November 25, 2005
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A tribute to George Best: “The greatest”
George Best sadly passed away on Friday after a long-standing battle with alcoholism. Eurosport.com pay tribute to a man whose undoubted football talent was overshadowed by a drink problem that ultimately cost one of Manchester United’s greatest ever players his life.
GEORGE BEST: Send us your tribute NEWS: Best dies after booze battle
George Best – widely recognised as one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game – finally paid the ultimate price for his addiction to alcohol when he died on Friday in a London hospital at the age of 59.
Best had been in hospital since the beginning of October and had an alcohol problem for much of his adult life and underwent a liver transplant in 2002 after years of heavy drinking.
The former Northern Ireland and Manchester United legend bravely battled complications from internal bleeding that developed from a lung infection but his deteriorating condition worsened dramatically overnight and he passed away at Cromwell Hospital surrounded by his closest family and friends.
“Unquestionably the greatest!” said current United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
TRAGIC
“There was simply no-one to compare with him, he had all the attributes. It’s so tragic circumstances led to such an early retirement from the game,” Ferguson added.
Most remembered for his 11 years in a dream United side that included Bobby Charlton and Denis Law and was coached by Matt Busby, the team hit their peak in 1968 when they became the first English club to win the European Cup and Best won the Ballon d’Or as the continent’s best player.
However his glorious career, that began as a 17-year-old when a United scout rang Busby to say “I think I’ve found a genius”, spiralled out of control when his love for booze and women sent him on a slippery path and would eventually destroy his health.
BOOZE AND BIRDS
“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered,” he once quipped.
What promised to be a brilliant career ended prematurely when he failed to turn up for training at United in January 1974, quitting the highest level of the game at 27 and the sport was a sadder place in his absence.
“The complete player. He could ride tackles, hit the ball with either foot and send superb long or short passes,” reflected Law.
“He made a tremendous impression on young people with his ability. As a person I always liked him and we’ve travelled the world together for matches and on the after dinner speaking circuit,” he added.
He reappeared at a number of less fashionable clubs including a spell in North America in the now defunt NASL before retiring for good in 1983.
REGRET
Another regret for his numerous fans around the world was that he never graced the ultimate stage as Northern Ireland failed to qualify for the World Cup during his short but colourful career.
One of his lowest points was in 1984 when he spent two months in jail for drink driving and assault on police.
Another of his nicknames was the ‘Fifth Beattle’ with his moppy hair, good looks and pop icon image, the beginning of his career coinciding with the arrival of televised football in Britain which threw him even more into the spotlight.
He almost singlehandedly destroyed opposing defences with his skills including a memorable display against Benfica which prompted the Portuguese press to christen him ‘El Beatle’.
Despite his health and problems, it was not until 2000 that he was finally ordered to give up the bottle and two years later underwent a life-saving liver transplant.
PERSONAL PROBLEMS
His wife Alex divorced him in 2004 when she found Best in bed with another woman and claimed his drinking binges and violence was destroying their marriage.
He built a career as a television commentator and appeared to have kicked the demon drink but in the end he simply couldn’t say no and despite doctors orders that one more drink might be his last, he started again.
He diced with death on more than one occasion in the later stages of his life and in typical fashion fought his illness against the odds right to the bitter end.
Eurosport - Gregory Fraser 25/11/2005
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