands, where they still play...
|
1983 The National Soccer League 1983 season was the seventh season of the National Soccer League in Australia. The champions were St George, winning the title on the last day of the season from Sydney City SC.-League table:-Individual awards:...
|
4 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Career total |
579 | 204 | | | | | | | | | | |
1Includes other competitive competitions, including Charity ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
and the Intercontinental CupThe European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
.
|-
|1964||6||2
|-
|1965||6||1
|-
|1966||1||0
|-
|1967||1||0
|-
|1968||1||1
|-
|1969||4||0
|-
|1970||4||1
|-
|1971||6||4
|-
|1972||2||0
|-
|1973||1||0
|-
|1974||0||0
|-
|1975||0||0
|-
|1976||2||0
|-
|1977||3||0
|-
!Total||37||9
|}
Post-football careers
In the late 1980s, Best narrated
Streaker, a
documentaryDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on the
streakingStreaking is the act of running nude through a public place.-History:On 5 July 1799, a Friday evening at 7 o'clock, a naked man was arrested at the Mansion House, London, and sent to the Poultry Compter...
phenomenon, discussing the careers of people such as
Erica RoeErica Roe, , also known as the Twickenham Streaker, is remembered for a topless run across the pitch of Twickenham Stadium during an England vs. Australia rugby union match on 2 January 1982. It has been described by the BBC as "[p]erhaps the most famous of all streaks"...
and
Sheila NichollsSheila Elizabeth Nicholls is a British singer-songwriter, now residing in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California.-Early years:...
.
In 1998, Best became a football pundit on the
Sky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
live show
Soccer SaturdayGillette Soccer Saturday is a weekly television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the football season. The programme updates viewers on the progress of association football games in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday afternoons. The current host is...
. His last appearance on the show was in 2004.
In November 2004, 58-year-old Best agreed to join Premier League club
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
as a youth coach, citing his desire to get involved in football again.
Personal life
Best was married twice, first to
Angela MacDonald-JanesAngie Best is a former Playboy Bunny and model, probably best known as the first ex-wife of footballer George Best.- Biography :...
(1978–1986). They had a son,
CalumCalum Milan Best is a British-American former fashion model turned celebrity, and television personality.-Career:...
, who was born in 1981. He married
Alex PurseyAlexandra "Alex" Best , born Alexandra Pursey, is a former air hostess, model and the second ex-wife of footballer George Best, who was her senior by 26 years. She married Best in 1995 in Kensington and Chelsea, London. The couple divorced in 2004; the same year that she appeared in I'm a...
in 1995 in
Kensington and ChelseaThe Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
, London. They divorced in 2004; they had no children. He is reported to have had two daughters by other women. His niece by marriage is actress
Samantha JanusSamantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer and director, both on television and stage. In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Branning in EastEnders, but made her name in the early 1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and also represented the United Kingdom in...
, who is the daughter of Angie MacDonald-Janes' brother.
In 2004, his second wife
Alex BestAlexandra "Alex" Best , born Alexandra Pursey, is a former air hostess, model and the second ex-wife of footballer George Best, who was her senior by 26 years. She married Best in 1995 in Kensington and Chelsea, London. The couple divorced in 2004; the same year that she appeared in I'm a...
appeared as a contestant on the reality television programme
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and alleged that Best was
violentDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
towards her during their marriage. This issue was, in fact, covered in Best's authorised 1998
biographyA biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
"
Bestie" in which Alex claimed that Best punched her in the face on more than one occasion, something which Best never denied. Earlier in the book it is revealed that George struck another of his girlfriends, Mary, at least once and was arrested and charged with
assaultIn law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
on a waitress, Stevie Sloniecka, in November 1972, when he fractured her nose in Reuben's nightclub, Manchester. He was successfully defended when the case reached court in January 1973 by barrister
George CarmanGeorge Alfred Carman, QC , was a leading English barrister of the 1980s and 1990s. He first came to the attention of the general public in 1979, when he successfully defended the former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe after he was charged with conspiracy to murder...
QC, a close drinking companion of Best, as acknowledged in his book,
Scoring at Half Time.
Frank Evans, a former business partner of Best, claimed in his 2009 book,
The Last British Bullfighter, that Carman offered a Manchester gangster "pots of cash" in 1973 to break Best's legs when he discovered that Best had been having an affair with his second wife, Celia. Carman's offer was rejected with the following warning by the gangster: "I don't sort out domestic disputes and I'm not going to harm George [Best]. So you can take your money and go somewhere else. But I'll tell you this – if any harm comes to George I'll know who did it and I'll come after you."
