David Beckham - The most over rated of men

[Huguenot]

How on earth do you guys know how good Best was?

I can believe that some of you are just about old enough, but by crikey the trains up to Manchester must have been jammed all the way from East Dulwich every Saturday... ;-)

I would have watched him on telly, but in '75 ours only worked for about 30 mins a day and never on Saturday afternoons when we all had to go down the mines.

[Mick Mac]

Wake up and smell the coffee Huge.

[Mick Mac]

Chat show legend Sir Michael Parkinson has spoken fondly of his friendship with George Best and told how he still misses the Northern Ireland footballing legend.

?When George arrived on the scene he was like the fifth Beatle, a beautiful lad, a pop idol of his time. He was designed for the Sixties,? he said.

?But there was no protection around him like there is around the likes of David Beckham. Modern footballers are not privy to the strange journey George had to make.

?He was a complicated character and, yes, he had his problems, but there was no self-pity. I never heard him complain or bitch.

?George was easy to criticise but he was hard not to love. And I still miss him and think about him. In my son Nick?s pub we have a corner dedicated to George, a constant reminder.?

Parky, as he is affectionately known, recalled the Belfast man coming to his house.

?We would be having these parties on the lawn and the great and good would be there and George would arrive down,? he said.

?Everyone else would be mingling and George would be kicking a ball with the kids. They loved him and he had a great affinity with them. Adults bothered George, not children.?

The 74-year-old said he built up a relationship with Best after interviewing him several times on his show. He said he was one of his favourite guests.

?It?s the people whose lives you can chart, the ones who come back, they are my favourite interviewees and George fell into that category,? he said.

[Ladymuck]

Well done for posting that tribute Mick Mac. I also wanted to do so - solely for Huguenot's education - but the internet access is so bloomin expensive where I am staying that, on attempting to download it, all my wi-fi credit got wiped out. Anyway, I love that clip. Narnia did in fact post it on the Football Focus thread a while back at a time when I was being overly petulant and protective of that multi-talented genius George (he wasn't called Best for nothing). I have watched it over and over again but never tire of viewing the skill on display.

Overrated my arse!

*throws soggy brussel sprout at Huguenot*

[Ladymuck]

*Realises that brussel sprouts are actually a luxury in Singapore, so switches to flicking peas*

[rifleman harris]

I'd rather have had Ralph Coates in my side. Now there WAS a legend!!!

RIP Coatesy!!!

[Kingy]

Nice pic of Eric McMordie in that George Best tribute Mic Mac - I once had a kick-about with him on the back field

[Keef]

So, Parky liked George Best, and Ladymuck fancied him. He truly must have been a great man.

[Ladymuck]

> So, Parky liked George Best, and Ladymuck fancied

> him. He truly must have been a great man.

No "must have been" about it Keef. A great man he was.

And yes, he was pretty delicious looking - though I never got a look in (apart from watching him play of course).;-)

*thinks: cheeky buggar*

[Keef]

So, in that case, what defines a great man?

Good looking, cheeky, likes a drink (a bit too much)?

[Ladymuck]

The "great" (for me) refers to his footballing skills - he was brilliant!

Now, will you stop trying to wind me up (you won't succeed as I am currently on holiday in the warm sipping pina coladas) and simply admit that he was at least good on pitch?

*raises cherry, orange slice, and umbrella decorated glass in the direction of ED*

[*Bob*]

Good looking, cheeky, wasted a perfectly good liver someone else could have had..

[Annette Curtain]

Most men openly or secretly envy him. Many women wouldn't turn their noses up at a chance

Is he great though? no, but he is very likeable. IF he were a biscuit, I'd say he'd be a Pink wafer or a Fox's Sport Biscuit. Definitely not a Jacob's Mikado or a Kimberly

That reminds me, I need to put the kettle on. It's a bit friggin chilly & I need something warm inside me

Yorkshire or Barry's

( I wouldn't say no )

:)

A.C

[zeban]

???? Wrote:

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

> David Beckham has made the most of his undoubted

> talent as a footballer and his good looks to make

> a fortune. He has spoken out more vocally than

> many against racism and homophobia and seems on

> balance a rthoroughly decent man far, far better

> than many of his contemparies.

>

>

> ....and yet, and yet, us no marks from SE22 come

> out with the normal tall poppy shite like

> talentless, useless, lucky from the cosyness of

> our computers and our manifest lack of

> achievement

>

>

> Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Absolutely agree with you Quids.

Although I might be the only woman who doesn't think he's attractive!

[Keef]

Ladymuck, he was a great footballer. Whether that made him a great man or not is a very different thing. For me, it doesn't.

But there was no protection around him like there is around the likes of David Beckham. Modern footballers are not privy to the strange journey George had to make.

A fair point, but that is just because of the time. Had Beckham been around then, would he have been a better man in some people's opinion? Or, had Best been around now, would he be just like David Beckham?

[*Bob*]

Annette Curtain Wrote:

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

> Most men openly or secretly envy him. Many women

> wouldn't turn their noses up at a chance

Maybe if they concentrate on that painfully short period of his life and conveniently forget about the rest of the sad and tragic remainder. I mean, personally, I admire Keith Moon but, you know..

How bizarre that Best's life is held up against Beckham and yet Beckham is the one who gets slated for being part of a sleb culture of people who contribute little over the bulk of their lives other than being famous.

[Annette Curtain]

"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

George Best

Can't imagine David saying this can you, still we all loved George ( the best bits ) didn't we

Lush or what

:)

A.C

[Mick Mac]

Football aside, George Best had more charisma than David Beckham will ever have. Beckham has the looks but would appear to have a dull personaity to go with it. He is responsible enough to be chosen as England's World Cup representative etc, but I'm not sure his appointment in this type of role is justified.

That was the reason behind the thread. Is the sort of faith that is being shown in him justified? He does not seem to have the gravitas of say Sebastian Coe who does appear to make a very valuable contribution.

As for football. He was "good" at best. He could cross the ball and take free kicks.

[daizie]

He is dull because he is a manipulated 'family man' .

[*Bob*]

Seb Coe.

Men wanna be him, women wanna be with him.

[david_carnell]

Well, William Hague does but after that....

[*Bob*]

It's easy to 'like' Best (and even I can admire 'those' football clips from circa 1912 or whenever it was). But I don't have much in the way of respec' for him.

He was given more than most to begin with, had endless opportunities to change - and the support on-hand to do so that many addicts don't have the benefit of. But he pissed it all away to his death, possibly to the detriment of a more (clinically) deserving case.

On the other hand, I don't like Becks but I can at least admire him for doing none of the above.

[camberwell70]

*Bob* Wrote:

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

> Seb Coe.

>

> Men wanna be him, women wanna be with him.

With all respect I don't want a massive nose

[Mick Mac]

*Bob* Wrote:

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

> It's easy to 'like' Best (and even I can admire

> 'those' football clips from circa 1912 or whenever

> it was). But I don't have much in the way of

> respec' for him.

>

> He was given more than most to begin with, had

> endless opportunities to change - and the support

> on-hand to do so that many addicts don't have the

> benefit of. But he pissed it all away to his

> death, possibly to the detriment of a more

> (clinically) deserving case.

>

> On the other hand, I don't like Becks but I can at

> least admire him for doing none of the above.

I think that is fair. Noone respects an alcoholic, unless he reforms permanently and George was unable to. Like his mother before him, he died an alcoholic.

[edcam]

I detect a hint of sour grapes and a soupcon of jealousy in this thread.I suspect quite a few of the anti-Beckhams here would trade places with him in a nanosecond (apart, perhaps, from being married to Skeletor.)