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George Best documentary -All by himself

Watched this on iplayer- some amazing footage.

Well worth a watch.
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Comments

  • Yes saw that is on tomorrow ( I think)
    Great player, my abiding image of him is the moment he somehow rides a ferocious tackle that would have broken another player in half, stays on his feet, and still slots the ball home.
    Whatever he was off the pitch, he could be truly exhilarating on the playing field.
  • 3blokes said:

    Yes saw that is on tomorrow ( I think)
    Great player, my abiding image of him is the moment he somehow rides a ferocious tackle that would have broken another player in half, stays on his feet, and still slots the ball home.
    Whatever he was off the pitch, he could be truly exhilarating on the playing field.

    Ron Chopper Harris. Made him look a right mug
  • My favourite non charlton player, really was a football genius.
  • Honestly think he was the best ever - seemed to have so much time on the ball while dribbling.

    If he'd have been to World Cups etc he'd be regarded even higher than he is.
  • Honestly think he was the best ever - seemed to have so much time on the ball while dribbling.

    If he'd have been to World Cups etc he'd be regarded even higher than he is.

    Agree he was the best ever ... such a shame he never got to perform a a World Cup.
  • kafka said:

    3blokes said:

    Yes saw that is on tomorrow ( I think)
    Great player, my abiding image of him is the moment he somehow rides a ferocious tackle that would have broken another player in half, stays on his feet, and still slots the ball home.
    Whatever he was off the pitch, he could be truly exhilarating on the playing field.

    Ron Chopper Harris. Made him look a right mug
    Do you mean RCH made GB look a mug or the other way round......not sure what you're saying?
  • GB made RCH look a mug
  • How did you know him ?
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  • Greatest player I've seen by a long way.
  • bobmunro said:

    It is hard to imagine just how famous he was - George was the first footballing celebrity, the fifth Beatle, cameras followed him everywhere he went and he was one of the most recognised faces in the world. Like most supremely gifted people, he had flaws in his character - George was just a boy from Belfast and he struggled to deal with the fame and the money, as most would. But as a man he was humble, shy in fact, simple (as in not complicated) and had a generosity of spirit seldom encountered.

    To know him was to love him. I knew him well and considered him a very dear friend, as I believe he did me in return.

    But besides all of that, the plain and simple truth is that he was the greatest player ever to grace the game of football.

    Pele was better.
  • Though I have never been anything other than a Charlton fan, I made a point of going to see the United team of Charlton, Law and Best several times when they were in London and also once stood in the Stretford End to watch them play Spurs (quite an experience for a 14 year old Londoner!).
    George was an incredible talent and does deserve to be talked of in the same breath as Pele and Maradonna.
    Never forget the day I watched on the box as he seemingly beat Scotland "single-handedly" in a Home International. I'm sure my fellow fogies on here remember that one
  • edited July 2017
    dickplumb said:

    bobmunro said:

    It is hard to imagine just how famous he was - George was the first footballing celebrity, the fifth Beatle, cameras followed him everywhere he went and he was one of the most recognised faces in the world. Like most supremely gifted people, he had flaws in his character - George was just a boy from Belfast and he struggled to deal with the fame and the money, as most would. But as a man he was humble, shy in fact, simple (as in not complicated) and had a generosity of spirit seldom encountered.

    To know him was to love him. I knew him well and considered him a very dear friend, as I believe he did me in return.

    But besides all of that, the plain and simple truth is that he was the greatest player ever to grace the game of football.

    Pele was better.
    Debatable dp......George was more entertaining I think, with more flair and charisma than Pele, both on and off the pitch.
    That's not to demean Pele in any way whatsoever.
  • dickplumb said:

    bobmunro said:

    It is hard to imagine just how famous he was - George was the first footballing celebrity, the fifth Beatle, cameras followed him everywhere he went and he was one of the most recognised faces in the world. Like most supremely gifted people, he had flaws in his character - George was just a boy from Belfast and he struggled to deal with the fame and the money, as most would. But as a man he was humble, shy in fact, simple (as in not complicated) and had a generosity of spirit seldom encountered.

    To know him was to love him. I knew him well and considered him a very dear friend, as I believe he did me in return.

    But besides all of that, the plain and simple truth is that he was the greatest player ever to grace the game of football.

    Pele was better.
    Debatable dp......George was more entertaining I think, with more flair and charisma than Pele, both on and off the pitch.
    That's not to demean Pele in any way whatsoever.
    Pele was a sublime player who worked hard all of his career to deliver what he did. George was a more naturally gifted player in my view and I would compare him more with Maradona and Messi in that regard. All wonderful players but George for me was the best.
  • bobmunro said:

    How did you know him ?

