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Sunday, November 27, 2005

El Beatle



RIP Georgie Best, undoubtedly the best UK footballer ever.
I'm too young (and too living in New Zealand) to have ever seen him play live, but you can't be a football fan and not be in awe of what he had.

It's sad his potential was never really fulfilled, he had an OUTRAGEOUS talent, we should be talking about him the same breath as Pele, Maradonna and Cruyft. Considering he was around in the same era as Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, and Norman Hunter, all very British players, Best seems almost South American for his love of dribbling and outrageous tricks. Like kicking the ball out of Gordon Banks' hands to score (boooooo to the ref who disallowed it).

A very intelligent man, who was aware of what he had and was capable of, it's a tragedy he began drinking to cope with carrying United after their sixties stars began leaving. I'm not interested in the drinking and womanising, and prefer to remember the footballer who was happiest on the pitch. A 16 year old homesick Belfast boy turning up in Manchester, hoping to conquer the world - and who almost did.

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