'When the football was great and I was playing well, I couldn't wait to get up in the morning and that was the foundation of my life.' George Best in Blessed.
RIP George, 25 November, 2005.
George Best - Manchester United
Be sure to visit the fabulous George Best site by Ian Corry's at the George Best Page
George will qualify as perhaps the most famous person in the entire 70-71 album. As a Leeds fan with no direct memory of the Sixties, his legendary brilliance as the World's most skilful footballer largely passed me by. My first hand memories are more of the troubled fading superstar, who missed training sessions and played for rubbish clubs ... like Fulham :-)
But everyone who follows football learns the George Best stories from both on and off the pitch, and without the natural talent he would never have made the grade as one of football's most glamorous names.
He was a member of the Manchester United side that robbed Leeds of the Championship in 1965, and the Championship side of 1967 that subsequently won the European Cup in 1968 - the first English side to ever do so, and he was named European Footballer of the Year at the same time. Unfortunately, as a Northern Ireland international, he remains probably the greatest player never to play in the World Cup Finals.
Everyone knows what happened next, Man U went down hill, and George's career slipped with it. There were high profile relationships, brushes with the law, naughty words in front of Terry Wogan, but it had little to do with football. Throughout his late and post-football career, George continued to be very media friendly. When George was 50, the UK's national television devoted an evening to him. So the myth continued to grow out of the legend.
Sadly though, George never overcame alcoholism, and after a much publicised liver transplant, began to drink again. Before he reached 60 he died after a long illness. No footballer before him has received as much attention as he did, even in death. His last public photograph was on the News of the World front page the weekend before he died. He wanted people to see it, to warn them of the terrible effects alcohol can have on a person's life.
Now he is at peace we can concentrate on remembering George as one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game. He is often called the football 's first modern celebrity, and that may be why some people know his name, but let history record that he was a footballer first and the first among footballers.
George probably still qualifies as Stockport County's most illustrious name.
George Best
GeorgeBest
Position: Forward
Born: Belfast , 22nd May, 1946. Died 25 November, 2005
English League Appearances
See line up details of every match George ever played in at Tony Brown's George Best MATCH BY MATCH
George Best - 'Off Duty' Thanks to Jim Ross for sending this picture signed by George himself.
See other links on this site ...
First stop has to be Ian Corry's truely excellent whole site completely devoted to George at the George Best Page
Click to see this picture of George by Nick Oldham
Best the Movie : - Read info. about 'Best' the film about George's life that came out in May, 2000. See my review at Review October 2000 and 'Four Four Two's review at September 2000 Review - which includes a still from the film.
Send me a picture of your George Best product !
See picture of George Best as he signs an autograph.
See how readers of Shoot! rated him in their vote of the best player of the last 30 years.
See News on 5th September, 1999.
See a picture of Gerorge Best's 1970 annual.
See what George had to say about David Beckham on January 9th 2000 at News (3) and see how Football 365 interpreted the story.
Read about ex-wife Angie's view of George in April 2000
What number shirt did George wear ? See e-mail August 2000.
See George's Typhoo Tea card.
George's in a new advert see October 2000 news.
There's also a picture of George on Nobby Stiles's page.
George did the FA Cup 2nd round draw, see November 2000 News.
See a picture of George with Elton John at December 2000 News
George has a mention in the film Trainspotting.
