The world of sport has lost one of its greatest heroes after George Best passed away at Cromwell Hospital in London. His death came at the end of a long series of alcohol-related health problems that have dogged him in recent years.
The iconic athlete, who was admitted to hospital eight weeks ago with flu-like symptoms, appeared to be fighting back for a time, but things took a sudden turn for the worse on Wednesday morning when he developed a lung infection and severe internal bleeding. He died on Friday at the age of 59. Regarded by football pundits as one of the most gifted athletes the game has ever known, the Northern Ireland star had his career cut short by his addiction to alcohol.
George originally hailed from Belfast and was just an adolescent when the sport's power players first sat up and took notice of his talent. After seeing the 15-year-old play, a scout from Manchester United famously phoned Sir Matt Busby, who was then managing the club, to tell him, "I've found a genius". It wasn’t long before the teenager was playing for the team and a few years later he took it to victory in the Premiership.
The young talent's rise to the top coincided with the popularisation of television, and his good looks and taste for the high life quickly turned him into a major celebrity. Indeed it is often observed that he was the first player to achieve a fame that extended far beyond fans of the sport.
In 1968 George became a national hero after being named European footballer of the year and also helping his club become the first English team ever to win the European Cup. The athlete's taste for glamorous parties and late-night drinking sessions were already taking their toll, however, and discipline problems began to affect his game.
George was just 26 when, in 1972, he stunned the sport by announcing his retirement. A series of comeback attempts were to follow, first with United and then with Stockport, Fulham and Hibernian, but he never managed to regain his old form. Not a few eyebrows were raised in the late Seventies when he decided to start a new life in the United States where the standard of the game was considerably lower. The sportsman's personal demons followed him across the pond, though.
In 1983 he decided to quit football for good, but turning his back on the sport did not put an end to the controversies. His marriage to model Angie Macdonald James, the mother of his only child Calum, collapsed in 1986. Many hoped that his second marriage, to air hostess Alex Pursey, might help him to start a new chapter in his life, but his addiction seemed to have too strong a grip. As his drinking continued, so his health problems worsened and in 2002 he was forced to undergo a liver transplant.
Doctors warned he would die if he went back to the bottle, but even that was not enough to provoke change, and a year later he was once again bingeing on alcohol. Last year was to prove an annus horribilis as he was found guilty of drink driving and his relationship with Alex ended in divorce.
Despite the fact he never achieved his full potential, fans of the "beautiful game" will always remember George for his genius on the pitch and his charm off it. When asked about the personal problems that ruined his career, the handsome Irishman, who openly acknowledged the seriousness of his addiction, responded with a wry smile and a characteristic quip. "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars," he said. "The rest I just squandered."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
