@mancunited yes it is a great song at the end. "where do i go from here as i hear the echo in your tear" as even in 1970 most fans or just people interested in football at that time and 24 years later would say "it was the beggining of the end for george, we would see just another year of his true genius in 1971 and probably the best year from start to finish that george played football for man utd. In the whole of 1971 i was mesmerised by the goals and the way george just ran over teams. He had them top of the leauge by xmas, but all the stuff before that like the famous lob over big pat jeninngs as pat only got half a punsh on the ball as he was challengend in the air and george was about at least 14 yards out and a about 4 yards to his left hand side, there was two spurs defenders standing on there goal line, phil beal and cyril knowles. And about 2 or 3 others in the box around and between the 6 yard box and about the penalty spot and maybe further out, big pat was about 7 yards out when he punshend it. As he did just that the ball fell to george best who then let the heavy wet leather ball bounce onto his chest and then just let the ball drop onto his right foot and lobbed it right over every one in the box as the ball cleared the crossbar by about 7 inches and that means the two standing on the goal line as well. With big pat well beaten as you see the ball up in the sky heading towards the far back post all you notice is every one looking up to the ball as if to say well theres nothing any one can do about that, or even 3 goal keepers couldnt save that. Cyril knowles said "when big pat walked back to pick the ball out of the net, he said no one will ever do that again". What george did that day at old trafford just lit the ground up like a catherine wheel on guy fawkes night. Exhibiting sublime execution gauged to the very inch. Rightly the goal he scored against chelsea - as he ignored scything tackles from some of the toughest, most ruthless ever to play the game - is seen as the embodiment of so much of his ability. It showed courage, resilience and a skill that simply could not be tamed. That was the hard side of him, the one that could see him clouted so hard he wobbled but refused to go down; my top 3 favourite george best goals my favourite george best goal was at old trafford in the 6th febuary 1971 a leauge game that i just described earlier on. Yes the famous lob over big pat jeninngs. No one would have even thought about doing it, never mind being able to do it. On a heavy park like that. My second was is so great it was so hard to decide. So it was a leauge cup game on 28th of october 1970 and it was raining all day and night and george got the ball just past the half way line and you could see him running flat out as he had alot of ground to make up then out of nowhere ron chopper harris came charging in and tried to snap george in halve,, but george wobbled a bit and stayed on his feet and kept going and then he still had the goal keeper to beat and a great one at that, but this is george we are talking about here, so peter bonnetti comes out to narrow the space, but some how i can tell theres only going to be one winner here, as george did a tiny fient to go left but went right leaving bonneti scrambiling about on his knees as if to say george just score and dont make me and chopper look daft. So george goes right round bonneti as bonneti makes a last half hearted looking attempt to get it off george while on his knees then dives flat out on his left side as a way of saying well am done and you done me and ron harris...tell me george how did you manage to stand that brutal tackle? That was wild and the worse i have seen yet. Ron harris is still sitting on the grass watching as george goes round bonneti, then turns away in disbelieve. My 3rd favovrite goal is against sheffield utd on the 2nd of october 1971 at old trafford. The ball gets kicked up field and george picks it up just over the half way line in the middle of the park then he makes out wide to his right going faster and faster till they think best has went out too far wide then best some how curls his foot around the ball and shoots by beating the keeper and it goes in off the far post. A pure delight to watch.
@@suffern63 Yes, a towering talent. Love his richly descriptive prose on one of Bestie's greatest individual goals," ...Best had come in along the goal line from the corner flag in a blurry of deception. Having briskly embarrassed three or four challengers, he drove the ball high into the net with a fierce simplicity that made spectators wonder if the acuteness of the angle had been an optical illusion". Magic.
@@philiphalpenny9761 Indeed,although I don't think his voice had quite reached its most glorious tone yet in this recording.I seem to remember,or is it just time and nostalgia?an even more wondrous sound when talking about Ken Buchanan losing to Duran,was McIlvaney that said of the New York boxing board of control that they had quite a relaxed view to the rules,that as long as you didn't actually pull a knife in the ring,everything was more or less acceptable?
