in the never ending debate about who the best player to have ever played the game, usually pele v maradona, heres a little anecdote...
not only would i have loved to have seen him play but he wouldve made a great 'guest speaker'....oh the stories he could recite.....
George Best. This sums him up (from an article in the Guardian at the time of his death) :-
In 1976, Northern Ireland were drawn against Holland in Rotterdam as one of their group qualifying matches for the World Cup. Back then the reporters stayed at the same hotel as the team and travelled with them on the coach to the game. As it happened I sat beside George on the way to the stadium that evening.
Holland - midway between successive World Cup final appearances - and Johan Cruyff were at their peak at the time. George wasn't. I asked him what he thought of the acknowledged world number one and he said he thought the Dutchman was outstanding. 'Better than you?' I asked. George looked at me and laughed. 'You're kidding aren't you? I tell you what I'll do tonight... I'll nutmeg Cruyff first chance I get.' And we both laughed at the thought.
A couple of hours later the Irish players were announced one by one on to the pitch. Pat Jennings, as goalkeeper, was first out of the tunnel to appreciative applause. Best, as No 11, was last. 'And now,' revved up the PA guy, 'Number 11, Georgie [long pause] Best.' And out trotted George. Above him, a beautiful blonde reached over with a single, long-stemmed red rose.
Given his nature, his training and his peripheral vision there was no way he was going to miss her or the rose, so he stopped, trotted back, reached up to take the flower, kissed her hand and ran out on to the pitch waving his rose at the punters as the applause grew even louder.
Five minutes into the game he received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air.
Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening
“Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks." Winston Churchill
"The game is about glory, doing things in style and with a flourish, going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
Danny Blanchflower
unfortunate, but correct, just shows you what happens when the booze takes over, he should be in anyones top 5 best players
in brazil maradonna doesn't get a mention, its either garincha or pele
Being Argentinian might have something to do with that
Victor Meldrew wrote:A decent govt..... like uk.
"The game is about glory, doing things in style and with a flourish, going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."
Danny Blanchflower
Con wrote:Saw him at his peak @ the old Olympic Sports Field on the Norwood parade in 1967 versus S.A.
Marvelled at black n white tv footage of him in the Euro Cup final v. Benfica.
Scored an incredible 6 goals in 1 FA cup match.
Said he honed his skills in endless scratch matches as a kid on Belfast waste-grounds.
Genius. RIP
Also saw at this game and it still sticks in my memory as THE game. When you consider who else was on the pitch at the time, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Nobby Stiles etc etc, Man U actually fielded a full strength team that day. 27,000 people turned up, and none went home disappointed.
Bomber, you must be referring to Besty in the 1970s when the booze and the sheilas dragged him down.
If you'd just seen him in the flesh in 1967, and all his brilliant matches for Man.U on the telly
in the late 1960s when he was young and bullet-proof. Busby used to order his troops "just give the ball to Besty".
Bomber wrote:G Best = nowhere near the best. FFS, not even a piss take is amusing me on this one. Good/above average player yes, upper echilons, no!
probably just trying to get a rise out of everyone but you are joking right im not saying he is the best ever but to say he was just good/above average player is a joke he was absolute brilliance at one stage he was untouchable.
Bomber wrote:G Best = nowhere near the best. FFS, not even a piss take is amusing me on this one. Good/above average player yes, upper echilons, no!
probably just trying to get a rise out of everyone but you are joking right im not saying he is the best ever but to say he was just good/above average player is a joke he was absolute brilliance at one stage he was untouchable.
Oh, by the way, how many World Cups did he star in?
Bomber wrote:
Oh, by the way, how many World Cups did he star in?
As many as some of Poland's greats
Personally I have not seen a player with his fluency, determination on the ball, humour and desire to remain on his feet despite those aiming to chop him down......and his self destruct desire.
Bomber wrote:G Best = nowhere near the best. FFS, not even a piss take is amusing me on this one. Good/above average player yes, upper echilons, no!
probably just trying to get a rise out of everyone but you are joking right im not saying he is the best ever but to say he was just good/above average player is a joke he was absolute brilliance at one stage he was untouchable.
Oh, by the way, how many World Cups did he star in?
so does that mean that you are also saying ryan giggs was just a good / above average player becasue he didnt star in a world cup ??????????????
just to put it out there messi hasnt stared in a world cup yet either so look at it as you want
Con wrote:Bomber, you must be referring to Besty in the 1970s when the booze and the sheilas dragged him down.
If you'd just seen him in the flesh in 1967, and all his brilliant matches for Man.U on the telly
in the late 1960s when he was young and bullet-proof. Busby used to order his troops "just give the ball to Besty".
Greatest player I ever saw live was George Best. Sadly unlike Maradonna and Messi his international side was crap so lacked the extra motivation of playing for successful national side.
