Liverpool FC Forum

[JC_81]

Scottboat..there are those whose contribution to football earns them a place in the games hall of fame because of a footballing pedigree which is unique .. one which raises the game to levels unknown before and whose contribution deseves universal recognistion and acknowledgement at a time like this.. Best was in the class of Pele, Maradonna, Cruyff etc. if the British game wishes to honour him in this way so be it, it's not a bone of contention is it.. or is it ?

Totally agree. No matter how he lived his life he deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius.

The same with that West Brom lad for the drink driving ? Thats ok is it ?

Also, if Harold Shipman was a top flight footballer would you give him a minutes silence ?

That's a fu.cking disgraceful comment.

George Best and Harold Shipman?  For fu.ck sake Leon    Surely you can vent your bitterness in a less ridiculous way

[greenred]

Leon must have had a few too many after the match.

[shanxpony]

good riddance to the wife beating alcholic, how ironic he will go as just as 24 hour drinking comes in   :D

i have been a liverpool fan for 53 years. i have had the pleasure of being personally aquainted with bill shankley and bob paisley and have been to over a thousand games. i think you are a disgrace and not a true fan of liverpool or football. our club, more than any other, should sympathise with tragedy in football and thats what george bests death was.., a tragedy. he could do magic with a football, when pitchs in the winter were like bogland. todays booing has ensured that i will never see another game live, i was disgusted to see my glorious club had vanished, along with the pride we were held in, enjoy your bitterness, small man, you are nothing.

[fivecups]

George Best was more than just a top flight footballer. If you haven't already, download this clip and name one footballer who is as good as that today.

We post here because we love football, and Best was one of the greatest footballers ever, for that he deserves our respect. In later years he faced an addiction he was unable to overcome. Some of thethings he did when consumed by alcohol were wrong. But by all accounts he wasn't a bad person. He's almost always described as kind, generous, shy, quiet, polite, unable to say no.

He's the archetypcal flawed genius. Think Maradona, Gascoigne, Keane, Cantona, Souness - all flawed but all deserve respect in my opinion.

[PhiLFC]

ok... RIP George Best and my condolences to his family

I stand by what I wrote before but now realise that it wasn't right under this particular heading and in the circumstances was a crass thing to do.. apologies all round

[Leonmc0708]

Probably a (very very very) bad example, but its the same train of thought.

We should look over the womanising, wife beating, drink driving and the fact that he took a donor organ and abused it when there are many many more deserving people waiting (and dying) who would have made better use of it just because he was a great footballer?

NO.

I am Liverpool through and through, but I dont hate Man United more than I love Liverpool like some "fans".

Geourge Best was the greatest footballer I have ever seen, and I include Pele, Marradona and all the others in that. He did things with a football that totally mesmerised you. He leaves memories of pieces of skill, bravado, style and endevour that will never ever die.

However I have no sympathy for him. I feel for his father, his son and all his family but not for him.

Football lost a great footballer twenty odd years ago when he fell down the slippery slope of alcoholism and all that goes with it. Friday the world lost an old foolish man.

I disagree with the hyipocrisy of statements like " No matter how he lived his life he deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius" and "He never did anything to harm anybody but himself, the guy should be solely remembered on what he could do with a football" and To George Best: you were one of us and we loved you for it, God bless .

[66-1120597113]

Probably a (very very very) bad example, but its the same train of thought.

We should look over the womanising, wife beating, drink driving and the fact that he took a donor organ and abused it when there are many many more deserving people waiting (and dying) who would have made better use of it just because he was a great footballer?

NO.

I am Liverpool through and through, but I dont hate Man United more than I love Liverpool like some "fans".

Geourge Best was the greatest footballer I have ever seen, and I include Pele, Marradona and all the others in that. He did things with a football that totally mesmerised you. He leaves memories of pieces of skill, bravado, style and endevour that will never ever die.

However I have no sympathy for him. I feel for his father, his son and all his family but not for him.

Football lost a great footballer twenty odd years ago when he fell down the slippery slope of alcoholism and all that goes with it. Friday the world lost an old foolish man.

I disagree with the hyipocrisy of statements like " No matter how he lived his life he deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius" and "He never did anything to harm anybody but himself, the guy should be solely remembered on what he could do with a football" and To George Best: you were one of us and we loved you for it, God bless .

You've obviously never seen a person in the sad state of alcoholism then Leon!
If you had you would understand that they are not able to make desicions like any other person!
Also they are not responsible for their actions or words when consumed by alcohol!Once the demon drink has hold the person in question has no control !Its a sad illness and even sadder is the attached stigma that most people are too shallow to understand it!

[Garymac]

Why give an alcoholic another liver to abuse then, if he was so gripped by it??

[PhiLFC]

We are wrong to discuss it in this heading

[66-1120597113]

Why give an alcoholic another liver to abuse then, if he was so gripped by it??

