George Best

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish football international who is mainly remembered for his time with Manchester United F.C. and widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He played for United between 1963 and 1974, helping them to win the Football League Championship in 1965 and 1967, and the European Cup in 1968. The same year, he was named European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year.

Playing career

George Best was discovered in Belfast by Manchester United Scout Bob Bishop aged 15. He was subsequently given a trial and signed up by chief scout Joe Armstrong in 1961. He turned professional and made his debut for Manchester United in 1963.

He made 466 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, scoring 178 goals (including six in one game against Northampton Town). In 1974, the 27-year-old Best was sacked by United for excessive drinking and persistent failure to attend training sessions and matches. Over the next decade, Best drifted between several football clubs including Fulham, Stockport County, Dunstable Town, Hibernian, Los Angeles Aztecs, San Jose Earthquakes and finally Bournemouth until he retired from the game in 1983 at the age of 37.

He was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland, scoring nine goals. He played mainly as a winger and was known for his dribbling skills and accurate passing.

Best has often been called the most naturally gifted player from the British Isles, rivaled only by Pelé and Diego Maradona on the world stage. Maradona himself has frequently named Best as his all-time favourite player [1]. Pelé once stated that George Best was the best player he ever saw play and named him as one of the 125 best living footballers in his 2004 FIFA 100 list. His talent might have been recognised more on the world stage had his national team not been a relative "minnow" (Best often said that he would like to see a United Ireland soccer team like those in rugby and hockey).

Celebrity

While at Manchester United, Best's talent and showmanship made him a crowd and media favourite. He was dubbed "the fifth Beatle" for his long hair and good looks, but his extravagant celebrity lifestyle led to problems with gambling, womanising and alcoholism. Best often told the story of a bellboy who entered his hotel room with breakfast in the early 1970s. Seeing Best in bed with the current Miss World, a magnum of champagne and several thousand pounds of cash won from a night's gambling, the youth exclaimed, "George, where did it all go wrong?"

In 1984, Best made a keep fit video with former Miss World Mary Stavin called Shape Up And Dance.

In 1988, a testimonial match was held for Best at Windsor Park, Belfast. Amongst the crowd were Sir Matt Busby and players including Ossie Ardiles and Pat Jennings.

In November 2004 Best agreed to join FA Premier League club Portsmouth F.C. as youth coach, citing his desire to get involved in football again.

June 9, 2005 Best was arrested for sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13. He was cleared of all charges on July 6, 2005.

George Best had a son, Calum Best, from his first marriage.

Alcoholism

In 1984, Best received a three-month prison sentence for drunk driving, assaulting a police officer and failing to answer bail. He spent Christmas 1984 behind bars and turned out as a player for Ford Open Prison. In 1991, he appeared on an edition of prime time BBC chat show Wogan in which he swore and was clearly drunk. He later apologised and said this was one of the worst episodes of his alcoholism.

In 2002, he had a liver transplant. In 2003 he was the focus of much criticism when, despite his transplant, he openly drank white wine spritzers and was accused of being selfish and having no regard for other people's feelings.

In 2003, his second wife Alex Best appeared as a contestant on the reality television programme I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! and made allegations about their relationship. On 3 January 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 often seen at his local pub in Petersfield, Hampshire.

On 3 October 2005 Best was admitted to intensive care at the private Cromwell Hospital in London, suffering from kidney problems caused by the side-effects of drugs used to prevent his body from rejecting his transplanted liver. (The drugs specifically suppress the immune system, reducing the chance of rejection, but increasing the risk of other infections).

On 27 October 2005 there were early editions of the morning newspapers which stated that Best was close to death and had sent farewell messages to loved ones. Best's condition did seem to improve, but in November 2005, his condition deteriorated.

On 20 November 2005 the British tabloid News of the World published a picture portraying Best in the hospital bed, along with what was reported to be his final message: "Don't die like me".

In the early hours of 25 November 2005 Best's treatment was stopped; he eventually died, after a valiant battle that lasted longer than doctors had expected, at 12.55pm (GMT) of lung infection and organ failure. [2] [3]. His father, four sisters, brother, son and agent were all at his bedside, as was his ex-United team-mate Denis Law.

The FA Premier League announced that a minute's silence would be observed before all Premiership games to be held over the weekend of his death.

Quotes

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered."
"I used to go missing a lot...Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World..."
(On David Beckham) "He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that he's alright."
"If I had been born ugly, you would never have heard of Pelé"
"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol. It was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
"Pelé called me the greatest footballer in the world. That is the ultimate salute to my life."