Fact File

An insight in to the profile and facts of the legendary George Best. From his early days, career highlights and his untimely death.

A Young George

George was born in Belfast on the 22nd of May 1946 and by the age of one and literally as soon as he could walk, George had a ball at his feet. One of his first photographs was taken when he was 13 months old outside his Gran and Grandfathers house, already with a ball at his feet. George was very close to his Grandparents but at the age of 11, George’s Grandfather also called George and from whom George took his name passed away.

Despite the sadness of losing his Grandfather, shortly after George went on and passed his eleven plus and was the only child in his class to do so. In doing so meant that he would be sent to Grosvenor High Protestant School meanwhile all his friends would be attending Lisnasharragh Secondary Modern.

Being a High School, Grosvenor’s sport of choice was Rugby, so what with George’s passion for football and with all his friends attending a different and more local school, it wasn’t long before George began to play truant, before to long he had decided to quit the High School and join his mates at the local secondary school. From day one when he was picked to play in a school football team, he felt this was where ho belonged.

It was at this school and around the age of 13 that George starting taking an interest in what would become a life long interest, Girls, at the same time, things were also beginning to develop on the football front and he had began playing for Cregagh Boys Club. Until this time, George had always played in trainers as real football boots were too expensive, but the Christmas after he had signed for Cregagh, he opened a present from his parents to find himself looking at his first brand new pair of leather football boots, complete with steel toe caps and sides that came above the ankles as football boots did in those days, he thought they were beautiful and were the best present he had ever had.

George’s big chance came shortly after when Cregagh Boys played a match against the Northern Ireland School Boys Probable’s, he played well in the 2-1 win and was short listed for the end of season School Boys International. George made the final 16 only for them to decide to take 15 with George being the one to miss out, he was heart broken.

The Apprentice Years

Approaching his 15th birthday, George played in a match for Cregagh U-15’s side against a Boyland team made up of 17 and 18 year olds, George was unaware at the time but the game had been set up to see if with his small build he would be able to hold his own against bigger and more experienced players. George played well and his 2 goals helped secure a 4-2 victory. The game was being watched by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop, after the game, Bishop sent a telegram to united manager Matt Busby; it read ‘I have found a Genius’.

George was handed a 2 week trial by United along with Eric McMordie, another local boy. The young boys boarded a boat bound for England in what was the first time either of them had left Northern Ireland. Both boys believed they were just going to be in England for 2 weeks and then Manchester would pack them both off back home.

Once they arrived at Old Trafford, Manchester’s Chief Scout Joe Armstrong began to show them the ropes. He began by introducing them to some of the United’s Irish lads, the likes of Harry Gregg, Ronnie Briggs and Jim Nicholson, the idea being it would help the 2 young Irish boys settle in, and unfortunately it had the opposite affect. George had suffered years of jibes regarding him being too small to make it as a professional footballer and was now being fully confronted by it with the size of the first team pro’s seeming overwhelming.

After training they were taken to there digs, Mrs. Fullaways council house in Chorlton. With all the changes and being in a strange new place mixed together with a lack of sleep after traveling, both Eric and George were both already beginning to feel home sick and on the first night at Mrs. Fullaways, George Suggested to Eric that they go back home and Eric agreed, so the next morning the left Manchester and headed back to Belfast. On the journey back home, George was already feeling that he may be making the wrong decision and after being home for a few days he decided he wanted to give it another try. George’s Dad, Dickie was given the go ahead by United and 2 weeks later they were waving George off once again on the boat to England, this time alone.

At this time, players from Ireland were not permitted to sign apprentice forms with football league clubs so George was forced to take a job and train with the amateurs 2 nights a week. United found him a job working on the Manchester Canal where was employed as a tea boy/General dogsbody, George hated this job and soon complained. He was moved to a new dept but only to find himself doing the same job. After his 2 week trial was over nothing was said about whether he was going to be staying or leaving so he just continued working and training, although he was beginning to feel like he was just being used as cheap labour for local company’s. George decided he would rather go home than continue working in the ship yard and was soon given an new job, this time in a timber yard stacking wood, by lunchtime on the first day he had had enough and quit his latest job. After a meeting with United, although illegal and unofficial, he was given a job as full time ground staff boy; the new job consisted of cleaning the 1st team players boot and cleaning the terraces.

George was training hard and was soon playing in the youth team which was a big step up from the B team where he had been playing. Matt Busby had been hearing good things about him and he was also called up into the Northern Ireland Youth International Squad.

In May 1963 George turned 17, this was the time when most boys got an arm around the shoulder and were told ‘Sorry Son, We’re letting you go, he was nervous and soon got called to the gaffers office. When he got to Matt Busby’s office, Matt was all smiles and told him ‘Congratulation Son, we’re offering you a professional contract, a contract that turned out to be worth around £17 a week, a lot of money in those days. George quickly wrote his Dad a letter and rushed to post it before last post, the letter simply read ‘Your son is now a Pro. I’ve signed.

Post-football Careers

In the late 1980s, Best narrated Streaker, a documentary on the streaking phenomenon, discussing the careers of people such as Erica Roe and Sheila Nicholls. In 1998, Best became a football pundit on the Sky Sports live show Soccer Saturday. His last appearance on the show was in 2004.

In November 2004, 58-year-old Best agreed to join Premier League club Portsmouth as a youth coach, citing his desire to get involved in football again.

Personal Life

Best was married twice, first to Angela MacDonald-Janes (1978–1986). They had a son, Calum, who was born in 1981. He married Alex Pursey in 1995 in Kensington and Chelsea, London. They divorced in 2004; they had no children. He is reported to have had two daughters by other women. His niece by marriage is actress Samantha Janus, who is the daughter of Angie MacDonald-Janes' brother.

