Football world honours George Best 20 years after tragic death

Floral tributes and a photograph of George Best outside Old Trafford on the 20th anniversary of his death. (Symbolic image) AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS Getty Images

The football world commemorated George Best on the 20th anniversary of his death on November 25, 2005. The Belfast-born Manchester United legend, who died aged 59 from multiple organ failure, remains one of the sport's most celebrated and tragic figures.

GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes reflected on the "honour" of conducting Best's funeral in 2005. The non-religious service at Parliament Buildings in Stormont drew 100,000 people. Best's family personally invited Holmes to lead the ceremony "without any religious bias."

Holmes, who described Best as his "personal hero," recalled: "The weather was the foulest I've ever seen in my life. The audience was full of well-known names and faces, and just being there, paying tribute to a man I adored as a child, was incredible."

Tributes Pour In

Northern Ireland's national team posted: "Twenty years on, we remember George Best. The Belfast boy whose talent lit up the world. A legend who changed football forever. Never forgotten" Manchester United announced that Old Trafford fans applauded Best's memory during yesterday's match.

Fans responded emotionally to the tributes. One wrote: "We will never be blessed with anyone as special as Georgie Best." Another recalled: "Good Lord, 20 years since we lost him. I was blessed to see him play. The whole stadium would hold its breath when he got the ball. A magical, once-in-a-lifetime footballer."

A Unique Talent

Former Northern Ireland striker Gerry Armstrong, who played alongside Best, emphasized his exceptional ability. "I played against Diego Maradona. I played against some of the great stars, but George Best was unique." Armstrong said he described Best's playing style: "But it was his balance. He was like a ballerina. He'd swerve and he'd be at 45 degrees. The defenders are still going that way and he's gone the other."

Northern Ireland forward Josh Magennis, 35, noted Best's enduring relevance: "You talk about the best players in the world in terms of Peles and so on, and George Best is always in that conversation." Young forward Jamie Donley, who scored his first international goal during a recent Best tribute at Windsor Park, recalled watching highlights as a child: "Now you realise how special a player he was and everyone looks up to him."

Career Brilliance and Personal Struggles

Best led Manchester United to the 1968 European Cup triumph, scoring the winning goal against Benfica at Wembley. That same year, he won the Ballon d'Or. Across 470 matches for Manchester United, he scored 179 goals and won two league titles. Yet he left Old Trafford aged just 27 following a falling-out with manager Tommy Docherty.

Despite his "brilliant career" and "substantial wages," Best died bankrupt with £450,000 in debt. He owed the Cromwell Hospital £300,000, though it provided complimentary medical treatment. He had £100,000 outstanding on his Chelsea apartment mortgage and owed his ex-wife Alex Best £50,000.

Best's well-known remark captured his lifestyle: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars – the rest I just squandered." Armstrong reflected on the pressures Best faced: "No other footballer had the demands and pressure he got. He started to fold under the pressure and that's one of the reasons he went off the rails..."

Family Reflections

Best's son Calum spoke to The Telegraph about his father's death. "I really struggled when I lost my dad. I didn't quite understand the illness," he said. "I didn't understand what I was dealing with. And I kind of rebelled against all my internal battles. I was sad, I was angry, I was p----- off."

Calum added: "I sat in that stuff for a long time. And in that time, I made a lot of personal mistakes. And in fairness to me, I was under a lot of scrutiny from the public eye as well." Over time, understanding the illness and helping others struggling with similar issues aided his own healing.

Holmes remembered Best's charisma from their first meeting: "George had star quality. He had the film star looks and the swagger. He was a humble man, until the alcohol made him slightly less humble. He had the right to be arrogant, such was his genius."

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill emphasized Best's timeless appeal: "I think there are certain players that last through all ages. Everyone, whether they heard about George Best from their grandfathers or whoever it was, it'll be passed down."

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).