"Pele wasn't as gifted as George Best"

[On the Left Wing]

said Johnny Giles this afternoon ...

I must admit having grown up watching both players (albeit Pele only on TV) I must agree ... I know many will disagree

For me the most naturally talented player I have ever seen ..... and the saddest I have felt at the death of a celeb since John Lennon's passing

 

[Yorkie]

Pele himself said George was his favourite player.

Personally I would put Pele ahead of George but George could tackle as well.

 

[Gully]

Pele played most of his games surrounded by gifted fellow Brazillians, George Best did not, he spent most of it surrounded by technically inept cloggers. The fact that Pele regarded Best as the greatest player he ever played against is testament enough to a man whose surname said it all.

 

[Johnny Byrne superstar]

pele scored over 1000 goals. best lived upto his name. its just a shame he couldn't prove himself on the world stage because northern ireland were never really there. i've heard a lot of bullshit on nsc over the last few days about best. small minded people saying he deserved to die. i didn't respond to them because they just want a reaction. the guy was totally flawed for sure. he beat his wife which is inexcusable, and had a drinking problem. yes i think he wasted his life. but overall i feel sadness. we never met the bloke and yet we judge him as we know everything. i will remember him as a great great talent. i get a lot of pleasure watching the footage of him playing and i feel for his son and the rest of his family.

george best 1946 - 2005

 

[Hiney]

pele scored over 1000 goals. best lived upto his name. its just a shame he couldn't prove himself on the world stage because northern ireland were never really there. i've heard a lot of bullshit on nsc over the last few days about best. small minded people saying he deserved to die. i didn't respond to them because they just want a reaction. the guy was totally flawed for sure. he beat his wife which is inexcusable, and had a drinking problem. yes i think he wasted his life. but overall i feel sadness. we never met the bloke and yet we judge him as we know everything. i will remember him as a great great talent. i get a lot of pleasure watching the footage of him playing and i feel for his son and the rest of his family.

george best 1946 - 2005

I have met him, albeit very briefly, and he came across as a very nice man

 

[rogue]

I wasn't old enough to appreciate Besty or Pele.Maradonna gets my vote

 

[perseus]

Never saw either of them live but Pele and the Brazilian team of 1970 were truly awesome. I think I would have to vote for Pele.

 

[Yorkie]

Nobody was asked to vote.

 

[Northstander]

Maradonna for me, never saw Pele play or Bestie... Unfortunately!!!

 

[sams dad]

pele scored over 1000 goals. best lived upto his name. its just a shame he couldn't prove himself on the world stage because northern ireland were never really there. i've heard a lot of bullshit on nsc over the last few days about best. small minded people saying he deserved to die. i didn't respond to them because they just want a reaction. the guy was totally flawed for sure. he beat his wife which is inexcusable, and had a drinking problem. yes i think he wasted his life. but overall i feel sadness. we never met the bloke and yet we judge him as we know everything. i will remember him as a great great talent. i get a lot of pleasure watching the footage of him playing and i feel for his son and the rest of his family.

george best 1946 - 2005

Well said ,that man

 

[perseus]

Garrincha v Geogie Best would be an interesting comparison.

Mel Hopkins played against Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and Mortenson, Mannion, and the greats of his day, as well as Garrincha, but he said that none of these were the trickiest to play against. The most difficult opponents (he said) were the ones with sheer pace.

 

[perseus]

Garrincha fathered at least 14 children by several women, had a scandalous affair with a pop singer, killed his mother-in-law in a car crash, squandered his money and drank himself into an alcoholic's grave in 1983 at the age of 49.

http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/oct/04garr.htm

How many turned up for his funeral?

 

[zefarelly]

Best had more natural talent than any, just couldn't manage his life

Pele had talent, maximised it and managed himself well ( or was wise enough to let others do it for him)

therefore GB pips it for me on the pure natural ability poll.

 

[Del Boy]

Best gets my vote, he was awesome!

 

[enigma]

Maradona won the World Cup almost on his own and won 2 league titles with Napoli. That will do for me.

 

[enigma]

pele scored over 1000 goals. best lived upto his name. its just a shame he couldn't prove himself on the world stage because northern ireland were never really there. i've heard a lot of bullshit on nsc over the last few days about best. small minded people saying he deserved to die. i didn't respond to them because they just want a reaction. the guy was totally flawed for sure. he beat his wife which is inexcusable, and had a drinking problem. yes i think he wasted his life. but overall i feel sadness. we never met the bloke and yet we judge him as we know everything. i will remember him as a great great talent. i get a lot of pleasure watching the footage of him playing and i feel for his son and the rest of his family.

george best 1946 - 2005

Absolutely superb post.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

pele scored over 1000 goals. best lived upto his name. its just a shame he couldn't prove himself on the world stage because northern ireland were never really there. i've heard a lot of bullshit on nsc over the last few days about best. small minded people saying he deserved to die. i didn't respond to them because they just want a reaction. the guy was totally flawed for sure. he beat his wife which is inexcusable, and had a drinking problem. yes i think he wasted his life. but overall i feel sadness. we never met the bloke and yet we judge him as we know everything. i will remember him as a great great talent. i get a lot of pleasure watching the footage of him playing and i feel for his son and the rest of his family.

george best 1946 - 2005

Brilliant post - sums it up perfectly

 

[Row Z Creased Shirt]

George Best was a football genius. You can argue about the greatest of all time for ever and day. One thing is for sure George Best was right up there at the top with Pele and Maradona. He will be a great loss to the world of football, but his legend will live on.

Best was one of those rare people who could embody the culture and spirit of the times he was living in, and back it up with consumate skill on the field of play.

The loss of George Best transcends the fact that he played for Man Utd, his appeal spread to everyone who loves the game of football. I'll be paying my respects on saturday.

 

[wilbob]

I was lucky enough to see Best playing for Wrexham in a testemonial (after he'd retired,) & even though he never even broke into as much as a jog, whenever he had the ball at his feet it was brilliant to watch! What a wasted talent! Wouldn't dream of joining the "who was the greatest" debate as you'd have to have seen them all in the flesh to judge! However someone who never seems to get a mention is John Charles. A while back whilst on my anual pilgrimage to attempt to flatten the alps with my face, I went to watch Juventus at home in the champions league. When the locals found out I was Welsh all they could talk about was him, even the younger fans who'd been told about him by relatives. To them he's the best foriegner ever to play in Italy!& That includes Maradonna!

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

no he wasnt