Anything and Everything

Those of us of a certain age will remember the great footballer George Best. The skinny and shy boy from Belfast, first played for Manchester United in 1963.

His pace and goalscoring ability, plus his physical courage when dealing with more rougher players made him noticed. Added to that his off the field lifestyle, took him into the celebrity category.

Winning two league championship medals with Manchester United, he reached his pinnacle in 1968 when he won a European Cup medal.

After reaching those heights, sadly it gradually went downhill. His off the field liasons with women led to a decline in performances, led to him leaving top class football age 27.

In the years after, he showed flashes of his former brilliance at clubs in Britain and the USA. Sadly the dominating story was his descent into alcoholism and eventually a liver transplant.

Even with a new liver he continued to drink until he died aged 59 in 2005. It was a tragic decline but let us remember him for his wonderful talent, which for ten years lit up the world of football.