If anybody rivalled The Beatles for column inch coverage in the 1960s, it was George Best, but with the Fabs having hung up their guitars, as a group at least, George was out in front on his own by 10 December 1970 when he was featured on the front of TV Times.
Inside, his Northern Ireland team-mate, Derek Dougan, ran the rule over Best, a character study that ranks with any put together about the Belfast boy.
“Remember, genius us always highly strung, always balanced on a knife-edge…he is warm and generous, always the first to buy the tea for the lads and whom I have seen signing autographs until his fingers blistered…as a player, his main attributes are uncanny balance and a tremendous shot in both feet. He is, for me, ‘the white Pelé.’…George’s trouble is that he’s probably the most eligible bachelor in the country and he’s always news.”
More on George Best – plus Jonathan Miller’s view on which famous names from 1970 might feature in historical documentaries in 2070 – can be found here.
