talkSPORT blackout survival guide: George Best’s book on the goals, the bust-ups and having a pop at Alan Brazil!
All this week talkSPORT is helping you through the coronavirus sport blackout by suggesting either a good book or film to get into.
Many lives have been brought to a standstill as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with people either being forced to work from home or self-isolate, while sport has also been put on hold.
And so, every day this week Drivetime host Adrian Durham is looking at a brilliant book and/or sporting documentary to help you get through.
Today it’s the brutally honest autobiography of the original football superstar – George Best.
The Manchester United legend had everything in his game from the dribbling, the balance, the speed, the finishing and just sheer brilliance with the ball.
But he also had everything the newspapers thrived on - good looks, wealth, and enough explosive stories to fill the back pages by himself.
In the book he even had a pop at talkSPORT’s breakfast legend Alan Brazil!
THE BOOK:
George Best – The Good, The Bad, The Bubbly
WHEN WAS IT PUBLISHED:
October 1991
WHY IT’S WORTH READING:
As well as being entertaining read about one of football’s greatest characters, it’s also a heart-breaking tale of his descent into alcoholism and decline after ending his football career.
It’s a very honest book that sees the legend opens up on his career and life choices and the mistakes he’s made.
He’s also honest in his opinion of others, and he certainly doesn’t hold back there.
It’s also full of brilliantly quotable lines.
During their career, Brazil legend Pele hailed George Best as the best footballer in the world. In the book there’s a photo of the duo together, and the caption by Best reads: ‘Me and the second-best player in the world.’
During his heyday, Best seemed to thrive under the spotlight, with one of his famous quotes reading: “If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both."
But reading the book, you realise not all was as it seemed.
“That’s the way it’s been these past years: fights, women, drink, walk-outs, walk-backs, sometimes the villain, sometimes the victim, and always news, whether I liked it or not.”
TOP ANECDOTE:
The book is chock-full of Best’s bust-ups.
There’s the time he decked Michael Caine in London’s famous private members-only club Tramp.
There’s also the time he threw a pint of beer over a picture of United icon Bobby Charlton that was hanging in a pub, because he didn’t like him. He even refused to play in Charlton’s testimonial.
But talkSPORT’s favourite moment of the book was when Best had a pop at our very own Alan Brazil!
Durham sets the scene: “Best got very disillusioned at Old Trafford after finding out Denis Law and Bobby Charlton were on twice as much as he was and felt as top scorer for God-knows how many seasons that he should have been the top earner.
“He went to Sir Matt Busby with this, and he was only in his early 20s at the time, and Busby thought it was a bit of an affront for a youngster to go to him and say, ‘you should be paying me more.
“He accused Sir Matt Busby and Manchester United of ‘muddling along’ and not signing quality players.”
And here’s what Best wrote about that: “Instead they brought players like Garry Birtles, who cost £1.25million and was sold two seasons later for £250,000, and Alan Brazil, who never achieved anything at Old Trafford.”
Ouch!
DURHAM’S VERDICT:
“It’s so brutally honest, it’s an incredible read.
“But I want people to remember the football side of George Best because he was an absolute legend, played hundreds of games for Manchester United, was top goalscorer for endless seasons running in an incredibly successful period for the club.
“He was incredible for Manchester United and yet people always seem to take about what happened off the pitch.
“He was there for ten years and people forget that. He was immense for them.
“In the book he writes: ‘If there’s one thing still lacking [after retirement] it’s definitely the buzz I used to get of appearing in front of a huge football crowd. Nothing has ever hit that height and probably nothing ever will’.
“So when you think about the Miss World’s and all the rest of what was going on in his life, you realise just how much the football meant to him.
“Finally, he closes the book saying: ‘That’s the way I played football. I played the game when it was fun and free and the crowds roared with pleasure and not hate, I scored goals people still cherish in their memories and tell their children about. If football is an art, I was an artist and I’m proud of that’.
“George Best won two league championship medals and took Manchester United to victory in the European Cup - that’s how he should be remembered first and foremost, as a great, great footballer.”