Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
From: archer@hsi.com (Garry Archer)
Subject: Re: Who is George Best 
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems, Wallingford CT
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1993 18:38:09 GMT

George Best's clubs were:

	Manchester United	England		1961-1972
	Manchester United	England		1973-1975
	Dunstable		England		1975
	Cork Celtic		Ireland		1975
	Stockport County	England		1975
	La Coruna		Spain		1975
	Los Angeles Aztecs	USA		1975, 1976, 1977
	Fulham			England		1976-1977
	Fort Lauderdale Strikers USA		1978
	Hibernian		Scotland	1978?

He also played for Northern Ireland (37 caps, I believe), of course.
He made his international debut against Wales a month short of his 18th
birthday.

Born on 22nd May, 1946, He left Manchester United when he was 27 in 1973.  
He actually resigned again in January 1974 and while still registered with
United played two games on loan for Dunstable in the old Southern League.
After finally leaving United he went to Cork and Stockport playing with
game-to-game contracts before going to Spain for a short time.

Best was invited to play in the North American Soccer League in 1975
and would return for three subsequent summers.  The final stint was
despite a worldwide FIFA ban owing to some contract dispute with Fulham.

He never played as great at his other clubs as he did for the Red Devils.
Best was discovered by a Manchester United talent scout when he was 15.
In over 350 appearances with United he scored 135 goals.

The peak of his career was probably in 1968 when he was awarded both
English (as in League) Footballer of the Year and European Footballer
of the Year.  He had also been English Footballer of the Year in 1967.

His "only" honours on the field were helping Manchester United to
two League Championships and wining the European Cup.

He was a brilliant player known for his ball control skills second
to none.  Equally brilliant with either foot or his head he gained
lasting fame as a dazzline and theatrical dribbler.

Some noteworthy memories:

He once taunted a Chelsea defender by taking off his red jersey, and, with
his foot on the ball, held it in front of his opponent like a bullfighter.

He sat on the ball in an FA Cup Final.

Scored a goal from a headstand with a volley.

Dribbled the ball down half the length of the pitch _with his THIGHS_!

Scored six goals in an FA Cup tie against Northampton Town.

Stole the ball out of Gordon Banks' hands in a Northern Ireland-England game.
He also "scored" as Banks looked on, but the goal was disallowed.

Was known for his "bum trap" (trapping the ball with his backside!).

I'll always remember the countless times he would leave some of the
game's top professionals completely awe-struck as he dribbled by them
as if they weren't there.


-- 
|                     Garry Archer Esq.     archer@hsi.com                    
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