Alcoholism
Best suffered from alcoholism for most of his adult life, leading to numerous controversies and, eventually, his death.
In 1981, while playing in the United States, Best stole money from the handbag of a woman he did not know in order to fund a drinking session. "We were sitting in a bar on the beach, and when she got up to go to the toilet I leaned over and took all the money she had in her bag."
In 1984, Best received a three-month prison sentence for drunk driving, assaulting a police officer and failing to answer bail. He spent
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 1984 behind bars and turned out as a player for
Ford Open PrisonHM Prison Ford is a Category D men's prison, located at Ford, in West Sussex, England, near Arundel and Littlehampton. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
.
In September 1990, Best appeared on an edition of primetime
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
chat show
WoganWogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
in which he was clearly drunk and swore, at one point saying to the host, "Terry, I like screwing". He later apologised and said this was one of the worst episodes of his alcoholism.
Best was diagnosed with severe liver damage in March 2000. In August 2002, he had a successful liver transplant at King's College Hospital in London. The transplant was performed at public expense on the
NHSThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
, a decision which was controversial due to Best's alcoholism. The controversy was reignited in 2003 when he was spotted openly drinking white
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
spritzerA spritzer is a tall, chilled drink, usually made with white wine and seltzer or club soda.-Origin and variations:Spritzer is derived from the variant of the German language spoken in Austria, where the drink is very popular. It is used alongside the equally common form Gespritzter A spritzer is a...
s.
On 2 February 2004, Best was convicted of another drunk driving offence and banned from driving for 20 months.
Illness and death
Best continued to drink, and was sometimes seen at his local
pubA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in
SurbitonSurbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
,
Greater LondonGreater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. On 3 October 2005 Best was admitted to intensive care at the private
Cromwell HospitalThe Cromwell Hospital is a private sector hospital located in the South Kensington area of London. The hospital was founded on 29 April 1981. The Cromwell Hospital has at various times been owned by the Bank of Credit & Commerce International and the Abu Dhabi royal family.The footballer George...
in London, suffering from a
kidneyThe kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
infection caused by the side effects of immuno-suppressive drugs used to prevent his body from rejecting his transplanted liver. On 27 October, newspapers stated that Best was close to death and had sent a farewell message to his loved ones. Best's condition improved at first, but deteriorated again in November. On 20 November the British tabloid
News of the WorldThe News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
published a picture of Best at his own request, showing him in his hospital bed, along with what was reported to be his final message: "Don't die like me".
Best's "farewell" message was seen as a way of warning others not to risk suffering a similar fate as a result of alcoholism.
In the early hours of 25 November 2005 treatment was stopped; he eventually died, aged 59, after a battle that lasted longer than doctors had expected, at 13:06 GMT that day as a result of a
lungThe human lungs are the organs of respiration in humans. Humans have two lungs, with the left being divided into two lobes and the right into three lobes. Together, the lungs contain approximately of airways and 300 to 500 million alveoli, having a total surface area of about in...
infection and multiple organ failure.
The
FA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
announced that a minute's silence would be observed before all Premier League games to be held over the weekend of his death; this was ignored at many grounds, in favour of a minute's applause in his honour. The first match at Old Trafford after Best's death was a League Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion, the club against which he made his début for Manchester United in 1963. The match, which United won, was preceded by tributes from former team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton. Best's son Calum and former team-mates, surviving members from the West Bromwich Albion 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 held aloft pictures of Best, which were given out before the match.
Funeral
His body left the family home at Cregagh Road, East Belfast, shortly after 10 a.m. UTC on Saturday, 3 December 2005. The cortege then travelled the short distance to Stormont. The route was lined with around 100,000 mourners. There was an 11 a.m. service in the Grand Hall relayed to around 25,000 mourners inside the grounds of Stormont. As the cortege left Stormont, the Gilnahirk pipe band played. The Funeral was live on several TV stations including
BBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. Afterward, Best was buried beside his mother Annie Elizabeth Kelly in a private ceremony at the hill-top Roselawn Cemetery, overlooking east Belfast.
Memorials
Belfast City Airport was renamed
George Best Belfast City AirportGeorge Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
as a tribute to Best. The official new name and signage was unveiled to a gathering of the Best family and friends at the airport on 22 May 2006 which would have been his 60th birthday.
