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Six reasons why George Best is still a legend

George Best was many things in his life: an extraordinary footballing talent, an iconic celebrity of the Swinging 60’s who counted The Beatles and The Rolling Stones amongst his friends and whose playboy lifestyle kept him constantly in the headlines. He was discovered in 1962 at age 15, by a Belfast based scout Bob Bishop, who sent a telegram to Matt Busby, the manager of Manchester United, with the prophetic message ‘I think I’ve found you a genius’. 

Northern Irish born Best went on to forge a successful career at Manchester United, as part of the ‘holy trinity’ Best, Law and Charlton, playing 466 games for the club and winning accolades throughout his life. He burned brightly and achieved global recognition yet died at the age of just 59, due to complications caused by his long struggle with alcoholism. George Best is still, and will always be, a legend, for all football fans, whether they are Red, Blue or any colour across the world. Here’s why…

George Best - Etihad
  1. The Style Icon - Best quickly achieved the status of a rock star due to a winning combination of  talent and good looks. He has become synonymous with the era of the Swinging Sixties and his off pitch exploits often put him in the headlines. He was dubbed the fifth Beatle and ‘el Beatle’ by the press. ‘Long before Beckham, he was Britain’s first footballer as popular icon.’ (Sean O Hagan ‘The Guardian’). The boy from Belfast with his  rapid rise to riches seemed to epitomise the post-war spirit of freedom and change in the UK.
  2. The Genius  - Best was arguably the greatest player never to play in a World Cup. He was renowned for his dazzling technique combining pace, skill, balance and feints, all designed to win, and keep, the ball. He was ‘an outrageously talented footballer playing with an exuberance and confidence that belied his youthful looks and frame’. (NFM)
  3. The Magic - Watch him on YouTube! You can’t fail to be impressed by his speed and agility on the pitch. ‘At the peak of his abilities, Best was almost unstoppable. The Belfast boy was even described by Pele as ‘the greatest player in the world.’ (National Football Museum)
  4. The Fashionista- at the height of the swinging 60’s Best co-owned and ran a number of boutiques in Manchester including ‘George Best Edwardia’ on Motor Street. Offering fashions aimed at ‘the extrovert male’ and with the star often on the premises, it set the template for many sports stars in subsequent eras who gained lucrative sponsorship contracts. The store was so popular, the city literally came to a standstill as people crowded the streets on its opening day. Manchester has continued to expand and is currently enjoying a boom in construction as, like George Best, everyone wants a piece of the action.
  5. The Swagger- perhaps the best known fact about George Best is his response to a question about where all his money had gone; he quipped ‘I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.’ He paid a heavy price in the end for his playboy lifestyle, but you’ve got to admire his swagger!
  6. And finally, George Best is a legend because he has been immortalised in Art. His iconic image has been used in street art in Belfast, on the side of a plane, even in the artwork of two low loader trucks from Manchester business Total Plant Hire! George is still the Best.

 

 

Email Total Plant Hire at: info@planthireinmanchester.co.uk

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