Dream 1 way,.... Yes Hugh makilvaney does have a great distinctive voice. It seems to stand out when he does a proggrame like this or maybe its just becouse its about george best? Maybe a bit of both! Its the way hugh picks his words to maybe. He always gets me on the edge of my seat. Then the way george best played football as well. A loved the way when george got the ball and slowed the game right down to walking pace and even slower than that, magic. Brilliant to watch. I saw him a few times playing the ball off the other players legs as if to do a one two to get the ball back again,...but in the most humilating way possible, and infront of 60 thousand people at old trafford in around 1968 to 1971 as thats what old trafford held then about 60 to 61 thousand fans. I saw him do it about 4 times in proper leauge games, and other times in exhibition and testimonial games and charity games. Fans had never seen stuff like that before, george was a supporters joy!
Bollocks. He retired at his peak at 27. Messi went on to win another CL title, ,league titles and scored countless goals after the age of 27. Never mind the 3 CL titles he won before that.
This must’ve been from that time when BBC2 showed a whole evening of programmes, dedicated to George Best. Back when the BBC meant something more than nonces and apologists for nonces. How times change.
@to....thats what i said last week on the comments after this proggrame. I said george tried so hard for about 4 years and couldnt have gave anymore, after the 1968 european cup win. And was winning games on his own in europe then, when it got to 1972,73 the team george knew since he was age 17 wasnt there anymore. A thinck thats when his heart was going out of the game. Or he needed a change of scenery. And he got one when he was flying over to america to play in the north american soccer leauge for about 5 or 6 months a season for about 6 seasons at least wich was perfect for him as the way it worked out the leauges in the uk had stopped for 4 or 5 months during the summer in the uk. So george was playing football all year round. But at least he kept on playing all through to the 1980s. I didnt expect a player of georges talent to just stop playing at age 27 or 30. George knew when to quit. As most geniuses do when they play a game or two. They just know the brains telling the body "no its just not happening anymore, its just not there for you. Go out with your head held high, it happens to them all. Instead of making a fool of yourself"
Unfortunately, George didn't have the staying power at club level & was untested at World Cup level. No fault of his own, as playing for Northern Ireland, didn't afford him that opportunity. We can't however *_assume_* , that if he'd did so. He'd have matched Pelé, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, world cup level's... He was the best player in Europe for about three years. ( 1967~1970 ). He just didn't have the longevity to stay at the elite level's to run a whole decade like: Di Stéfano in the 1950s. Pelé in the 1960s. Cruyff in the 1970s. Maradona in the 1980s. Messi/ Ronaldo in the 2010s.
Tavy@ he was the greatest player in the world from 1966 to 1972. Pele didnt even come close and was overrated. To prove it imagine pele and best swapping places? Pele playing with man utd and n,ireland and best playing with santos and brazil. Do you honestly believe pele could have did on a park what best did. No chance. Plus best was finished before his peak. At only 26.
Unfortunately, George didn't have the staying power at club level & was untested at World Cup level. No fault of his own, as playing for Northern Ireland, didn't afford him that opportunity. We can't however *_assume_* , that if he'd did so. He'd have matched Pelé, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, world cup level's... He was the best player in Europe for about three years. ( 1967~1970 ). He just didn't have the longevity to stay at the elite level's to run a whole decade like: Di Stéfano in the 1950s. Pelé in the 1960s. Cruyff in the 1970s. Maradona in the 1980s. Messi/ Ronaldo in the 2010s.
Mike douglas, you really know fck all. And is that in the usa when all the best players in the world went. Like pele, eusebio, beckenbauer, jinky, marsh, cruyff, neeskins, and lots more. Am pml becouse i know you dont even know the names of most of the players i namend there. And they went to usa just after george went. Do your home work first then talk, you dough ball. lol
Mike douglas, and what do you do mike ??? Or have done? Just another floating nomad eh mikey? There every where the place is getting worse. Many miss worlds have you had mike? lol by fuck the envy is soaring out of you. Dont worry surely you must be good at something, even if its just talking lol
Thats it tom. Now a like that. A guy that knows his stuff, just saying one sentence can tell you alot about some one. Yes you have to have self confidence with that amount of skill.
