George Best

George Best was a Football or north-Irish born the May 22nd 1946 with Belfast and deceased the November 25th 2005 with London. It evolved/moved at the station of center-forward and winger. It is one of the sportsmen having more marked the British spirits from its genius, its life and its temperament. It was quoted by Pelé in the list of the 125 best footballers then alive (see FIFA 100), it even declared that Best was the best player than it ever saw evolving/moving. Maradona declared several times that Best was its idol.

George Best evolved/moved at the sides of other legends of football with Manchester United FC, such Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. Loving the alcoholized women, music, sport scars and evenings, that which was called “fifth Beatles” symbolized the swinging sixties . “I was born with a gift and sometimes a gift is accompanied by destroying impulses” said George Best.

Biography

Best is resulting from the working districts of Belfast, it was born from a high level sporting mother, she was international of field hockey, and a working father. His/her mother had a very strong dependence with alcohol, which exploited an enormous part the quasi legendary alcoholism of George Best.

It is at the 15 years age that George Best is discovered with a friend, Eric McMordie, in his birthplace of Belfast by Bob Bishop (then recruiter for the account of Manchester United). This last sends in urgency a telegram to the manager of Manchester Matt Busby simply saying: “I found two young people: a good and a genius”. Best consequently has to pass a one week test to Manchester and convinces Busby in one morning. But at the end of the first day, the two kids decide with the general surprise to return to Belfast and take again the plane, estimating that they had seen some enough. The father of George then calls Matt Busby at once to excuse his son, he will be forgiven without evil by Busby and immediately recruited like apprentice by Joe Armstrong (chief of the recruitment of Manchester). He passes later professional and begins under the colors from the team first from Manchester United in 1963 against West Bromwich Albion with Old Trafford: first balloon and first small bridge on the side unfavourable one, Graham Williams, which will be ridiculed throughout the part by the young left winger.

He is one of the large craftsmen of the championships of England of 1964/65 and of 1966/67 but the world really discovers it at the time of a match of cut of Europe 1966 where he marks a triplet vis-a-vis the Benfica Lisbon of Eusébio (5-1). Its goal at the time of the victorious finale of 1968 (first victory in League of the Champions of an English club and still against Benfica) will install its popularity of Best.

At that time, Old Trafford already saw arriving more than 10.000 letters per week, very for Georgia Boy and brought by van especially chartered by the royal Post office. He will obtain in this year 1968 the Ballon of Gold France Football. Its new statute of star allows him all excesses, it drinks much, spends most clearly its time to have fun the festival and spends of fortunes to the casino.

Short the apogee of career of Best will start to end after the resignation of Matt Busby, this last (with which it had an almost paternal relation) was indeed the only one with being able to channel it. Consequently, its private life encroaches more and more on its career, it forsakes the drives, its level feels some and it presents more and more signs of irritation on the ground, it is it should be noted that it did not hesitate any more to return sometimes drunk over this last.

Physically used and mentally with end, Best hides its kilos in excess under a thick beard and does not obtain the confidence of its new coach Tommy Docherty and of its fellow-members. Willie Morgan, winger Scottish of the club, will say later: “George thought that it was the James Bond foot. It had all that it wanted, the money, the girls, glory. He lived from day to day and of it is always drawn like that. When it missed the drive, people found excuses in his place. It did not have to provide some. It was foutait of all”. The relation was even rather tended with some, in particular since the whole beginning with Bobby Charlton, this last will only appreciate Best with its right value well later (acknowledging that it had been mistaken a long time about it). There remains nevertheless the best striker of the club.

In 1974, then 27 years old, it was made return Manchester United for its various abuses. It disputed its last match with Manchester United on January 1st 1974 against Queens Park Rangers at the stage Loftus Road (match lost 3 to 0).

It made 466 appearances with the Red Devils all competitions confused, registering 178 goals (of which a sextuplet against Northampton Town FC in 1970). He was better striker of his club during six consecutive years and better striker of the English championship at the time of season 1967/68.

After its passage to Manchester, it evolved/moved in clubs second-rate, initially with Dunstable Town then with the Stockport County Football Club and, after only three matches, with the Cork Celtic. It party then with the the United States to carry the shirt of the Los Angeles Aztecs which, in one time of financial crises (for the club as for the American championship), succeeded, thanks to the presence of Best, to find an investor of the name of Elton John. He will meet over there Angie McDonalds, an American signal-model, with which he will settle. In spite of the efforts of the latter, the detoxification therapies and the drugs, Best continued to drink and flame. Best will turn over thereafter with his/her boyfriend in England, it saw on its reputation then share there playing Fulham FC before Angie sets out again with the the United States, exceeded its connections extraconjugales. George runs to him then afterwards until it accepts to marry in 1978. It will rejouera with the Los Angeles Aztecs until the end of the season 1978. At the time of seasons 1979/80 and 1980/1981, Georges Best alternates between the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, the Hibernian FC and the San Jose Earthquakes. In 1981 is born the son from George and Angie: Calum. The last two clubs having seen it playing were Bournemouth in England and Brisbane Lions in Australia, both in 1983. It decides in 1983 to take its retirement at 37 years.

It counts 37 selections with the Northern Ireland, for 9 goals, but forever disputed a match of World cup. He asked on many occasions so that a team of unified Ireland be created but in vain, and this in spite of its immense popularity.

