George Best

I've been reading the obituaries for George Best over the last few hours. I guess it's often this way but it's a mixed experience - sad but full of good memories. I was just a kid (10+) when he was at his peak but I remember him well. If you tried anything too special playing football, someone would say "Who do you think you are - Stanley Matthews?" (Stanley being the great player of ten years before). He was quickly replaced by George Best in that particular snarky comment.

He's obviously tied up in everyone's mind with the whole outburst of life and energy in the sixties in England. He was even called the Fifth Beatle. But more important than that was the fact that he was a fantastic football player. My favorite personal memory is of two goals he scored from corner kicks, I think playing for Man U against maybe Sheffield Wednesday. A spectacular way to score from a corner is to kick the ball directly into the near side of the net. Best did this not once by twice and from opposite sides, thus using his (slightly preferred) right foot, and also his left.

There are lots of good stories now being told, like him deliberately setting out (and succeeding in) nutmeging Johan Cruyff in an international. It was part of Best's story that coming from Northern Ireland, he didn't ever get to play in a World Cup. So he was undoubtedly the Greatest Player Never to Play in a World Cup. He would have been the Greatest Player Ever, I think, apart from the booze.

There are a few good films of him on a great run. Of course he made it look so easy that his opponents often looked foolish or just stationary. I look forward to seeing some of those clips and others today on the TV.


Tim