George was back in hospital in February 2001
George is holding a fundraiser in March, see February 2001
New video, book, interviews, doctorate, Freedom of Borough and looks ..., see October 2001 News
On telly in the Xmas Marks and Sparks advert, see November 2001 News
George's son, Callum is featured in 'The Times Magazine', see December 2001 News
George is to have a Liver transplant, see December 2001 News
George on Michael Owen, see December 2001 News
See George's picture on the Soccer the International Way 1971, Email February 2002
George takes part in the 2001 Top TV Moments programme, see March 2002
George is in advert for Book Week, see May 2002
George wins the Lifetime Achievement Award at BBC Personality ofthe Year 2002 awards, see December 2002
George is on 2DTV, see December 2002
George Northern Ireland shirt at Sotheby's, see March 2003
See details of George's 6 goals v Northampton in 1970, see The Judge
Mini-edition of 'Blessed' with 'FourFourTwo' magazine, see April 2003
Shortlisted for United States 'Hall of Fame', see May 2003
In the news for alleged fight, as George is reported to be drinking alcohol, see June/July 2003
News of the World report he is dating Paula Shapland, and Alex Best reports her life with George 'is hell', see August/September 2003
George reference in Thin Lizzy song, see Emails January 2004
George on drink driving charge and Angie Best on 'I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of here', see February 2004
George and Alex divorce, see April 2004
Pictures of Calum, see Emails May 2004
George's picture in the FKS Soccer Stars album
from British Football Cards Collector's Gallery
At the start of promotion for his new book Hard Tackles and Dirty Baths: The Inside Story of Football's Golden Era George, George goes into hospital seriously ill with a kidney infection, the news looked 'as serious as it could get', until he gets out of bed for the first time, see 31 October 2005 news, which also summarising George's health history.
Mike Duffy writes about the official George Best jigsaw, see Email Autumn 2005
George dies, 25 November 2005, see obituary and Tributes
Bestie
by Richard Harris
Download the full size version of this picture at Geocities index
See lyrics to the George Best tribute song by Don Fardon 'Belfast Boy'
George tribute CD released 26 December, 2006, see Winter 2006 
George Best
By The Wedding Present
See details of the 1987 Wedding Present's album, George Best at Spring 2006
Son, Calum, is voted king of 'Love Island' (ITV tv show), see Autumn 2006 (1); gets own TV show, Calum Fran and Dangerous Danan, see Autumn 2006 (2); and launches his own aftershave called 'Calum' see Autumn 2006 (3).
See a Review of George Best and 21 Others. Colin Shindler. (2004, Headline.) This book covers all the players of a Man U v Man City Youth Cup Final in 1964, which included George Best and , er, 21 others.
Picture seen in Life On Mars, see Spring 2007
Also see Books, and Sons and Daughters: Son
For further links see...
Be sure to visit the fabulous George Best site by Ian Corry's at the George Best Page
George Best by Phil Neill
Get collectors cards by Phil Neill at George Best Selection
See all of George's collectors' cards at
Nigel Mercer's Galleries of English Football Cards 1965/66 - 79/80 There's a biography at Manchester United Legends
Referrences to George in Van Morrison songs (no less) at Glossary Best, George
A picture of Northampton Town's saddest day when Best scored six at Cobbs Gallery
And simply superb photos of George at http--home.interlink.or.jp-~tomikosi-Best1.html
See BBC profile at BBC SPORT Football Best First of the superstars
See an almost 6 minute clip of George in conversation with Patrick Kielty at BBC - Northern Ireland - Patrick Kielty, Almost Live
Belfast Boy by Don Fardon has now been re-released to raise money for liver disease:
Belfast Boy - Don Fardon
(Click on picture to visit Amazon site)
Hear the song or download it to your computer from www.georgebestappeal.com
There's a new tribute available that is also raising money for George's charity
George has a Sporting Legends magazine (reported at Spring 2006), see Sporting Legends - George Best - His Greatest Matches
Back Pass magazine cover
George features on the front page of the new football history magazine Back Pass,
see www.backpassmagazine.co.uk/
Three new Best books come out.
The Complete George Best: Every Match, Every Goal. Darren Phillips. Empire Publications.
Our George: A Family Memoir of George Best. Barbara Best. Macmillan.
and George Best: A Celebration. Bernie Smith and Maureen Hunt. John Blake Publishing Ltd.
See Current news (29 October 07) for a synopsis of the books and also Books
Note:
Birth information and English League career statistics from:
"The PFA Premier and Football League Players' Records 1946-2005"
Edited and compiled by Barry J. Hugman. Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2005.
Visit Since 1888... The Searchable Premiership and Football League Player Database
All further career statistics from 'Blessed. The Autobiography' George Best with Roy Collins (originally published by Ebury Press, London 2002). The figures appeared in the small extract edition given free with FourFourTwo in 2003, also published by Ebury Press, London.