George Best
George Best was a legendary Northern Irish footballer born on May 22, 1946, in Belfast. He is often celebrated as one of the most talented players in soccer history, particularly for his time with Manchester United, a club he joined as a teenager after being scouted by Bob Bishop. Best gained fame not only for his remarkable skills on the field, including exceptional ball control, speed, and improvisation, but also for his striking appearance, which contrasted with the traditional image of soccer players at the time. His most notable achievement came in 1968 when he helped Manchester United secure the European Champions Cup, scoring two goals in the final and earning accolades as both the English footballer of the year and the European player of the year.
Despite his immense talent, Best struggled with the pressures of fame and the expectations that came with it, leading to erratic behavior on and off the field. After leaving Manchester United in 1973, he played for various clubs, including teams in the North American Soccer League and lower divisions of English soccer, before retiring. Best's later years included work as a youth coach and occasional commentary, but he faced personal challenges, including struggles with alcohol addiction, which ultimately led to his death from an alcohol-related illness in 2005. His passing was met with widespread mourning, reflecting his significant impact on both the sport and popular culture, akin to the influence of the Beatles in music.
George Best
Soccer Player
- Born: May 22, 1946
- Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Died: November 25, 2005
- Place of death: London, England
Sport: Soccer
Early Life
George Best was born on May 22, 1946, in Belfast, the main city of Northern Ireland. His background was typical of soccer’s blue-collar origins and social status in Europe. To many youngsters growing up in the economically depressed industrial hinterlands of the British Isles, soccer offered a means of escape. George had numerous examples of boys with origins even less promising than his own on which to base his own dreams of stardom in England. George played schoolboy soccer for the local Creggagh Boys’ Club, where his talent came to the attention of Bob Bishop, the legendary and influential Manchester United scout. Bishop was instrumental in signing fifteen-year-old George to what, in the early-to-mid-1960’s, was the most glamorous soccer club in England, Manchester United.
The Road to Excellence
George’s inclusion in United’s first team created an immediate impact. His slight build and flowing long, black hair caused controversy. Some thought that the looks of “swinging London” had invaded the conservative domain of soccer. George’s skill soon silenced the critics. Despite his youth and small size, George managed to mesmerize his more experienced opponents. He possessed uncanny control of the ball and had the body control to go with it. Though George lacked the prowess in the air of his teammate Denis Law, he compensated by beating defenders with speed and dexterity of foot. Like Law, George was gifted with a sense of improvisation, finding ways to score goals from the most slender of opportunities. He could distribute the ball as expertly as he could complete a sequence with a goal. His shot on goal was typically well placed rather than fast or explosive. He brought all these skills with him from Belfast. With the surge of interest that soccer received from England’s victory in the 1966 World Cup, George’s name was on everybody’s lips. He was one of the few players of his day in England whom people not otherwise interested in soccer went to a game to see. During his rise to stardom, George also had to learn to temper his on-field behavior. He was often accused of taunting opponents by the way he went past them; however, he was often expected to tolerate persistent and brutal fouling as if it were a natural part of the game. He may also have had problems adjusting to English life and handling stardom while still a teenager.
The Emerging Champion
George won a Football Association Cup Medal and a Football League Championship Medal with Manchester United. His most memorable performance for the club, however, came in the European Champions Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London, in 1968. United beat Benfica of Lisbon, 4-1, in overtime, with George scoring two goals. In 1968, he was named both English footballer of the year and European player of the year. Although he continued to play well for a number of years after this triumph, his inspirational moments became progressively fewer and farther apart.
George’s increasing lack of interest in soccer and his increasing lack of respect for his skills was reflected in his international career. He played 34 times for Northern Ireland, a modest total of appearances in view of his ability to change the course of a game with just a simple body feint. Even more disappointing was his meager total of nine goals in international games.
Continuing the Story
Distracted by the fame and fortune that his gifts had earned for him, George grew erratic on the field and in the clubhouse. In 1973, he left Manchester United and signed with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League (NASL). With the decline of the NASL, George moved from club to club among the lower divisions of the English League. He played subsequently for Motherwell and Hibernian in Scotland and for Cork Celtic in the League of Ireland before retiring from competitive soccer.
After retiring, George was an occasional soccer commentator for Sky Sports. Near the end of his life, he returned to soccer as a youth coach. On November 25, 2005, George died from an alcohol-related illness. Though he was often criticized for his behavior while under the influence of alcohol, upon word of his death, the citizens of England and Northern Ireland greatly mourned the loss. More than 100,000 people lined the streets to glimpse his funeral procession.
Summary
George Best did for soccer in England what the Beatles did for pop music: He made it socially acceptable to the middle class. For that reason alone, his is a memorable image from a memorable time. His cultural significance should not be emphasized at the cost of overlooking his soccer skills, however. George was arguably the greatest soccer player ever to come out of Ireland and one of the most entertaining European players of his time—when he wanted to be. His grace on the ball and alertness off it, his impudent flicks and bursts of speed, his ability to dribble, and his overall self-confidence were among the most obvious of his fabulous gifts.
Bibliography
Best, Barbara. Our George: A Family Memoir of George Best. London: Macmillan, 2007.
Best, George, and Roy Collins. Blessed: The Autobiography. London: Ebury, 2002.
Martin, Ivan. George Best: The Legend in Pictures. Belfast: Appletree Press, 2006.
Meek, David. George Best: Tribute to a Legend. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005.
Smith, Bernie, and Maureen Hunt. George Best: A Celebration. London: John Blake, 2007.
Williams, Richard. George Best: A Life in the News, from the Pages of the “Guardian” and the “Observer.” London: Aurum, 2006.