BoxRec

Reported on the BBC

George Best is not expected to see out the next 24 hrs

I find it hard to have a lot of sympathy for a man who abused his body so badly and spurned the chance of a new life with a transplant that could have been used by a more grateful recipient.

However, there is a part of me that recalls the three times I saw him play in the flesh.

Once for Man Utd when he was in his pomp and ran all kinds of circles around Chelsea.

Once when he was playing for Fulham(?) with Stan Bowles and Rodney Marsh

Finally, when he was well into his forties at a testimonial ( can't recall for whom )

Even in the last game, he still had all the tricks.

Bye Bye Bestie. You gifted, magical, tragical, stupid man

Slapsie

the man is sick, give him a break eh?

Not sure where I was not giving him a break, eh?

Slapsie

A lot of people don't have much time for Best since his transplant and it's quite easy to understand why but he was an alcoholic and just couldn't stop boozing.

I don't think that he ever really wanted to stop either as he loved the drink so much.

Great footballer and a great character but it's a terrible shame when alcohol ruins someone's life. I've had relatives end up the same way as Bestie and it's not a pretty site.

Oh by the way isn't today the first day of legal 24 hour drinking licences....

Yep, shame he's going to die for his family, etc, and I don't wish the guy dead, but the man who made the legend died when he hung up his boots. Since then he's pissed his life away and nicked someone's liver to help him carry on a bit longer. I find it hard to feel sorry for that version of the man.

He did it his way and I've got full respect for him. He's one of the best footballers ever to grace a pitch, hes a true legend

Hes had a fantastic life and I don't reckon he'll have many/any regrets. He played club football at the highest level, he shagged a few Miss Worlds and I bet he could have writ an encyclopedia on his drinking exploits.

Fair play to ya George

I'd rather have 50 years of excitement than 100 years of boredom, Live fast die young 8)

someone just reminded me of the ( apocryphal probably ) story he told of laying in a bed with a former miss world with the room strewn with wads of cash and empty champagne bottles

The waiter walks in with his latest order of Dom Perigon and says

" Mr Best, do you mind if I ask you a questions"

"sure" says Bestie "go ahead"

"well" says the waiter " where did it all go wrong"

Too good to be true, but kind of sums the man up for me

Slapsie

Alchoholics don't have great lives though, all the talk of his exploits from George was blatantly to paper over the cracks and make out how happy he was.

Someone who is happy doesn't drink themselves to an early grave, and fornicate up every relationship they ever had.

He obviously cannot help himself, but being a chronic alchoholic, even a famous one is no laugh.

Slapsie Maxie wrote:someone just reminded me of the ( apocryphal probably ) story he told of laying in a bed with a former miss world with the room strewn with wads of cash and empty champagne bottles

The waiter walks in with his latest order of Dom Perigon and says

" Mr Best, do you mind if I ask you a questions"

"sure" says Bestie "go ahead"

"well" says the waiter " where did it all go wrong"

Too good to be true, but kind of sums the man up for me

Slapsie

I was thinking of that as I wrote my post

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Alchoholics don't have great lives though, all the talk of his exploits from George was blatantly to paper over the cracks and make out how happy he was.

Someone who is happy doesn't drink themselves to an early grave, and fornicate up every relationship they ever had.

He obviously cannot help himself, but being a chronic alchoholic, even a famous one is no laugh.

True. And I certainly would not want to downplay the misery it can cause others around them.

The reality is though that many of the hangers on revel in it and I have to say, I am as culpable as any.

Years ago, I took a girlfriend for a drink at the american Bar at The Savoy

We were sitting in a corner when a booming voice shouted " I fallen off the f**king wagon, champagne for everyone"

We turned around and, in his PJ's and dressing gown ( turned out later he lived there for a while ) was Richard Harris another famous alcoholic.

I could have turned down the drink. But, to be honest the thought of a famous lush buy us a drink seemed quite galmorous at the time. I did stop to think about it when he finally popped his clogs though

Slapsie

Chambers2 wrote:

Slapsie Maxie wrote:someone just reminded me of the ( apocryphal probably ) story he told of laying in a bed with a former miss world with the room strewn with wads of cash and empty champagne bottles

The waiter walks in with his latest order of Dom Perigon and says

" Mr Best, do you mind if I ask you a questions"

"sure" says Bestie "go ahead"

"well" says the waiter " where did it all go wrong"

Too good to be true, but kind of sums the man up for me

Slapsie

I was thinking of that as I wrote my post

I read Best's autobiography a couple of years back and he said that story, whilst a good one, was complete bollocks.

Goz wrote:

Chambers2 wrote:

Slapsie Maxie wrote:someone just reminded me of the ( apocryphal probably ) story he told of laying in a bed with a former miss world with the room strewn with wads of cash and empty champagne bottles

The waiter walks in with his latest order of Dom Perigon and says

" Mr Best, do you mind if I ask you a questions"

"sure" says Bestie "go ahead"

"well" says the waiter " where did it all go wrong"

Too good to be true, but kind of sums the man up for me

Slapsie

I was thinking of that as I wrote my post

I read Best's autobiography a couple of years back and he said that story, whilst a good one, was complete bollocks.