@philip...after utd won the european cup in 1968 a believe george waited till after 1971,72 and he deeply knew it wasnt going to happen again for him. 4 to 5 years later and man utd were getting worse not better. Thats what was really pissing george off. He admitted one time it was like after 1968 when we won the cup that the board had finally done it and won the european cup so that was that. I was age 22 i wanted to keep winning it for the next 5 or 6 seasons, not get alot worse wich we did. We were going out and teams were hammering us 5-0, and 2 years before we were beating them 5-0, it was really hard to take. Then 5 years later we were relagated, 5 or 6 years after winning the cup utd were now in division 2. Best had left by then and it would have hurted him badly playing in the old second division. At age 26 its hard to believe he had walked out on the game, and the game he loved so much. The greatest player in the world from 1966 to 1972 and he walked out the game at just 26 years old. We hadnt even seen the best of george. He could have played till age 36 at the top if he kept himself fit. Becouse he was so naturaly gifted with a ball, two footed and could score from angles you wouldnt believe, his control was second nature to him, he was great in the air. He could make space by easily losing his marker, thats becouse he was brilliant at reading the game and knew when to make runs into space. And he could pass a ball with any foot long or short over 70 to 80 yards and strait to your feet with out moving an inch. George made the game look great and fun to play, i still remember that when i was a kid and when something didnt work out or a man utd player missed an easy chance george would usually smile as if to say "its only a game" thats what i remember about george best as a kid. But when he got the ball and went on a run beating 6 players then scoring o my that was special. And he didnt smile? A thought my who is this guy, lol
Don Fardons song at the end, "Echoes of the cheers" is a perfect epitaph for George.
Rest in peace 🙏❤️
@mancunited yes it is a great song at the end. "where do i go from here as i hear the echo in your tear" as even in 1970 most fans or just people interested in football at that time and 24 years later would say "it was the beggining of the end for george, we would see just another year of his true genius in 1971 and probably the best year from start to finish that george played football for man utd. In the whole of 1971 i was mesmerised by the goals and the way george just ran over teams. He had them top of the leauge by xmas, but all the stuff before that like the famous lob over big pat jeninngs as pat only got half a punsh on the ball as he was challengend in the air and george was about at least 14 yards out and a about 4 yards to his left hand side, there was two spurs defenders standing on there goal line, phil beal and cyril knowles. And about 2 or 3 others in the box around and between the 6 yard box and about the penalty spot and maybe further out, big pat was about 7 yards out when he punshend it. As he did just that the ball fell to george best who then let the heavy wet leather ball bounce onto his chest and then just let the ball drop onto his right foot and lobbed it right over every one in the box as the ball cleared the crossbar by about 7 inches and that means the two standing on the goal line as well. With big pat well beaten as you see the ball up in the sky heading towards the far back post all you notice is every one looking up to the ball as if to say well theres nothing any one can do about that, or even 3 goal keepers couldnt save that. Cyril knowles said "when big pat walked back to pick the ball out of the net, he said no one will ever do that again". What george did that day at old trafford just lit the ground up like a catherine wheel on guy fawkes night. Exhibiting sublime execution gauged to the very inch. Rightly the goal he scored against chelsea - as he ignored scything tackles from some of the toughest, most ruthless ever to play the game - is seen as the embodiment of so much of his ability. It showed courage, resilience and a skill that simply could not be tamed. That was the hard side of him, the one that could see him clouted so hard he wobbled but refused to go down; my top 3 favourite george best goals my favourite george best goal was at old trafford in the 6th febuary 1971 a leauge game that i just described earlier on. Yes the famous lob over big pat jeninngs. No one would have even thought about doing it, never mind being able to do it. On a heavy park like that. My second was is so great it was so hard to decide. So it was a leauge cup game on 28th of october 1970 and it was raining all day and night and george got the ball just past the half way line and you could see him running flat out as he had alot of ground to make up then out of nowhere ron chopper harris came charging in and tried to snap george in halve,, but george wobbled a bit and stayed on his feet and kept going and then he still had the goal keeper to beat and a great one at that, but this is george we are talking about here, so peter bonnetti comes out to narrow the space, but some how i can tell theres only going to be one winner here, as george did a tiny fient to go left but went right leaving bonneti scrambiling about on his knees as if to say george just score and dont make me and chopper look daft. So george goes right round bonneti as bonneti makes a last half hearted looking attempt to get it off george while on his knees then dives flat out on his left side as a way of saying well am done and you done me and ron harris...tell me george how did you manage to stand that brutal tackle? That was wild and the worse i have seen yet. Ron harris is still sitting on the grass watching as george goes round bonneti, then turns away in disbelieve. My 3rd favovrite goal is against sheffield utd on the 2nd of october 1971 at old trafford. The ball gets kicked up field and george picks it up just over the half way line in the middle of the park then he makes out wide to his right going faster and faster till they think best has went out too far wide then best some how curls his foot around the ball and shoots by beating the keeper and it goes in off the far post. A pure delight to watch.
