Omar's moving finger writes.....

There’s only one subject matter that can be written about this week and I do not apologise for jumping on the ‘bandwagon’. I refer of course to the football ‘magician’ that had the perfect name, Geordie ‘Best’. Never has a footballer been so aptly named, never has a player had the same natural ability, that our Geordie had, yes he was definitely the ‘Best’. I remember well the old ad on U.T.V., ‘Cookstown are the ‘Best’ family sausages’ and because our wee Geordie said it, we believed it. I consider it a privilege to have seen him play for Norn Iron at Windsor Park, I witnessed two ‘gross’ miscarriages of justice, the day he was sent off for allegedly throwing mud at the referee and worst of all the goal against Gordon Banks and England that should never have been ruled out. Yes Geordie was a genius, he could shoot with either foot, was deadly in the air and could run all day long. I was rather surprised to read a quote from his Man United team-mate Bobby Charlton who said he had lost a good friend. I wonder when that happened, Charlton used to say that the most unselfish act by him and his team-mates, was a run supporting George Best, as you knew he’d never pass the ball to you no matter what. Yes he admitted he was a ‘genius’ with a football, but outside they never socialised and in fact avoided each other where possible. But alas Geordie, although a genius on the football field couldn’t cope with the pressures of fame. Like a lot of people, he resorted to the ‘demon’ drink and like a lot of people before him he didn’t know when to say ‘no’. George used to tell a story of him being in a casino, winning a load of money and waking up next morning with the inevitable ‘Blonde’ in bed. An ageing bell boy came into the room with his breakfast on a tray, took in the scene and inquired of Geordie, ‘Where did it all go wrong Mister Best?  Geordie told this story as if to explain that in his opinion, he had not made any mistakes and that all his life was planned. Personally I agree with the ‘Bell boy’, Geordie let his talent slip through his fingers and therein lies the tragedy. He drunk himself to near death, got a second chance but just carried on wasting his life. I’m sorry you died Geordie, but I can’t hold you up as a hero, you were given a superb talent, but in my mind you wasted it and I think ‘that’ is really unforgivable!