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George Best: Football’s first celebrity

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George Best: Football’s first celebrity


Even when his playing career finished – and he never played a game for United after the age of 27, having already plundered 179 goals – the public’s fascination with him persisted.

 

He was the inspiration for numerous biographies, and a film biopic. There was a Malaysian road movie, From Jemapoh to Manchester, that told the story of two boys setting out for Old Trafford, obsessed with Best’s appeal. George was also mentioned in the classic screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel Trainspotting.

 

As anyone who has followed the Oasis story will know, the Gallaghers are devout Blues, but still a photo of George made it onto the cover of their classic debut album Definitely Maybe. Another City fan, the late, great Mark E. Smith of the Manchester/Salford band The Fall, seemed intoxicated by Best’s lonely charisma: “I remember seeing him just standing there for 80 minutes on this shabby pitch, holding his sleeves. United were basically playing without him. But then, in the last 10 minutes, he got the ball, dribbled all over the place and scored the equaliser and just walked off on his own.”

 

Keeping the Blues theme, former City manager Joe Mercer rhapsodised: “It seems impossible to hurt him. All manner of men have tried to intimidate him. Best merely glides along, riding tackles and brushing giants aside like leaves.”



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