So poignant after all these years. McIlvanney and Best, greats in their respective spheres.
Thanks for posting this
Georgie Best was groovy baby.
Much respect for Hugh McIlvanney on his passing last night.
Two greats in the one documentary.
@@suffern63 Yes, a towering talent. Love his richly descriptive prose on one of Bestie's greatest individual goals," ...Best had come in along the goal line from the corner flag in a blurry of deception. Having briskly embarrassed three or four challengers, he drove the ball high into the net with a fierce simplicity that made spectators wonder if the acuteness of the angle had been an optical illusion". Magic.
@@philiphalpenny9761 Indeed,although I don't think his voice had quite reached its most glorious tone yet in this recording.I seem to remember,or is it just time and nostalgia?an even more wondrous sound when talking about Ken Buchanan losing to Duran,was McIlvaney that said of the New York boxing board of control that they had quite a relaxed view to the rules,that as long as you didn't actually pull a knife in the ring,everything was more or less acceptable?
Such a distinctive voice. Rest in Peace, Hugh.
Dream 1 way,.... Yes Hugh makilvaney does have a great distinctive voice. It seems to stand out when he does a proggrame like this or maybe its just becouse its about george best? Maybe a bit of both! Its the way hugh picks his words to maybe. He always gets me on the edge of my seat. Then the way george best played football as well. A loved the way when george got the ball and slowed the game right down to walking pace and even slower than that, magic. Brilliant to watch. I saw him a few times playing the ball off the other players legs as if to do a one two to get the ball back again,...but in the most humilating way possible, and infront of 60 thousand people at old trafford in around 1968 to 1971 as thats what old trafford held then about 60 to 61 thousand fans. I saw him do it about 4 times in proper leauge games, and other times in exhibition and testimonial games and charity games. Fans had never seen stuff like that before, george was a supporters joy!
The most beautiful talent in football history.
Bollocks.
He retired at his peak at 27.
Messi went on to win another CL title, ,league titles and scored countless goals after the age of 27.
Never mind the 3 CL titles he won before that.
@@benitezsucks8625 Messi forgot to win the world cup or coppa america! LOL
He certainly was the most beautiful talent in football history we are fortunate to have seen him play a genuis.
@@benitezsucks8625 Bollocks to you ! The poster was commenting on his talent! He was a great talent!
My lad is 9 and he already knows that George was The One.
He's not
Oh, Matt Busby's Jenson Interceptor! His best purchase after George. Where is it now?
A Genius
This must’ve been from that time when BBC2 showed a whole evening of programmes, dedicated to George Best. Back when the BBC meant something more than nonces and apologists for nonces. How times change.
A shame that ManU never really rebuilt to keep the momentum of winning the European Cup in 1968.
Wow, what a great find!
At least sir Alex Ferguson came in 1986 and restore Manchester United back to their former glory and won 38 trophies with them
@to....thats what i said last week on the comments after this proggrame. I said george tried so hard for about 4 years and couldnt have gave anymore, after the 1968 european cup win. And was winning games on his own in europe then, when it got to 1972,73 the team george knew since he was age 17 wasnt there anymore. A thinck thats when his heart was going out of the game. Or he needed a change of scenery. And he got one when he was flying over to america to play in the north american soccer leauge for about 5 or 6 months a season for about 6 seasons at least wich was perfect for him as the way it worked out the leauges in the uk had stopped for 4 or 5 months during the summer in the uk. So george was playing football all year round. But at least he kept on playing all through to the 1980s. I didnt expect a player of georges talent to just stop playing at age 27 or 30. George knew when to quit. As most geniuses do when they play a game or two. They just know the brains telling the body "no its just not happening anymore, its just not there for you. Go out with your head held high, it happens to them all. Instead of making a fool of yourself"
Unfortunately, George didn't have the staying power at club level & was untested at World Cup level. No fault of his own, as playing for Northern Ireland, didn't afford him that opportunity. We can't however *_assume_* , that if he'd did so. He'd have matched Pelé, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, world cup level's...