In 1984, George Best is condemned to 3 months of prison for driving under influence of intoxication and aggression on agent. It there will dispute its last matches and will mark its last goals with Ford Open Prison.

Its jubilee was played in 1988 with the Windsor Park with Belfast, it marked two goals then: one apart from the surface and the other of the point of penalty. In the steps were present inter alia Sir Matt Busby and Bob Bishop.

In 1991, it appears completely drunk with an emission of BBC.

He is elected British sportsman of the century in 1995. But this does not change anything with its situation, it is ruined, really any more does not have of fixed residence and had to resell all its trophies. Thanks to the collected money, it is able to buy a small house in Greece.

In 1998, George Best became commentator for Sky Sports.

In 1994, it passes Christmas in prison, after being condemned for driving under influence of intoxication.

In March 2000, first serious alarm of health: the liver is touched. One fears for his life. In February 2001, it is hospitalized for a pneumonia.

Best had undergone a clerk's office of the liver in 2002, but it had quickly relapsed and had gone back to drinking, compromising its health seriously. In 2004, it is again condemned for driving under influence of intoxication is suspended license for 20 months. George Best is hospitalized at the beginning of October in intensive care at the Cromwell hospital of London after an lung infection. Its state then does not cease being degraded. George Best dies the November 25th 2005 of an lung infection at 59 years, taken care by her son, Calum, 24 years, and her father Dickie, 87 years. Its death creates a great emotion in Great Britain. More than 300.000 people (either more than one sixth of the north-Irish population!) accompanied its procession in spite of the rain at the time of its state funeral in Belfast with the sound by Long And Winding Road of Beatles. The airport of Belfast changed name to take that of George Best.

Alcoholism

George Best have during all her life, and this since almost its adolescence, leaning for the alcohol which was transformed following its glory into an alcoholism of most dangerous. Jim Boyce, one of his/her friends, recited during an interview this sentence that Best says to him in 1988: “People do not realize at which point I suffer from my alcoholism. And they do not see the efforts that I endured to try to stop. But I cannot prevent myself from drinking. Unfortunately because of this disease, I at all did not become the person who I wanted to be. And I know that I will be able nothing to never change there. ”

Anecdotes

  • With the last whistle of the finale of 1968 out of Cut of Europe against the Benfica Lisbon, one to support goes down on the lawn armed with a knife for… offering a wick of hair of “fifth Beatles”, it will not finally arrive there because Best runs too quickly.

  • He is the first footballer in to have acquired world the statute of pop-star and the first to have turned in publicities.

  • At 23 years, it is made build a house whose architect has like requirement to put at it an interior swimming pool and a room of billiards, the house resembles final an UFO. At the time of the toothed rack arrive several police cars alerted by the noise, George authorizes the police officers to be taken part in the festival, in a condition: that they will seek additional bottles with the store nearest. The police officers are carried out…

  • It did not hesitate a day to throw mud over a referee at the time of a match with the team of Northern Ireland, it will bail out of a red paperboard.

  • In 1972, Best will leave in full championship to take its “retirement”, hardly 26 years old, following the provisions that its new coach, Franck O' Farrel, takes and test to impose to him. These last begin with two weeks from wages from fines, of the additional training sessions and it has as orders to leave its house for a calmer place. It will end up excusing east will put an end to this “retirement” after less than two weeks of holidays in Spain.

  • At the time of one of the three matches which it disputed with the Cork Celtic it took the ball, dribbla a player, was turned over to vomit and set out again ball with the foot for finally centering.

  • On one of the crowns of flowers deposited on the coffin of Best was registered “Maradona good, Pelé better, Georges best”

Quotations

Best was also known for its prickly quotations.

  • Photographed at the sides of Peeled, it commented on the photograph by a “ me and Peeled, the second best player in the world . ” Peeled Best of “larger of tous" had indeed qualified;.

  • In connection with David Beckham: “It cannot draw from the left foot, it cannot type a ball of the head, it cannot tacler and marks few goals. Besides it is well. ” (“ He boat kick with his left foot, He boat head has ball, He boat tackle and He doesn' T score many goals. Apart from that he' S alright . ”)

  • Well later, Best will not hesitate to qualify David Beckham “ of unijambist . ”

  • “In 1969 I stopped the women and alcohol, that was the 20 hardest minutes of my life. ”

  • After its clerk's office of the liver in 2002 which had required a transfusion of twenty liters blood (40 half-liters, therefore as many pints): Ten hours for forty pints, I beat my 20 minute old record.

  • “I said one day that the IQ of Gazza (alias Paul Gascoigne) was smaller than the number of its shirt and he asked me: “That what is an IQ? ”

  • “I have opera hat much money in alcohol, the girls and the sport scars - the remainder, I wasted it. ”

  • In connection with its passage to the Los Angeles Aztecs: “I had a house at the seaside. But to go to the beach, it was necessary to pass in front of a bar. I never saw the sea”.

  • “At the time, if I had had the choice between inserting four defenders of Liverpool then to plant a goal in the attic window or to put of them one in the cages of Miss Monde, I will have had evil to decide to me. By chance, both arrived to me”

Career

Prize list

  • Cut of Europe of the clubs champions: 1968 with Manchester United
  • Champion of England: 1965 and 1967 with Manchester United
  • Victorious of the cut of England: 1963 with Manchester United
  • Victorious of the Charity Shield: 1965 and 1967 with Manchester United
  • 37 selections for 9 goals with the Northern Ireland.

Distinction

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