Public opinion in Northern Ireland about the renaming of the airport was divided, with one poll showing 52% in favour and 48% against.
Democratic Unionist PartyThe Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP) deputy leader and East Belfast Member of Parliament
Peter RobinsonPeter David Robinson is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party...
, in whose constituency Belfast City airport is situated, stated that his preference was a sports stadium be named after Best. The move generated negative comments beyond Northern Ireland.
In March 2006, airline
FlybeFlybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
, named a
Dash 8 (Q400) plane
The George Best. The aircraft was later used to carry Best's family across to the
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
memorial service for Best.
In June 2006, Sarah Fabergé, great-granddaughter of Russian Imperial Jeweller Carl Fabergé was commissioned to create the George Best Egg, in tribute. A strictly limited edition of 68 eggs were produced, with all profits from the sale of the eggs going to the George Best Foundation. The first egg from the collection is now on permanent public display at the George Best Airport.
For the first anniversary of his death,
Ulster BankUlster Bank is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities, Ulster Bank Limited and Ulster Bank Ireland Limited...
issued one million commemorative five pound notes. The notes sold out in five days. The notes sold on the online auction site
eBayeBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for up to £30.
Current plans for a new national stadium for Northern Ireland near
LisburnDemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
include a proposed statue of Best as one of several celebrating sporting heroes from the country. These statues would surround the main sporting arena and Best would be joined by rugby player
Willie John McBrideWilliam James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17...
,
Gaelic FootballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
player
Cormac McAnallenCormac McAnallen was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Tyrone. He won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship with the county in 2003, also winning the Ulster Senior Football Championship twice and two National League titles. At underage level he won an All-Ireland Minor and two...
,
OlympicThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist
Mary PetersDame Mary Elizabeth Peters, DBE, DL is a former British athlete, competing mainly in the pentathlon and shot put.-Biography:Mary Peters was born in Halewood, Lancashire, but moved to Ballymena at age eleven...
,
Grand NationalThe Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
winner
Richard DunwoodyThomas Richard Dunwoody MBE is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey, riding 1699 British winners in his career. His father was a leading Point to Point rider...
,
Grand PrixFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver
Eddie IrvineEdmund "Eddie" Irvine, Jr. is a former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He grew up in Conlig, County Down, and was influenced by his parents, who were also involved in motor racing...
, Motor cycle World champion
Joey DunlopWilliam Joseph "Joey" Dunlop, OBE , was a world champion motorcyclist from Ballymoney in Northern Ireland, best known for road racing. Referred to throughout the sport as "Joey", in 2005 he was voted the fifth greatest motorcycling icon ever by Motorcycle News...
and
snookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
world champion
Alex HigginsAlexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
.
In December 2006 the
George Best Memorial Trust launched a fund-raising drive to raise £200,000 in subscriptions to pay for a life-size bronze sculpture of George Best. By 2008 the money had still not been raised until a local developer, Doug Elliott, announced on 29 January 2008, that he would put up the rest of the money and would manage delivery of the project.
In popular culture
George Best's autobiographies include:
- Bestie (co-written with Joe Lovejoy),
- The Good, The Bad and The Bubbly (with Ross Benson)
- Blessed: The Autobiography (with Roy Collins)
- George Best: A Celebration (Bernie Smith and Maureen Hunt)
- Scoring at Half Time (with Martin Knight
Martin Knight is a British author born in Epsom in Surrey in 1957 mainly associated with working class culture and football literature. In 1999 "Hoolifan" and "The Naughty Nineties" were released; both books dealing with the subject, culture and history of football hooliganism. Knight was co-author...
).
- Hard Tackles and Dirty Baths
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, while at the peak of his career, Best advertised
CookstownCookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
Sausages on TV with the phrase "the Best family sausages". In 2007 a memorial plaque was placed outside the pork factory in the
County TyroneHistorically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
town.
In the year 1970, German avantgarde film director Hellmuth Costard made a film entitled "Fußball wie noch nie", translated into English as "Football like never before". The film shows only Best, filmed from 8 cameras, during a regular Manchester United match. The film was screened in the year 1971 by German public broadcast ARD.
