George Best
In the week I watched a full length documentary on George Best and was sent this clip above showcasing his wondrous dribbling skills.
Undoubtedly one of the all time greats, it’s sometimes forgotten he signed for Fulham and made his debut on September 4th 1976 at home to Bristol Rovers, scoring before a crowd of over 20,000 within 71 seconds.
He played a season and half for us and gave us some unforgettable memories.
It’s sad that he became known more as celebrity drunkard after that and he was probably more used by people than used them.
I used to clean the windows of Fulham defender and character Bobby Keetch who knew him well. Bobby spoke highly of him.
The few times I met George Best I found him painfully shy and perhaps he need booze as a crutch. Bobby would speak of his whole Celtic depression thing.
There was a strong rumour that after Mohammed Al Fayed visited him dying in hospital, where he was selling his story to pay the fees, al Fayed personally paid for him to have a superior room.
It’s an interesting but ultimately unproductive exercise to compare him to Pele or Maradona.
Best never played in a World Cup, nor a FA Cup Final, but in the winning European Cup campaign of 1968 of Manchester United he looked at ease in the highest company of Eusebio and Real Madrid’s stars.
I doubt if we will see his likes again at Fulham or elsewhere.
Thanks for the memory.
