George Best

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ArmchairDiehard
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George Best

Post by ArmchairDiehard » Wed Nov 25, 2015 5:28 pm

Today marks the tenth anniversary of his death.

I'm sure some on here will have memories of him from his playing days.

My old man is a United fan, and still maintains that Best is the greatest player that he's ever since.

It seems there are plenty that share those views.

Anyone on here old enough to remember him? :lol:
Quakerz wrote:
stayhigh13 wrote:I would hazard a guess as someone with a long throw who is also tall.
What about Steve Backley?

Feethams 1966
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Re: George Best

Post by Feethams 1966 » Wed Nov 25, 2015 6:55 pm

Well I'm nearly 60 and I remember him OK. Although I have no allegiance to any club apart from ours, I'd say he was the greatest British player in my time. Obviously this is subjective but I'd put him ahead of the Charltons, Bobby Moore, Rooney or anybody else.
Why? Because he was such an artist with the ball. Just as the Beatles made pop music look easy, he made scoring goals look simple. He didn't need to pass the ball when confronted with an opponent, he just dropped the shoulder and left his adversary on the floor as if he wasn't there. A one on one with a goalie was no contest; he could even score with his back to goal. Best by name and Best by nature IMO, just an amazing talent and so sad that it all fizzled out before it should have done.

lo36789
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Re: George Best

Post by lo36789 » Fri Nov 27, 2015 12:22 pm

I have only been able to see old clips but he did look pretty unstoppable.

It is all comparative. The defenders will have been less fit/more hungover/more powered by cigarettes than todays, but then so was he!

Feethams 1966
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Re: George Best

Post by Feethams 1966 » Fri Nov 27, 2015 7:29 pm

Best would probably have scored more goals if he was up against today's defenders with today's refereeing standards. That's because in his day he was playing against defenders who were allowed to get away with murder and often the only way to stop him was to hack him down. At one stage in his career he pleaded for protection from referees - it didn't get him anywhere. When I watch Messi and Ronaldo on TV, I don't see either of them approaching Best's standard.
He wasn't short of confidence. From his autobiography as he took the field to play in the 1968 European Cup Final, he said:
"As I came out of the tunnel at Benfica I heard the loudest noise from any crowd I had heard before; it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I thought to myself this is the stage I was meant to play on. They had Eusabio in their side, he had just been crowned European player of the year. Well I thought, I'll show him".
And he did too, going on to score in a famous victory exactly 10 years after the team were decimated in the Munich air disaster. Incidentally, Ray Wood, the Man Utd goalkeeper who survived that crash, was signed from Darlington.
Unfortunately Bestie said he couldn't remember much about the celebrations after the match - I wonder why.
Whether Best was better than Stanley Matthews or some of the earlier greats, I couldn't say. But as I said before, it's all subjective. One word I'd use to sum him up - mesmerising.

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fozzovmurton
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Re: George Best

Post by fozzovmurton » Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:22 am

Definately the best British Player produced in the last 50 years...

I always liked Gazza during my own lifetime, but everybody I talk to...My dad, granddad, my mate who is a local shopkeeper all say the same, George Best is among the greatest players ever...

I have been to Belfast a few times and there was a mural there of George Best, with the words Maradona Good...Pele Good...George BEST

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