In 2004, his second wife Alex Best appeared as a contestant on the reality television programme I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and alleged that Best was violent towards her during their marriage. This issue was, in fact, covered in Best's authorised 1998 biography "Bestie" in which Alex claimed that Best punched her in the face on more than one occasion, something which Best never denied. Earlier in the book it is revealed that George struck another of his girlfriends, Mary, at least once and was arrested and charged with assault on a waitress, Stevie Sloniecka, in November 1972, when he fractured her nose in Reuben's nightclub, Manchester. He was successfully defended when the case reached court in January 1973 by barrister George Carman QC, a close drinking companion of Best, as acknowledged in his book, Scoring at Half Time.

Frank Evans, a former business partner of Best, claimed in his 2009 book, The Last British Bullfighter, that Carman offered a Manchester gangster "pots of cash" in 1973 to break Best's legs when he discovered that Best had been having an affair with his second wife, Celia. Carman's offer was rejected with the following warning by the gangster: "I don't sort out domestic disputes and I'm not going to harm George [Best]. So you can take your money and go somewhere else. But I'll tell you this – if any harm comes to George I'll know who did it and I'll come after you.

Alcoholism

Best suffered from alcoholism for most of his adult life, leading to numerous controversies and, eventually, his death.

In 1981, while playing in the United States, Best stole money from the handbag of a woman he did not know in order to fund a drinking session. "We were sitting in a bar on the beach, and when she got up to go to the toilet I leaned over and took all the money she had in her bag."

In 1984, Best received a three-month prison sentence for drunk driving, assaulting a police officer and failing to answer bail. He spent Christmas of 1984 behind bars and turned out as a player for Ford Open Prison.

In September 1990, Best appeared on an edition of primetime BBC chat show Wogan in which he was clearly drunk and swore, at one point saying to the host, "Terry, I like screwing". He later apologised and said this was one of the worst episodes of his alcoholism.

Best was diagnosed with severe liver damage in March 2000. In August 2002, he had a successful liver transplant at King's College Hospital in London. The transplant was performed at public expense on the NHS, a decision which was controversial due to Best's alcoholism. The controversy was reignited in 2003 when he was spotted openly drinking white wine spritzers.

On 2 February 2004, Best was convicted of another drunk driving offence and banned from driving for 20 months.

Illness and Death

George was born on the 22nd May 1946 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Nicknamed as the Belfast Boy or the Fifth Beatle, George had a fantastic football career as a Winger, for more ntable clubs such as Manchester United and Fulham.

On 3 October 2005 Best was admitted to intensive care at the private Cromwell Hospital in London, suffering from a kidney infection caused by the side effects of immuno-suppressive drugs used to prevent his body from rejecting his transplanted liver. After a longer than expected battle, George sadly passed away on 25th November 2005, aged just 59 and as a result of a lung infection and multiple organ failure.

Funeral

His body left the family home at Cregagh Road, East Belfast, shortly after 10 a.m. UTC on Saturday, 3 December 2005. The cortege then travelled the short distance to Stormont. The route was lined with around 100,000 mourners. There was an 11 a.m. service in the Grand Hall relayed to around 25,000 mourners inside the grounds of Stormont. As the cortege left Stormont, the Gilnahirk pipe band played.

The Funeral was live on several TV stations including BBC One. Afterward, Best was buried beside his mother Annie Elizabeth Kelly in a private ceremony at the hill-top Roselawn Cemetery, overlooking east Belfast.

Memorials

Belfast City Airport was renamed George Best Belfast City Airport as a tribute to Best. The official new name and signage was unveiled to a gathering of the Best family and friends at the airport on 22 May 2006 which would have been his 60th birthday.

Public opinion in Northern Ireland about the renaming of the airport was divided, with one poll showing 52% in favour and 48% against. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy leader and East Belfast Member of Parliament Peter Robinson, in whose constituency Belfast City airport is situated, stated that his preference was a sports stadium be named after Best. The move generated negative comments beyond Northern Ireland.

In March 2006, airline Flybe, named a Dash 8 (Q400) plane The George Best. The aircraft was later used to carry Best's family across to the Manchester memorial service for Best.

In June 2006, Sarah Fabergé, great-granddaughter of Russian Imperial Jeweller Carl Fabergé was commissioned to create the George Best Egg, in tribute. A strictly limited edition of 68 eggs were produced, with all profits from the sale of the eggs going to the George Best Foundation. The first egg from the collection is now on permanent public display at the George Best Airport.

For the first anniversary of his death, Ulster Bank issued one million commemorative five pound notes. The notes sold out in five days. The notes sold on the online auction site eBay for up to £30.

Current plans for a new national stadium for Northern Ireland near Lisburn include a proposed statue of Best as one of several celebrating sporting heroes from the country. These statues would surround the main sporting arena and Best would be joined by rugby player Willie John McBride, Gaelic Football player Cormac McAnallen, Olympic gold medalist Mary Peters, Grand National winner Richard Dunwoody, Grand Prix driver Eddie Irvine, Motor cycle World champion Joey Dunlop and snooker world champion Alex Higgins.

In December 2006 the George Best Memorial Trust launched a fund-raising drive to raise £200,000 in subscriptions to pay for a life-size bronze sculpture of George Best. By 2008 the money had still not been raised until a local developer, Doug Elliott, announced on 29 January 2008, that he would put up the rest of the money and would manage delivery of the project.

Autobiographies

Bestie (co-written with Joe Lovejoy), The Good, The Bad and The Bubbly (with Ross Benson), Blessed: The Autobiography (with Roy Collins), George Best: A Celebration (Bernie Smith and Maureen Hunt), Scoring at Half Time (with Martin Knight), Hard Tackles and Dirty Baths