Thats called not giving up Gary!
The doctors obviously thought he could beat hisn addiction.
Obviously they were wrong.
I can understand people saying he was this and that alcho and what ever.But alcoholism can hit anyone and ruin the best of men!
It aint about his drinking that people are bitter,its because he played for the Scum!

[gabbyh]

Leon, if you watched last nights documentary, you would have heard the likes of Michael Parkinson state that Best never made excuses for his life. He lived his life full stop.
I truly hope no-one on this board who has criticised Bests excesses, smokes or drinks.
Best got a Liver transplant, you are saying it was a waste and someone else could have used it? Sorry, the Liver Best got matched the criteria needed for his body. You can't just get any Organ, it needs to be acceptable to your body. The Liver Best got, may not have been acceptable for any one-else at that time.
Also, in that documentary, it was said that Organ Donation cards had increased during the search for a Liver Donor for Best. He has also carried a donor card.
If I donated an organ of mine, I wouldn't care how the recipient lived their life, I would be just so glad that my organs help extend their life.
Maybe there should be clauses on Organ Donation cards?
Only give my Organs to someone who will live exemplary lives and never eat anything with fat in, never drink alcohol again, exercises daily,doesn't smoke.

[JBG]

Probably a (very very very) bad example, but its the same train of thought.

We should look over the womanising, wife beating, drink driving and the fact that he took a donor organ and abused it when there are many many more deserving people waiting (and dying) who would have made better use of it just because he was a great footballer?

NO.

I am Liverpool through and through, but I dont hate Man United more than I love Liverpool like some "fans".

Geourge Best was the greatest footballer I have ever seen, and I include Pele, Marradona and all the others in that. He did things with a football that totally mesmerised you. He leaves memories of pieces of skill, bravado, style and endevour that will never ever die.

However I have no sympathy for him. I feel for his father, his son and all his family but not for him.

Football lost a great footballer twenty odd years ago when he fell down the slippery slope of alcoholism and all that goes with it. Friday the world lost an old foolish man.

I disagree with the hyipocrisy of statements like " No matter how he lived his life he deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius" and "He never did anything to harm anybody but himself, the guy should be solely remembered on what he could do with a football" and To George Best: you were one of us and we loved you for it, God bless .

Leon, that is a bit of a climb down from your earlier position on Best and if this post represents your opinion on the man, then fair enough.

My own feeling is that people are very quick to be judgemental. Best was a very weak man, and his life was tragic in that he is the archetypal genius ruined by his own human weaknesses.

I don't think George Best was a bad man in any shape or form. In fact, I have heard countless people speak of him being a very warm and loving human being.

Everybody makes mistakes and do things that we are not proud of, I know I certainly do. George Best made more mistakes than many, but in the end, I doubt he hurt anybody more than he hurt himself. His alcoholism, I believe, probably arose from his own guilt and self loathing for throwing away his playing career.

George Best's weaknesses were highlighted more than anybody elses because of who he was. If I was to say "I'll have no symapthy for that man because he did this or he did that" everytime somebody I knew died then I'd never manage to go to a funeral.

[Mikz]

Its fcu.king disgraceful ! George Best was no murderer . Bestie always said he enjoyed the good rapport with the Liverpool fans and considered it a compliment when they applauded him.
But hes been literally slaughtered on here by people-even when he lies dead.
If ya have no codolences for him -then keep yer nose out and say nothing.

[fivecups]

No matter how he lived his life he deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius.

I understand your analogy. Maybe "George Best deserves total respect from all football lovers simply because he was a footballing genius" would have been better because he simply wasn't a bad person, a Shipman etc.

Surely there's some hypocrisy in saying 'Geourge Best was the greatest footballer I have ever seen, and I include Pele, Marradona and all the others in that. He did things with a football that totally mesmerised you. He leaves memories of pieces of skill, bravado, style and endevour that will never ever die.' and choosing to focus your comments on the negative (non-football) parts of his life when he dies.

In relation to his liver transplant - many people who recieve liver transplants are alcoholics or parasuicides. Alcoholism is widely recognised as a disease. They have to demonstrate they can live without alcohol - for 6 months I think. A proportion of these people will relapse but others wont. Its impossible to select those who wont all the time. Im fairly sure, Best managed 6 months off the drink. Did he jump the queue because he was famous? I don't know. Possibly - I know in Belfast he never waited in casualty - but our health system is rarely fair. Just look at the delivery of Herceptin which has been in the news recently.

Smokers with lung cancer, heroine addicts with AIDS, alcoholics with liver disease have the same right to equal healthcare as everyone else.

[gabbyh]

From what I have read on the net about the Liverpool game today, I think the fans there today were a disgrace.
Please slag me off cos I am ready for a fight.
Cos a lot of the braindeads who have slagged off Best do nothing but write insulting, ill advised, badly written posts whatever the subject.