Excumbrian Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4448660.stm Published: 2005/11/18 15:20:20 GMT Best 'poorly' with new infection The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland football star George Best is back in intensive care at the Cromwell Hospital in London. Best's doctor, Professor Roger Williams said the 59-year-old was suffering from a "new and severe infection". "He's on dialysis and he is very poorly at the moment," he said. Mr Williams said the medical team had been very disturbed at this "sudden setback" after the steady progress he had made over the past two weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desigol Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Best was the greatest Irish player EVER! Looks like the end of the Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excumbrian Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 I'll never forget watching him score 6 goals that day, including rounding the goalkeeper (who was left flailing in the mud)...can't remember who against, but... quote:Originally posted by Desigol Best was the greatest Irish player EVER! Looks like the end of the Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loud Mouth Soup Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 He keeps wrecking my place in the George Best Death Pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argh1 Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Best to me will always be the best Footballer in the world. When I was the only kid on the block that followed soccer the guys would do the puppy dog look when I mentioned his name and that was back in the day of Davey Keon, Johnny Bower,Bobby Russieau and Gump Worsley. I can remember when I'd go to the local newstand and getting my buddies to hang around whilst waiting for the English papers to get in by telling them they could read the titties mags as we waited. [] Much to the displeasure of the old Lebanese guy who owned the news/fruit and vegetable stand, bananas I think were 20 for 50 ¢ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excumbrian Posted November 19, 2005 Author Share Posted November 19, 2005 BBC Latest Best put on life-support machine Former football star George Best has been put on a life-support machine, a hospital spokesman has said. Doctors at Cromwell Hospital in London said the 59-year-old was stable in the intensive care unit after being on the machine since Friday. "We are following all medical avenues to try to keep him stable," Dr Akeel Alisa said. A hospital spokesman said Best was suffering from a lung infection, and that his condition was "serious". Best, who had a liver transplant in 2002, had previously shown signs of recovery after weeks of illness. "Mr Best remains seriously ill in intensive care on a life support machine," the spokesman said. "The reason he was brought back into intensive care was with a lung infection. He is serious." Dr Alisa added later: "Today has been a relatively good day however. He is stable." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excumbrian Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 A wonderful story from today's Observer: Belfast boy in a life less ordinary As concern grows over George Best's fading health Bill Elliott remembers a fun-loving man who was nobody's fool Sunday November 20, 2005 The Observer Mac, the village newsagent, had The Sun open on the page led by the medical bulletin on George Best. He pointed at the story. 'He's an idiot, isn't he?' he asked. It was, of course, a rhetorical question but it still deserved an answer. And the answer is 'No'. Like, I suspect, millions of others, Mac only knew - or thought he knew - one George Best. The one who was weak, unable to say no to almost anything, a man lost in a shambolic world, an alcoholic who never managed to beat properly the old foe. Now, weeks on from that first bulletin, comes more of the same, confirmation again of his weakness. But an idiot? No, not an idiot, never an idiot. And so I tried to tell Mac about the Best I knew in the late 1960s and the 1970s when I was a Daily Express football reporter in Manchester, covering United and City and travelling with the Northern Ireland team for their matches. And trying to keep up with Georgie Boy and a fast life that captured the times. It was fun but, Christ, it could be difficult as well. Those were the days when reporters still had real contact with the stars. First priority was to have a contact number. I had one for Bobby Charlton, one for Denis Law. For George, at his height, I had 19 telephone numbers in my book. These included his old digs in Chorlton-cum-Hardy and his 'second mum' Mrs Fullaway, who fussed over him and to whose modest home he retreated when he needed a break from the bollocks, and where the local kids guarded his E-Type Jaguar from the sharp scratchings of envy. There was the number for the home he had built, an uber-modern place with a huge TV set that disappeared up a fake chimney. It had more glass than brick in its construction, so the fans could see straight in and George was forced to sit with the blinds down to avoid being watched all the time. He loved looking at his house, but he hated living there. A goldfish would have felt edgy, so, soon after he moved in, he moved out. The other telephone numbers were for a bunch of his best pals, a few were for women and the rest were for the various clubs and pubs that George frequented, places like The Brown Cow or Slack Alice's or Blinkers. It was in these places that he would be protected as he drank his then alcohol of choice - vodka and lemonade - and held court quietly and shyly. He was, almost always anyway, friendly with everyone except the fools and, of course, he was especially friendly if the interloper wore a micro-mini and sported long, blonde hair. There were a lot of these about at the time and George made friends with all of them. The rest of us young men could only watch all this with a mixture of fascination and envy, but if we were gobsmacked by his effortless pulling power we were even more