dirtysanta
Original Casual
tony1798 said:
Well said.
George Best footballer
- Thread starter Numbers
- Start date
Well said.
Balbi
Hey, Dean Yager!
Holland - midway between successive World Cup final appearances - and Johan Cruyff were at their peak at the time. George wasn't. I asked him what he thought of the acknowledged world number one and he said he thought the Dutchman was outstanding. 'Better than you?' I asked. George looked at me and laughed. 'You're kidding aren't you? I tell you what I'll do tonight... I'll nutmeg Cruyff first chance I get.' And we both laughed at the thought.
A couple of hours later the Irish players were announced one by one on to the pitch. Pat Jennings, as goalkeeper, was first out of the tunnel to appreciative applause. Best, as No 11, was last. 'And now,' revved up the PA guy, 'Number 11, Georgie [long pause] Best.' And out trotted George. Above him, a beautiful blonde reached over with a single, long-stemmed red rose.
Given his nature, his training and his peripheral vision there was no way he was going to miss her or the rose, so he stopped, trotted back, reached up to take the flower, kissed her hand and ran out on to the pitch waving his rose at the punters as the applause grew even louder.
Five minutes into the game he received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air.
Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1646611,00.html
A couple of hours later the Irish players were announced one by one on to the pitch. Pat Jennings, as goalkeeper, was first out of the tunnel to appreciative applause. Best, as No 11, was last. 'And now,' revved up the PA guy, 'Number 11, Georgie [long pause] Best.' And out trotted George. Above him, a beautiful blonde reached over with a single, long-stemmed red rose.
Given his nature, his training and his peripheral vision there was no way he was going to miss her or the rose, so he stopped, trotted back, reached up to take the flower, kissed her hand and ran out on to the pitch waving his rose at the punters as the applause grew even louder.
Five minutes into the game he received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air.
Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1646611,00.html
goldenecitrone
post tenebras lux
I liked the story of Northern Ireland playing Holland when Johann Cruyf was considered the best in the world and Bestie went out and nutmegged him. 
Yeah, that's the story. Cheers.
Yeah, that's the story. Cheers.
RubberBuccaneer
Hedd Wyn
Woohooo I Did see him ( there's a pic on the message board and everything ).
Pity I was too young to remember for sure
Pity I was too young to remember for sure
Streathamite
ideological dogmatist
yes he is. when I was visiting my sis-in-laws family in buenos aires, all the football nuts (i.e. practically every bloke) knew lots about ManUre and BestLeon said:
Streathamite
ideological dogmatist
I am truly privileged. I saw Best play live. it was for dunstable, against Luton IIRC, in '74. he was clearly bored, out of love with the game, and out of condition, and I was only 8, but even then some of the things he did looked beautiful and balletic
Streathamite
ideological dogmatist
edited; just seen the joke. watch it geezer I'm gonna deck yer with me zimmer frame next time we meettony1798 said:bloody hell Jezza... you've been around a bit
Shanksy said:Your ground looks shite!
It was shite in 1978. If you laid down at the goalmouth at one end, you couldn't see the other goalmouth because it was way over the hill
tony1798 said:
I saw him live a number of times, but most memorably at Stanford Bridge in 67 or 68.
Streathamite
ideological dogmatist
a)20Chorlton said:
b) 11 (ManUre 1963-1974)
Red Jezza said:
of those 20 i'm not sure (a good goal in the states excepted) anyone would have described him as world class - he had talent but by before the end of his United career he was already losing any claim to being the best player in the world - by the time doc finally kicked him out in 73 he was well past his best (NPI).
Admittedly i wasn't there and it was before my time but i have read his autobiography and other stuff about him i thought that by the time he eventually got kicked out united were on the way down if not already- he had also walked out of the club many times before being kicked out and general consensus being that he really only played under sir matt?
If others were there and can tell me i'm wrong and i do not mean to be disrespectful to a man on his deathbed but i have always had issues about this claim of george being the best in the world - it was my understanding that for about 4 years he showed he could have been the best in the world but sadly that was it...
Numbers
an ting!
lol @ Chorlton "I have always had issues with...."
almost every respected pundit/journalist/manager/player/fan in the history of the game who seen him regard him as one of the greatest, pele and maradona regard him as the best... even Shanks thoughts the same...
yet you have issues with it - - you have issues alright brother.
almost every respected pundit/journalist/manager/player/fan in the history of the game who seen him regard him as one of the greatest, pele and maradona regard him as the best... even Shanks thoughts the same...
yet you have issues with it - - you have issues alright brother.
fanta said:
Grow up
Dickhead
My dad took me to see him play against Celtic at Easter Road. '79 I think. He scored 'n' all. I think Hibs won 3-2???
Peter Latchford was in goal but that that's all I remember about it but I remember him causing a stir when he signed for Hibs. Doubled the attendance figures!!!
All the Best.
Peter Latchford was in goal but that that's all I remember about it but I remember him causing a stir when he signed for Hibs. Doubled the attendance figures!!!
All the Best.
Streathamite
ideological dogmatist
Not soChorlton said:
1. he quit in 73, came back 74, then got kicked out (apols for pedantry)
2. from about 64 to when he quit he was universally seen as near-genius (I've seen tjhe press reports); the difference was that in the 60s he had a world class team around him, and by the time he quit, Utd were poor enough to get relegated; charlton, sadler, aston, stiles, law and crerand had been replaxced with Ure, Davies, storey-moore etc. he once said he used to lose the ball a lot in the final year because he couldn't find anyone to pass it to who he thought was good enough.
he's dead.Similar threads
