Manchester United Legends - George Best

Filed under: Manchester United Football Club

Born: 22 May 1946 in Belfast.

Nickname: El Beatle.

Position: Left wing, right wing.

It is unlikely that any player in the history of the game has ever garnered as much attention, opprobrium and adulation as George Best. For the past 40 years he has enthralled the British public as much through his hell-raising off the pitch as his genius on it. However, despite the controversy that has often followed Best there are few that could deny he is among the most talented figures to ever kick a ball.

Best was born on May 22nd 1946 in Belfast and it was not long before his prodigious footballing abilities began to surface. In 1961 he arrived in Manchester, a skinny teenager, seeking footballing fame with a Manchester United side still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the Munich air disaster which had ripped the heart out of the club and killed so many of its leading players. Despite his early homesickness Best stuck it out at United, and made his debut in a league match against West Bromwich Albion in 1963. The following year Best really started to make his mark and was called up to the Northern Ireland squad for whom he made his debut in a game against Wales at Swansea.

In 1965 Manchester United were crowned English champions and the following season entered the European Cup with much expected of the young Best. He was not to disappoint. In the quarter final Manchester United faced Benfica, the side that had so far dominated the decade and still including such talents as Eusebio and Coluna. United annihilated Benfica 8-3 on aggregate, with Best in astonishing form at the Luz. Best had already been given the title of the “5th Beatle” as reference to his film star looks and crowd pleasing abilities. When he stepped off the plane returning from Lisbon that nickname changed to “El Beatle”, as he was christened by the Iberian media. Despite United being eliminated by Partizan Belgrade in the semis Best was truly starting to be noticed throughout Europe for his mesmeric dribbling skills and his superb touch with both feet.

In 1967 United repeated their league success, and went into the 1968 European Cup hoping to match Celtic’s performances of the year before that had seen them become the first British European Champions. United’s trip to the final provided some superb matches, but none could equal a thrilling Wembley final. Who better for Best to face than Benfica, the team that he had destroyed almost single-handedly two years earlier? In a tight game Bobby Charlton put United ahead before Graca levelled with just 9 minutes remaining. With just seconds left the great Eusebio spurned a golden opportunity to win the game for Benfica and the game went to extra-time. It was to be a costly miss, as early in extra-time Best ghosted past two defenders to put United ahead before Kidd and Charlton added further goals against a demoralised Benfica side. It was a fitting end to a great season for Best, he had been top scorer in the league and was later crowned European Player of the Year following his team-mates Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.

Later in the year though Best was to witness the other side of the “Beautiful Game” as United faced Estudiantes of Argentina in the World Club Cup. Although these games were supposed to be a showcase occasion for the sport, little was done to enrich the reputation of either team. The tone was set for the fist match in Buenos Aires by Nobby Stiles the combative United midfielder being described in the programme notes as “brutal, badly intentioned and a bad sportsman”. Given the ignominious exit of Argentina at the WC in England 2 years earlier it was no surprise that the game would be more than little heated. While many United players were kicked from pillar to post, most notably Stiles, Best was showered with missiles thrown by the home fans. United lost the game 1-0 but the score line was largely immaterial. In the return leg Best was dismissed for fighting in another bruising brutal encounter that eventually ended 1-1.

The winning of the European Cup marked a major change at United in Best’s eyes. “For Matt (Busby) and Bobby Charlton, for Bill Foulkes, for Denis Law … they’d done it. And they sat back and you could almost hear the energy and ambition sighing out of the club. It was like being in at the winding up of a company”, Best later said.

In 1969 Busby retired and returned but his presence haunted the club and only served to undermine future managers as the club desperately sought to maintain the hegemony of the English and European game. Best though while troubled by the off field antics could still turn on the style when needed. In 1970 United played Northampton Town in the FA Cup fifth round, and Best scored 6 as United won 8-2.

In the 1971-2 season United started the well and at one point led the league by a massive 8 points, but their form fell away as they finished a disappointing 8th.

The following years saw Best increasingly lose his passion for both United and football, and in 1973-4 he left the club aged just 27. He was subsequently banned by FIFA until he joined Stockport County and the ban was lifted in 1975. He later joined a succession of clubs including Fulham, for whom he scored after 71 seconds of his debut.

The years after the European Cup victory saw Best increasingly live his life more like a rock star than a footballer and his game was the victim. Best’s career after football was no less eventful than his playing days, but it was somewhat less admirable. In 1984 Best was jailed for 12 weeks for drink driving, assaulting a policeman and failing to answer bail.

Best’s cavalier attitude to the game and reputation as one of the 20th century’s greatest playboys has been cemented by a number of now infamous quotes. Choice among them were “They said I had 5 Miss Worlds but it was only 3” and “I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars, the rest I just squandered”. However, while these have endeared him to so many fans over the years, few would deny that they also represent the incredible talent Best, to some extent, squandered. When he won his European Cup Best was just 22 and had the whole world at his feet, he had the opportunity to prove that he was the game’s finest ever exponent as so many in Britain believe. Instead Best’s career had already fallen apart before he had even reached the age at which most players peak. While there is no denying the incredible performances that Best produced in his pomp, there will always be a sense of what might have been.

The great man finally gave up on October 25th, 2005; as his treatment was stopped and he eventually died.