By John Scally

It is difficult to believe that the 25th of November marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of Ireland’s greatest footballer. He was only 59 years old.

In 1961, two fifteen-year-olds, Eric McMordie and George Best, set sail from Belfast for Liverpool for a two-week trial period with Manchester United. When they got to Manchester they asked a cab driver to take them to Old Trafford. They were stunned when he replied, “Which Old Trafford?” They had not realised there was also a cricket ground called Old Trafford.

United’s scout in Northern Ireland, Bob Bishop, discovered Best playing schools football. In 1961, he sent a telegram to Matt Busby which said, “I believe I’ve found you a genius.”
The trip to Manchester was a big cultural shock to Best not least because it was the first time he ever wore long trousers!

Best was unable to join the club as an apprentice pro because of an agreement between the Irish FA and the English FA which was intended to prevent English clubs from poaching the hottest young talent in the North. Under the terms of the deal English clubs who signed such youngsters had to find proper jobs for the boys until they were seventeen. Best found work as a tea-boy with Manchester Ship Canal Company.

Nicknamed ‘The Fifth Beatle’ because of his pop star lifestyle, Best married the spirit of his generation with its sense of freedom and optimism. The anthem for the Sixties generation was, “Hope I d-die before I get old”. Theirs was the generation which saw an unprecedented departure from previous ages. It was in the 1960s that life as we know it today was shaped and moulded.

This was the decade of the Rolling Stones, pirate radio, monster peace-concerts, flower power and Mary Quant. Hope and idealism were the common currency when the word AIDS had never been heard of.

Nostalgically everything about the time seems good, the concern for peace, the socially concerned songs of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Simon and Garfunkel. Radio Luxembourg ruled the air waves. Their power play, every hour, on the hour made instant hits of songs such as Les Crane’s prayer Desiderata. Only the sixties could have produced a character like George Best.

He made his debut for United’s reserve team in 1962 against West Brom. His immediate opponent was Brom’s regular full-back, Welsh international, Graham Williams, who was rehabilitating from an injury – a hard man of the game with an imposing physical presence.

A year later Best made his full debut against West Brom and again his marker was Williams. United won 1-0 and Best earned good reviews for his performance.
A few months later Best made his debut for Northern Ireland against Wales and again Best faced Williams. The Irish won 3-2 with Best having two ‘assists’. After the game Williams made a dash for Best in the players’ lounge. The debutant was petrified as the Welshman grabbed him roughly by the face and looked him deep in the eye before taking the wind out of Best’s sails by saying, “So that’s what your face looks like. I’ve played against you three times now and all I’ve seen of you so far is your bum!”

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own