Simply the Best
George Best, the legendary Manchester United footballer, died last Friday. Many people were saddened by the demise of the fallen star but many people also felt the opposite effect. 'Good riddance', they thought.
You see many people saw George Best as a ruined alcoholic.
It was Best's dying wish that at least one person call him the greatest - he already received that accolade from another of the finest - Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele.
Best is also quoted as once saying, "When that day comes, they won't talk about the booze, the women or the fast cars. They'll talk about the football." He was wrong.
The day came Friday 25th November 2005; I watched as the news we'd all been expecting came - The Genius was dead.
And although many people did talk about the football (the six goal devastation of Northampton, the wonder goal for San Jose, the European Cup winner), many also spoke of the demons in his life, the drinks binges, the fights, and the alcohol abuse.
As a Manchester United fan who can only wish he had lived through the days when Best paraded the colours, I feel great sorrow for the loss of such a man.
As a player he was the best ever seen, but his career was cut far too short, as was his life. The shortness of his career is what many people think lies beneath the need for alcohol. He had lost the buzz gained from stepping out in front of thousands and making their days happy. He needed something else.
George battled the demon drink but this was one game he was never going to win. But the thing about George is he didn't want us to feel sorry for him, like he never felt sorry for himself. He was one of a kind but fell foul of a curse and he will be sorely missed by many.
The one thing that we can take from the events of the last week is that we can hope youngsters such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jermain Defoe and all the others who love living the highlife, don't end up in that situation. That is why George Best asked the News of the World to picture him in intensive care, to show people what can happen. If that image and the fate of George can help one person realise what they are doing to themselves then he will not have died in vain.
If I believed in heaven I would say that George is up there now looking down on us and if I believed in Angels I would say he will act as one to help Rooney, Ronaldo etc. to find their way without the pain and torment.
To put it simply, to me as a United fan, George Best never died; he was just transferred to 'Football Heaven XI' where he will line up next week alongside Sir Stanley Matthews and Duncan Edwards, watched eagerly from the bench by their manager...Sir Matt Busby.
Thanks for listening and goodnight for now, Bestie.
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