Best had a
cameoA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as himself in the 1971 British comedy film
PercyPercy is a British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas starring Hywel Bennett, Denholm Elliott, Elke Sommer and Britt Ekland.Percy , an innocent and shy young man, is hit by a nude man falling from a high-rise building while carrying a chandelier...
.
In 1984 Best made a fitness album with
Mary StavinMary Ann-Catrin Stävin is a Swedish actress, model, and a former Miss World. She was born in Örebro, Sweden. She returned to judge the Miss World contest in 1980 and 2010.-Acting career:...
called
Shape Up and DanceShape Up and Dance was the umbrella name for a popular series of exercise instruction albums released in the United Kingdom between 1982 and 1984, during the 1980s aerobics craze. The albums were choreographed by Christina Brooke and each one was presented by a different well known personality from...
.
A warts-and-all biopic simply entitled
BestBest is a 2000 British film portraying the football career of the Northern Irish soccer star George Best, particularly his years spent at Manchester United...
was released in the year 2000. The Mary McGuckian directed film starred
John LynchJohn Lynch is an Irish actor from Northern Ireland.-Biography:John Lynch was born in the United Kingdom and moved to his father's native home in Corrinshego, County Armagh, near Newry, County Down in Northern Ireland as a child. He attended St Colman's College, Newry, a Catholic school...
as George Best,
Ian BannenIan Bannen was a Scottish character actor and occasional leading man.-Early life and career:Bannen was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, the son of Clare and John James Bannen, a lawyer. Bannen served in the British Army after attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College,...
as
Matt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
,
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
as
Rodney MarshRodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
,
Linus RoacheLinus William Roache is an English actor.-Early life:Roache was born in Manchester, the son of Coronation Street actor William Roache and actress Anna Cropper. Roache was educated at Bishop Luffa Church of England School in Chichester, West Sussex and at the independent Rydal School in Colwyn Bay,...
as
Denis LawDenis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
, and
Jerome FlynnJerome Flynn is an English actor best known for his role as Corporal Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier....
as
Bobby CharltonSir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
. The film also featured
Patsy KensitPatricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
and
Sophie DahlSophie Dahl , born Sophie Holloway, is an English author and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandparents were actor Stanley Holloway and...
as Best's love interests.
Best was released in UK cinemas on 12 May 2000, and was subsequently released on Region 2
PALPAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on 27 January in the year 2003 by Mosaic Movies.
Indie rock band
The Wedding PresentThe Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
named their first album after him. He is featured on the cover wearing his red Manchester United kit.
Best has been mentioned in numerous other songs, television shows and internet articles. It has been reported that George was the inspiration for
Dedicated Follower of Fashion, by
The KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, and most recently inspired the song
Where Did It All Go Wrong Mr Best? on the 2008 album
Bingo by
Rinaldi SingsRinaldi Sings is the stage name used by Steve Rinaldi, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose orchestrated pop music prompted the New Musical Express to describe him in 2004 as a "cocksure 20th Century Scott Walker".- Background :...
.
Leading the way in popular culture through the 1960s and early 1970s, as well as recognised worldwide, it is no surprise that the legacy left by George Best has ensured that items connected with him are now highly collectable. In January 2010, a previously unknown collection of Best memorabilia and photographs was discovered in a house in
WorsleyWorsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
,
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
See also
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award is an award given annually as part of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony each December. The award is given to a sportsperson "who has made a major impact on the world of sport during their lifetime". The winner is...
- Grosvenor Grammar School
Grosvenor Grammar School is a co-educational controlled Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This inter-denominational school, with an increasingly multi-cultural population and outlook, has a staff of 73 full-time teachers....
- UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll
The UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll is the popular name for an online poll conducted in 2004 by UEFA as part of their Golden Jubilee celebrations, celebrating the best European footballers from the fifty previous years. The poll, available on UEFA's website, asked respondents to pick their ten favorite...
External links
- George Best - FIFA.com Classic Player profile
- English Football Hall of Fame Profile
- The George Best Foundation
- Football legend George Best dies from the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- United in grief for a tragic hero – The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Was George the Best? – BBC
- George Best Profile at CultureNorthernIreland.org
- George Best Manchester United photo 1, biography & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- George Best Manchester United photo 2, biography & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- George Best Hibernian photo, biography & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- George Best Fulham photo, biography & stats at sporting-heroes.net
- George Best Player Profile – A true genius
- One on One George Best Interview with Four Four Two
- George Best, Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database
- NASL stats
- www.ihibs.co.uk player profile