Gary Oldman is one of millions inspired by Best
It's often said that the Munich Air Disaster was the moment in Manchester United history that sparked the club’s unique global popularity more than any other. And I wouldn’t argue otherwise.
But, in my opinion, and the opinion of many others, there was a second unique and pivotal factor, in the years that followed our darkest day: George Best.
Maybe United have had better players. Sir Bobby Charlton? Denis Law? Cristiano Ronaldo? Everyone reading this article will probably have their own opinion.
But, if the numbers were ever to be counted, I'd wager that no individual has drawn more fans to the United faith than the mysterious Belfast Boy with those god-given gifts.
Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman is one of them, so much so that the Slow Horses star has taken a raft of beautiful, retro photos to mark the launch of the new adidas x MUFC x George Best clothing range.
Oldman behind the camera
GallerySlow Horses star Gary Oldman, a big Red, takes some incredible pics of the new adidas George Best collection.
You can see some of Gary’s amazing shots in the gallery within this article, but remember that, behind the sleek new clothes and the amazing photography, there was one driving impetus: George.
Oldman grew up in London as a Millwall fan – his dad even reportedly played a few games for the south London club – but he ended up as an avid United fan.
Gary would have been 10 years old when George delivered the crowning moment of his career – the decisive goal in United’s 4-1 victory over Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final – and the thespian has told us many times, during visits to Old Trafford, how his obsession with Best helped forged his love for the Reds.
Perhaps the biggest proof of Best’s unerring hold over football fans and the general public are the many similar stories of those that became devoted and intrigued by him.
Even those who profess to loathe United routinely ended up intoxicated by George, such was his footballing dexterity and his personal charisma.
You don’t hear Noel Gallagher saying many positive things about the 20-times champions of England, but check this out:
“George Best is the greatest footballer of all time! How can you hate Georgie? He was the first superstar; he’s on the cover of my first album – everybody loves George.
“The United fans love him because he was such a great player but the City fans love him too, because he liked to have a good time and was a bit of a mod.”
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The list of other footballers energised by him is too long to count.
The late, great Diego Maradona once said of the Northern Irishman: “George inspired me when I was young. He was flamboyant and exciting and able to inspire his team-mates. I actually think we were very similar players – dribblers who were able to create moments of magic.”
Pele remarked: “He was like a Brazilian athlete who danced the samba with the ball at his feet.”
“George Best was the best player in the world, not just England,” eulogised Eusebio, who was in the Benfica team that was twice vanquished by Best’s United in the sixties. “I remember one day he played Benfica in 1966 in Lisbon. We lost 5–1 and George was spectacular, a genius.”
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But my own favourite encomiums come from the writers – the hardbitten hacks of football journalism whose lives George enriched and colourised whenever he sprinkled genius across the miserable, muddy football fields of the First Division. And you can feel their refreshment in the prose they produced about him.
“With feet as sensitive as a pickpocket’s hands, his control of the ball under the most violent pressure was hypnotic,” wrote the legendary Hugh McIllvanney. “The bewildering repertoire of feints and swerves . . . and balance that would have made Isaac Newton decide he might as well have eaten the apple.”
“Now it seems impossible that he did so much so quickly, that his football remains so vivid for all those who witnessed it,” marvelled James Lawton.
“Before he was 20 he played like a man, but no ordinary one: he did everything you could do on a football field with astonishing grace and courage and power.”
George Best: A cultural force Video
George Best: A cultural force
George Best remains a United legend and cultural force. Authenticity, style, and influence beyond the game...
There’s a quote you often see flying around online, often attributed to the late, great American writer Maya Angelou.
I don’t think she actually said it. But whoever is responsible, it does a decent job of explaining why the pubs of Great Britain and Ireland will tonight be littered with men and women who still see flashes of George Best, the footballer, as they sup their pints and think about the best moments of their lives.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,” goes the quote. “But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
That, right there, is George’s legacy.
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