    I first met George in the mid 80s. At the time I was running a group of betting shops in the West End for Ladbrokes and George frequently used the shop in Curzon Street. The shop manager introduced me to George when we were out drinking in Curzon Street and we just seemed to get on immediately. We used to socialise, drink, eat, talk together over the next 10 years or so including some incredible nights out in Mayfair, including Tramp. George also had an interest in a club in Mayfair - Blondes! Stopped meeting him regularly when I moved jobs and my kids started getting older but we kept in touch.
    https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=football+friend&tbm=isch&imgil=UTVPjP_tK0zLGM%3A%3BPObcrlJk7oVdqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.footballfriends.org.uk%252Ffriends%252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=UTVPjP_tK0zLGM%3A%2CPObcrlJk7oVdqM%2C_&usg=__Q5lDxwIwmlQd4hDYK4fUD3KNd0k=&biw=1517&bih=735&ved=0ahUKEwiysMCh9ujUAhWKJ8AKHV4wAX8QyjcIMQ&ei=LAZYWbLqDIrPgAbe4IT4Bw#imgrc=UTVPjP_tK0zLGM:
  • Only saw him play the once for Man Utd at Stamford Bridge. Ironically got himself sent off after about 25 min I think. Genius.
  • Just watched the Best film. Very poignant, especially the use of his own words from an interview as voiceover.

    One for Tony Watt to review?
  • To be fair, there are far worse football friends to have!
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  • To be fair, there are far worse football friends to have!

    Oi.
  • Looking forward to watching this later.
  • Time & Channel please anyone?
  • A very good documentary. I'd seen some of the older match footage on the old 'Match of the Day: the Sixties' video but it certainly bears repeating. Leaving aside the Les Berry testimonial, I only saw Best play once, for Northern Ireland against England at Wembley in 1970. Apart from his equaliser, my abiding memories of that one are Bobby Charlton scoring on the occasion of his 100th cap and Ralphy Coates' comb over.

    The second half of the documentary was very sad. I suspect that mental health problems underlay Best's alcoholism, with a fragile personality being subjected to what was, at that time, unprecedented pressure and media scrutiny.
  • Time & Channel please anyone?

    BBC2 tonight (Sunday) 9.00 pm
  • I'm going to watch this, for sure. Fascinating, what you wrote, @bobmunro.
    The one time I encountered him was at a business lunch, and I guess it would have been around 83-84. It was his restaurant, but I cannot remember the name, perhaps you would know, Bob. He sat at a piano, and looked alone and sad. But finally, after much discussion about the rights and wrongs of it, one of my clients went up to him and asked him for his autograph. You could see Best's face light up from across the room. It felt very poignant.

    Sadly I only saw him play live once, for Fulham against us. He was awful. It was so sad. I prefer to think of games like the Northampton cup tie where he utterly destroyed them with four wonderful goals.
  • I'm going to watch this, for sure. Fascinating, what you wrote, @bobmunro.
    The one time I encountered him was at a business lunch, and I guess it would have been around 83-84. It was his restaurant, but I cannot remember the name, perhaps you would know, Bob. He sat at a piano, and looked alone and sad. But finally, after much discussion about the rights and wrongs of it, one of my clients went up to him and asked him for his autograph. You could see Best's face light up from across the room. It felt very poignant.

    Sadly I only saw him play live once, for Fulham against us. He was awful. It was so sad. I prefer to think of games like the Northampton cup tie where he utterly destroyed them with four wonderful goals.

    That Northampton game, when he scored six, showed his incredible skills.
  • stonemuse said:

    I'm going to watch this, for sure. Fascinating, what you wrote, @bobmunro.
    The one time I encountered him was at a business lunch, and I guess it would have been around 83-84. It was his restaurant, but I cannot remember the name, perhaps you would know, Bob. He sat at a piano, and looked alone and sad. But finally, after much discussion about the rights and wrongs of it, one of my clients went up to him and asked him for his autograph. You could see Best's face light up from across the room. It felt very poignant.

    Sadly I only saw him play live once, for Fulham against us. He was awful. It was so sad. I prefer to think of games like the Northampton cup tie where he utterly destroyed them with four wonderful goals.

    That Northampton game, when he scored six, showed his incredible skills.
    Blimey, it was six, wasn't it....

  • It's on BBC IPLAYER as well.
  • Miserable bastard wouldn't sign my programme when he played for us in Les Berry's testimonial. Neither would Pat Jennings
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