George Best

[brianm]

Freddie Mercury knew he had aids, and NO, I dont have personnal verification of this but it is well documented and,according to TV and news reel, he continued his lifestyle up untill his death knowing the risk to others.

B

[mark.anson]

He did and when he found out about it he just carried on.

The Sunday Sport also ran an article headed ,"London Bus Found On The Moon".

[Boomy]

Wot arm did Freddie Mercury do?Kinell he inspired Boomy  

No no no, he didn't inspire me, my role model has always been 'Pike' from Dad's Army.Just ever so slightly more subtle than the Fredster.

[ChrisF]

The Sunday Sport also ran an article headed ,"London Bus Found On The Moon".

I think it was actually a world war two bomber, my cousin wrote that one  

Anyway...RIP George     We all have our talents and faults in some way or another.

[MARSDALEBEAR]

The Sunday Sport also ran an article headed ,"London Bus Found On The Moon".

And your point is...?

[Peter Cox]

The Sunday Sport also ran an article headed ,"London Bus Found On The Moon".

I think it was actually a world war two bomber, my cousin wrote that one  

Anyway...RIP George     We all have our talents and faults in some way or another.

2nd'd...twas a B17 bomber.

Week later it had disappeared, just like public acclaim does.

I wonder if things had turned out this way if they'd have been called "George Worst" or "Freddie Uranus".

[brianm]

Anyway...RIP George     We all have our talents and faults in some way or another.

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Thats a fitting epitaph, can that be an end to it??

Bri,

[Peter Cox]

Anyway...RIP George     We all have our talents and faults in some way or another.

--------------

Thats a fitting epitaph, can that be an end to it??

Bri,

obviously not...you've just replied [irony recognised]

[brianm]

I'm going to bed, yes I do give up.                                          

B.

[chazpowerslide]

Having lost both my Mum and step Mum to alcholism I can confirm that it's very distressing to watch someone you love destroy themselves infront of your very eyes and be as powerless to help them as they are to help themselves.

I can feel empathy for George Best's family and friends, the death of a loved one is hard to come to terms with who ever you are and whatever the circumstance.

I watched my Mother die over a period of 6 days from being admitted to Northamptom General Hospital due to kidney and liver failure brought on by alcohol abuse, I never thought I'd be witness to such a desperate, futile and self afflicted scene as I witnessed over those long and distressing days.

I'm damn sure that had my Mum been a celab and been able to "jump the donor queue" as George Best allegedly did that it would'nt have made any difference to her either.

She had 11 grand children to see grow up and a family that really cared about her but the pull of the bottle was stronger, end of story.

The very day that she was admitted to hospital she'd consumed two full bottles of spirit...................................

I'm not a football fan and I'm not a George Best fan either, I think the way he conducted his life was shameless and the way in which he treated those that loved him (Alex) was very shoddy, his football career was at best short and to me he seemed to use his past glory on the pitch to manipulate the media and those that could help him to his advantage.

A superstar in the rose tinted specticals of some peoples eyes he may be, but to me sad though his death is it's reminder of an individual who is out of control and powerless to avoid the inevitable.

He may have been "the" most gifted football player ever but it all turned to ****e for him, to me he's not some wonderfull person who was a fantastic football player, he's just another sad statistic of alcohol abuse.

Chaz.

[mark.anson]

The Sunday Sport also ran an article headed ,"London Bus Found On The Moon".

And your point is...?

That the press will never let the truth get in the way of good story.

[Gromit]

Freddy Star ate my Hamster...................tis true you know.

[hilux]

I'm not a football fan and I'm not a George Best fan either, I think the way he conducted his life was shameless and the way in which he treated those that loved him (Alex) was very shoddy,

He may have been "the" most gifted football player ever but it all turned to ****e for him, to me he's not some wonderfull person who was a fantastic football player, he's just another sad statistic of alcohol abuse.

Couldnt agree more, my sister and brother are both affected by `the bottle` my brother nearly died recently. They both have breaks now and again but still go back for more.

I like a drink but no matter how much I practice I either get sick or fall asleep.

My sister (and currently a wife of a friend of mine) could be completely slaughtered but would still sit at a bar for hours and keep drinking. Once pi**ed it didnt seem to matter how much more was drunk it had no additional effect.

It seems to me to be a tolerance of alcohol that makes you an addict. To explain, I get the full benefit and that does me cos I then cannot function whereas my sister (and George?) seem to get a smaller effect that makes them drink more (bit like a junkie using cut drugs and then getting a full dose) yet the more they drank the same effect was created by what they had drunk.

I feel then that once this state is reached if you then have a tolerance for alcohol you drink it in vain.

[Chris Elworthy]

I can't help how I feel.

I cannot modify my feelings just to be politically correct or otherwise.

In amongst all of the moralistic tosh being said about his lifestyle, and the fact that his passing was no surprise, I am very saddened by the death of this great man. When I was a kid we all wanted to be him, and I never tire of watching the footage of him playing.

When Georgie Best started losing control, missing training and so on, he was the first of a new generation of football star. His condition and life-style was an unknown, this coupled with the fact that Genius verges on Madness was a new phenomenom

To say that GB's life was wasted is nonsense

a) we have the memories of a Great footballer

b) he himself did not consider it a waste

c) The Football world is still learning how to manage the Superstar Ego's it has produced. Lets hope that at least part of the George Best experience is put to good use in recognising and dealing with these precocious talents so they realise their full potential......if they want to.

Long may Georgie Best be remembered for the joy he brought to us all.

[Megablade Paul]

As a kid of about ten years old I remember meeting George Best. One of my mates kept saying his uncle was GB's mate. Of course we didn't believe him until one day he turned up at my mates house just as a few of us were playing footie in the street.

He turned up in a yellow Lotus Europa, talked to us for a good few minutes and I actually got to sit in his Lotus (and wanted one ever since). How nice a bloke must he have been to let half a dozen scruffy little oiks sit in his car and chat to us?

RIP Georgie (and I'm a blue)

As for the moral ethics I can see both sides, my wife's in the no sympathy corner, where as I can't see that so clearly. Personally I can't see the difference in people risking their lives climbing mountains, crossing oceans and generally doing daft things, then expecting medical care when it all goes wrong. Wouldn't life be a very dull place without these people, not quite the same as George I know, but maybe we're more like George - Most of us on here like to drive fast cars and, on occasions, take them on race tracks or drive quite quickly on public roads. Is that need for speed any different than the need for booze, an addiction? If the worst happens and we should need medical help through organ donation should we then spend the rest of our lives not doing the things we like to do, given the chance to do them again?

I'm with Scott on this one