George Best Question

[Uncle Buck]

I guess this is one for the older posters. But was he one of the greatest players produced from these islands?

 

[B.M.F]

I guess this is one for the older posters. But was he one of the greatest players produced from these islands?

from all accounts he was probably the greatest.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Besty had retired, I think, by the time I was born (1980). Although I have seen a great deal of his play. You could perhaps say that there were people as talented as him, but he was a showman and entertainer which made him stand head and shoulders above the rest.

I remember seeing one incident when he scored from a corner and people were saying it was a fluke. He rubbished those ideas and did the same thing the following week. In my mind he was the best footballer that Great Britain ever produced. Some people may think otherwise.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Defniately one of the best British players ever from what I've seen.

 

[B.M.F]

Pele called him the greatest ever player which is a pretty high accolade to get from someone who was right up there as well.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

He had retired I think by the time he was born (1980)

 

[Locky]

When I was young everyone wanted to play and be like George Best.
Not sure he was the best ever but certainly one of the best players ever produced by these islands.

 

[TONY]

I'm shocked how many games he played

450+ for Utd

150+ in the American soccer league

plus Fulham and Bournemouth (?)

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Yes. Without a doubt. I am too young to have seen Finney or Matthews - but he was the best of the "modern" era. Players like Charlton, Dalgleish, Gascoigne can not be compared.

Peter Ward excepted of course.

 

[sullyupthewing]

He was probably the greatest player I ever saw, and the jokes are doing the rounds already.
Hope the media shut the f*** up soon, Talk Sport are OTT.

 

[Easy 10]

A shame he never had the chance to play on the world stage. Much like a lot of others on here, he was a bit before my time so I've only ever seen the grainy old TV coverage of him you see from time to time. But by all accounts the fella really was something special at the time, and I feel slightly the poorer for having missed it.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I can't think of any British players that even compare to him now. Rooney perhaps?

 

[Uncle Buck]

I can't think of any British players that even compare to him now. Rooney perhaps?

Giggs was the other British player that was touted as the new George Best.

 

[Hannibal smith]

Just watch some of the higjlights from his playing career and it shows you how good he is.

My favourite George Best story was when he was playing for Man United and in a European game he saw a Spanish player flick the ball onto his right foot and knock it over the defenders head. Best, impressed by this trick, practised this but not with his right foot but his left (wrong foot) and promptly took a player on in that fashion during the next league game.

He biggest regret when asked about football was that he never scored on his hands and knees heading the ball over the line after taking a goalkeeper on and stopping the ball right on the line. I Can’t imagine Wayne Rooney saying the same thing in 15 years time.

 

[Dandyman]

I can't think of any British players that even compare to him now. Rooney perhaps?

True. One of the best players to come from the province and a great British sportsman.

 

[fosters headband]

I guess this is one for the older posters. But was he one of the greatest players produced from these islands?

Without a doubt yes and I saw him play many times.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Ooops. now edited!

 

[Jonathon Livingstone]

I'm shocked how many games he played

450+ for Utd

150+ in the American soccer league

plus Fulham and Bournemouth (?)

Best played 5 times for Bournemouth in 1983 - I think they were his last as a professional

 

[Dandyman]

There was a nice quote about him in today's paper from the late Danny Blanchflower. Another truely great British player.

 

[enigma]

Giggs was the other British player that was touted as the new George Best.

Gazza would be a good comparison as well, given the off the field problems.