George Best Kicks

[Greener]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-112505best_lat,1,3779099.story?coll=la-headlines-sports

George Best, 59; Irish Soccer Great
By Grahame L. Jones, Times Staff Writer


George Best, the Irish soccer prodigy whose brilliance on the field and rock-star lifestyle made him an international celebrity in the 1960s and '70s, died today at Cromwell Hospital in London. He was 59.

The former Manchester United winger had been in failing health for several weeks, and had multiple organ failure coupled with a lung infection and internal bleeding.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Everyone has their own opinion about football and their favorite players," Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. "But in terms of British players, you would find it difficult to think of anyone better."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Best was "the most naturally gifted footballer of his generation."

Best had battled alcoholism for decades and was diagnosed with severe liver damage in 2000. He received a liver transplant in 2002, but later resumed drinking. In 2004, he was banned from driving for 20 months after pleading guilty to drunk driving.

Even with his alcoholism and other woes — he was briefly jailed for assault and encountered gambling and tax problems — Best retained his popularity with fans as well as his standing as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Emerging from the back streets of Belfast in the early 1960s, Best rocketed to fame in the red jersey of Manchester United, ranking alongside Pele of Brazil, Diego Maradona of Argentina, Johan Cruyff of the Netherlands and Franz Beckenbauer of Germany as one of soccer's five unquestioned masters since World War II.

Dubbed "the fifth Beatle" by the press because of his fame and his mop-top haircut, he was the first soccer star to transcend the sport. Long before there was David Beckham, there was Best — tabloid headlines, squealing female fans and all.

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars," he once said. "The rest I just squandered."

Equally notorious was this Best comment: "I used to go missing a lot. Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World "

With the 5-foot-5 Best in the lineup, Manchester United won the English championship in 1965 and 1967. But it was in 1968 that he achieved his greatest fame. He led United to the European Cup, his overtime goal against Benfica in the final at London's Wembley Stadium sparking a 4-1 victory.

It was the first time an English team had won European soccer's most coveted prize. Best was named England's Footballer of the Year and European Player of the Year.

Best was born May 22, 1946, in Belfast, seemingly destined for an athletic career. His father had been an amateur soccer player of some note, and his mother had excelled at field hockey.

His skills were first honed as a boy knocking a tennis ball around Belfast's Cregagh housing area, and later playing pickup games from dawn to dusk with neighborhood youngsters.

By his teens, his gifts as a player had become evident. He was spotted by Bob Bishop, Manchester United's chief scout in Ireland, who, according to legend, sent a telegram to United Coach Matt Busby that read: "I believe I've found you a genius."

Manchester United, still recovering from a 1958 airplane crash in Munich that had wiped out half its team, brought the 15-year-old Best, then just 5 feet tall, to England in 1961.

Signed as an amateur, he turned professional on his 17th birthday and made his debut three months later.

His skills soon won over fans. He played with vision and imagination, his swerving runs leaving defenders bewildered and beaten. Best scored 178 goals in 466 games for United during his 10 years with England's most illustrious club.

At the height of his fame, he received 10,000 letters a week from fans.

Unlike Pele, Maradona and Beckenbauer, who played for their World Cup-winning national teams, Best never reached soccer's quadrennial championship. Appearing in 37 games for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1981, he scored nine goals.

[emperor]

he well and truely drank himself to death...
his father is still goin at 87

[Mulboyne]

I don't think he ever came to Japan; not even for the World Cup. That decision probably added a couple of years to his life.

It is odd watching the tributes to him. The British tabloids have always pushed the line over the years that Best had no redeeming features. Also, there is relatively little footage of him playing at his peak in the late 60's so even his football skills have had to be largely taken on trust by anyone not around to watch him. While obituaries are always likely to stress the positive, it has been quite striking how many of his peers have been adamant that he was a decent, intelligent bloke who just couldn't overcome his chronic alcoholism. Even Bobby Charlton, who played in the same team and was known to dislike him at the time, went to see him in his last days and was moved to tears on camera afterwards. He admitted that he never really understood Best and regretted that no-one knew how to deal with him in the way that professional clubs try to protect their players today.

[emperor]

George Best wants football authorities north and south of the Ireland border to create a combined national team...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/4374631.stm

Theres talk of a combined all-ireland team vs england/or man utd testimonial match in his honour... its a pity the southern irish component wont be able to play to their potential - theyve slipped into mediocrity over the last few months & then failed to qualify for the WC - n.ireland failed to qualify too, but they went out in a blaze of glory - thrashing Portugal in their last match - who ended up actually going through.