impressed when we watched him play football. London back then had Michael Caine and Twiggy and The Rolling Stones as it swung, Liverpool had The Beatles and the rest of the Mersey sound but Manchester, grey, old Manchester, had The Hollies and Bestie. Mancs, to a man, felt they had the better of the deal. The old TV pictures of George playing do him some justice but not enough. Tom Finney once told me George was, by far, the best, most complete footballer he had ever seen, a view echoed by Bill Shankly. What was he like? You had to be there to appreciate the brilliance, the imagination, the balance, the commitment, the goals. Most of all, he had the belief. In 1976, Northern Ireland were drawn against Holland in Rotterdam as one of their group qualifying matches for the World Cup. Back then the reporters stayed at the same hotel as the team and travelled with them on the coach to the game. As it happened I sat beside George on the way to the stadium that evening. Holland - midway between successive World Cup final appearances - and Johan Cruyff were at their peak at the time. George wasn't. I asked him what he thought of the acknowledged world number one and he said he thought the Dutchman was outstanding. 'Better than you?' I asked. George looked at me and laughed. 'You're kidding aren't you? I tell you what I'll do tonight... I'll nutmeg Cruyff first chance I get.' And we both laughed at the thought. A couple of hours later the Irish players were announced one by one on to the pitch. Pat Jennings, as goalkeeper, was first out of the tunnel to appreciative applause. Best, as No 11, was last. 'And now,' revved up the PA guy, 'Number 11, Georgie [long pause] Best.' And out trotted George. Above him, a beautiful blonde reached over with a single, long-stemmed red rose. Given his nature, his training and his peripheral vision there was no way he was going to miss her or the rose, so he stopped, trotted back, reached up to take the flower, kissed her hand and ran out on to the pitch waving his rose at the punters as the applause grew even louder. Five minutes into the game he received the ball wide on the left. Instead of heading towards goal he turned directly infield, weaved his way past at least three Dutchmen and found his way to Cruyff who was wide right. He took the ball to his opponent, dipped a shoulder twice and slipped it between Cruyff's feet. As he ran round to collect it and run on he raised his right fist into the air. Only a few of us in the press box knew what this bravado act really meant. Johan Cruyff the best in the world? Are you kidding? Only an idiot would have thought that on this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excumbrian Posted November 24, 2005 Author Share Posted November 24, 2005 Legend Best 'enters final hours' Ex-Manchester United star George Best is spending his final hours in hospital after doctors said his deteriorating condition was irreversible. Best, 59, could not recover from the internal bleeding that developed last night, Professor Roger Williams said. Just before 1300 GMT, he said the former Northern Ireland international would not survive another 24 hours. Family and friends have visited Best in London's Cromwell Hospital, where he has been treated for a lung infection. Later on Thursday, Professor Williams added there had been "no change, just deterioration" in Best's condition. When Best's closest family arrived at the west London hospital, they asked the gathered media not to film or photograph them as they went in. Best has been in hospital for eight weeks, after initially suffering flu-like symptoms, but deteriorated with a lung infection on Friday. [internal bleeding] has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation Professor Roger Williams Professor Williams said: "Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health. "The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned have managed to cope with pretty well all of the complications except the one that has happened again during the night - this bleeding. "Although [the blood] has been replaced, it has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation. "It is just not possible to recover from that." He added: "He is still having standard medical care and treatment but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now and it's all very upsetting." Family vigil Professor Williams said: "We have just all been sitting down together and it's very upsetting for everybody, isn't it - those looking after him, the family. "I have talked to them at great length, I think they understand everything... I think they accept what's going to happen." Portsmouth Football Club chairman Milan Mandaric, a close friend of Best, said: "It's not easy for them - Calum [best's son] loves his Dad; they are all good people like George." After visiting Best in hospital, Mr Mandaric told reporters: "What is a shame is that people who don't know George don't know what a great man he is. He's got a large heart. "I just want George to still be around, that would be my hope." Former team mates Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law also arrived at the hospital on Thursday. Deterioration Best was admitted to hospital on 1 October with flu-like symptoms, and suffered a kidney infection and internal bleeding before the latest decline. Drugs needed after his liver transplant in 2002 had made the recovering alcoholic more susceptible to infection. Things had looked more positive earlier in the week when Best was taken off sedation and regained consciousness. But then his condition deteriorated once more between 0100 and 0200 GMT on Wednesday. Best helped Manchester United win the European Cup in 1968 - the first English club to do so - and he was European Footballer of the Year that same year. His style captivated football fans around the world but his playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism and bankruptcy. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4465456.stm Published: 2005/11/24 19:06:23 GMT © BBC MMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.