Dam ignorance was bliss

The classic question - 'when was the nearest time to a game you've had sex' - Best 'which half?'

Part of me has no sympathy for Best but another part thinks we all do stupid things we shouldn't - and yes he should of stopped drinking - but drinking seemingly is what made him happy aswell as been an addiction - addictions aren't too easy to give up.

Slapsie Maxie wrote:Not sure where I was not giving him a break, eh?

Slapsie

You could sympathyse with the man, he is on his deathbed.

DOCTOR: Mr Best, I've got some good news and the bad news. Which do you want first?

GEORGE BEST: The bad news.

DOCTOR: I'm afraid you've only got an hour to live.

GEORGE BEST: I see. And the good news?

DOCTOR: It's Happy Hour.

:P

Boxingmad wrote:DOCTOR: Mr Best, I've got some good news and the bad news. Which do you want first?

GEORGE BEST: The bad news.

DOCTOR: I'm afraid you've only got an hour to live.

GEORGE BEST: I see. And the good news?

DOCTOR: It's Happy Hour.

:P

I think you need to grow up

I don't think so. The idiot had it all. Yet he has squandered everything and slowly destroyed himself. Even when he was given a new liver, he blew that opportunity. So whilst the whole story is pretty sad, I find it hard to feel sorry for him. You need to lighten up mate.

Boxingmad wrote:I don't think so. The idiot had it all. Yet he has squandered everything and slowly destroyed himself. Even when he was given a new liver, he blew that opportunity. So whilst the whole story is pretty sad, I find it hard to feel sorry for him. You need to lighten up mate.

Most of what you said may well be true with his past, but at the same time, its nothing to do with needing to lighten up, its decent dignity.

Boxingmad wrote:I don't think so. The idiot had it all. Yet he has squandered everything and slowly destroyed himself. Even when he was given a new liver, he blew that opportunity. So whilst the whole story is pretty sad, I find it hard to feel sorry for him. You need to lighten up mate.

Well you do have to understand that people are going to feel different from you, especially people from N.Ireland .
Best may have done many things in his life that were not the right thing to do, but maybe lay off taking the mikey for a couple of days

People who slate Best for drinking again after his transplant need to remember that alcoholism is a disease, no one chooses to be an alcoholic and kill themselves. A liver transplant doesn't get rid of the disease which is in the brain. Some alcoholics are able to stop drinking eventually, but far more are not able to do so and its not the case of deciding not to stop, its the case of the disease being too strong to master.

As for 'Boxingmad' you are obviously a very sad person whom no one would miss were you not here at all, so I think you should go back into the sewer that you crawled out from prat!....

Point taken. It was in poor taste. And I can imagine that in Northern Ireland he is a hero, as in Manchester as well. Dying in the fashion he is is not pleasant at all.

I certainly have no experience of alcholism, so I am certainly in no position to speak.

I am not as bad as Boxingchat though. He riles everyone with every post he makes!! I think this is the first time I've posted some silliness. So Silkov, calm down please. I aint a bad bloke. Just occasionally prone to not thinking before speaking.

Perhaps we should stick to the boxing. At least we all know what we're talking about there.

Boxingmad wrote:Point taken. It was in poor taste. And I can imagine that in Northern Ireland he is a hero, as in Manchester as well. Dying in the fashion he is is not pleasant at all.

I certainly have no experience of alcholism, so I am certainly in no position to speak.

I am not as bad as Boxingchat though. He riles everyone with every post he makes!! I think this is the first time I've posted some silliness.

Thats little excuse. If you know so little of alcoholism then how can you judge a man who has it. Many in the media have done this who know nothing about the illness. Also its common decency to have respect for someone who is dying, even if you don't know them, as one day that will be you, perhaps for different reasons but it still won't be pretty, it never is.

What a player, a legend one of world best ever players.

Are you blind or something? I've just retracted what I've said, so just leave it eh? I'm sorry for upsetting a few folk, so calm down please.

Boxingmad wrote:Point taken. It was in poor taste. And I can imagine that in Northern Ireland he is a hero, as in Manchester as well. Dying in the fashion he is is not pleasant at all.

I certainly have no experience of alcholism, so I am certainly in no position to speak.

I am not as bad as Boxingchat though. He riles everyone with every post he makes!! I think this is the first time I've posted some silliness.

Thats fair enough, I felt it was out of place and had to express that.

Best was born and raised in East Belfast, 2 miles from my house. The people of that area and indeed Northern Ireland are very proud of his footballing success and there is even a very good painted mural on the full side of a house dedicated to George Best.

I'm not a football fan, but to have had George Best come from a small place like Northern Ireland to be one of the best footballers that ever lived is something we are all proud of.

His personal downfall aside, it's a sorry time to see what it's came too.