He was the best player in Europe for about three years. ( 1967~1970 ).
He just didn't have the longevity to stay at the elite level's to run a whole decade like:
Di Stéfano in the 1950s. Pelé in the 1960s. Cruyff in the 1970s. Maradona in the 1980s. Messi/ Ronaldo in the 2010s.
Tavy@ he was the greatest player in the world from 1966 to 1972. Pele didnt even come close and was overrated. To prove it imagine pele and best swapping places? Pele playing with man utd and n,ireland and best playing with santos and brazil. Do you honestly believe pele could have did on a park what best did. No chance. Plus best was finished before his peak. At only 26.
Unfortunately, George didn't have the staying power at club level & was untested at World Cup level. No fault of his own, as playing for Northern Ireland, didn't afford him that opportunity. We can't however *_assume_* , that if he'd did so. He'd have matched Pelé, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, world cup level's...
He was the best player in Europe for about three years. ( 1967~1970 ).
He just didn't have the longevity to stay at the elite level's to run a whole decade like:
Di Stéfano in the 1950s. Pelé in the 1960s. Cruyff in the 1970s. Maradona in the 1980s. Messi/ Ronaldo in the 2010s.
I love when he finally went to the USA to play NOBODY GAVE A RATS ASS!
Mike douglas, you really know fck all. And is that in the usa when all the best players in the world went. Like pele, eusebio, beckenbauer, jinky, marsh, cruyff, neeskins, and lots more. Am pml becouse i know you dont even know the names of most of the players i namend there. And they went to usa just after george went. Do your home work first then talk, you dough ball. lol
Ge its nice to see "success never went to his head ".....??????????????????????
I don't think he was horribly arrogant, although a certain self-confidence has to come with skills that he had.
Mike douglas, and what do you do mike ??? Or have done? Just another floating nomad eh mikey? There every where the place is getting worse. Many miss worlds have you had mike? lol by fuck the envy is soaring out of you. Dont worry surely you must be good at something, even if its just talking lol
Thats it tom. Now a like that. A guy that knows his stuff, just saying one sentence can tell you alot about some one. Yes you have to have self confidence with that amount of skill.
Maradonna good , Pele better , George Best !
...but where does that leave Messi?
good luck with that one. Pele is the King and Maradonna is second in command! LOL
@@ronbonora7872 exactly , Best is one of the greats
@philip...after utd won the european cup in 1968 a believe george waited till after 1971,72 and he deeply knew it wasnt going to happen again for him. 4 to 5 years later and man utd were getting worse not better. Thats what was really pissing george off. He admitted one time it was like after 1968 when we won the cup that the board had finally done it and won the european cup so that was that. I was age 22 i wanted to keep winning it for the next 5 or 6 seasons, not get alot worse wich we did. We were going out and teams were hammering us 5-0, and 2 years before we were beating them 5-0, it was really hard to take. Then 5 years later we were relagated, 5 or 6 years after winning the cup utd were now in division 2. Best had left by then and it would have hurted him badly playing in the old second division. At age 26 its hard to believe he had walked out on the game, and the game he loved so much. The greatest player in the world from 1966 to 1972 and he walked out the game at just 26 years old. We hadnt even seen the best of george. He could have played till age 36 at the top if he kept himself fit. Becouse he was so naturaly gifted with a ball, two footed and could score from angles you wouldnt believe, his control was second nature to him, he was great in the air. He could make space by easily losing his marker, thats becouse he was brilliant at reading the game and knew when to make runs into space. And he could pass a ball with any foot long or short over 70 to 80 yards and strait to your feet with out moving an inch. George made the game look great and fun to play, i still remember that when i was a kid and when something didnt work out or a man utd player missed an easy chance george would usually smile as if to say "its only a game" thats what i remember about george best as a kid. But when he got the ball and went on a run beating 6 players then scoring o my that was special. And he didnt smile? A thought my who is this guy, lol