Beyond Football

[belfastguzzi]

I'm no football fan, but George Best had an extraordinary, mystical genius that communicated with and delighted everyone, football enthusiast or not. Maybe a lot of you have never heard of Georgie, 'The Belfast Boy', 'The Fifth Beatle', although he did play in America for a while when he was on the long road downwards due to alcohol. Here, there's been talk of nothing else over the past week except his severe illness, protracted decline in hospital and then death at the end of last week.

 

If you've any memory of Bestie, have a look here, a site picked randomly off Google.

 

His funeral this Saturday will undoubtedly be even bigger than the other sporting genius who died far too young: Joey Dunlop's.

 

There's a video compilation here. I'm still waiting for it to download as it's 16MB (be warned), so I haven't seen it – but it can't be anything other than fabulous.

1946 – 2005

 

[And Don Fardon (remember Indian Reservation?) is re-recording the 'Belfast Boy' single from 1972, a song originally recorded for a BBC tv film and then released due to huge interest and demand. Number One in the Christmas Charts next month?]

 

Edit: watched the video – so should you if you've any interest in football at all. It's quite short, even though the download is so big, but well worth a look.

[Martin Barrett]

I'm not a football fan. George Best was a victim of Pop culture, he obviously had a great talent, and wasted it due to alcoholism. No doubt brought on by the pressures and opportunities of the new football popstar culture. Yes I accept alcoholism is an illness, but it's one that is primarily self inflicted. He was a victim of media obsession with the cult of celebrity. His difficulties over the last few years always were in the tabloids, he never stood a chance.

 

The press continue to whip up this mass hysteria in the interest of selling papers. Diana, Best and who next. Some celebrities are "media whores" and live and die (poor phraseology) for media coverage it's how they make their money: public appearance, sponsorship, appearing as if they're someone who matters. Some have it thrust upon them and can't escape. Some are able to avoid it.

 

This weekend Richard Burns also lost his fight to an illness, a brain tumour. He was 34 years old a former world champion. He always seemed to be professional and didn't have the media impact of the footballers.

 

Whilst both deaths were tragic. If I had to apportion sympathy I know where it would predominantly go.

 

I'm sorry if this sound callous. But I have to deal with violent sudden and unexpected death and serious injury frequently. I'm thankful that I'm no longer directly involved with the deceased, dying ,injured or family of but it is still emotionally draining.

[Guzzirider]

A real shame about Richard Burns- a brilliantly talented rally driver and world champion who died so young.

 

The massive George Best media coverage has overshadowed Richard's death this week so maybe some people don't even know he has passed away.

 

Guy

 

[belfastguzzi]

No, it's not about sympathy, and it's definitely not about comparing one tragedy with another. Absolutely not.

I was thinking about the incredible power of special, talented characters to lift and galvanise the positive spirit of a whole country, not just for a short time but for years and generations. But maybe because of that, it's more of a local thing. The coverage and perspective in England is probably very different. At a time of great trouble and turmoil, (particularly the late sixties/seventies) the gifts of Joey Dunlop and George Best took people way beyond the grim circumstances.

 

Again - it's not even a media thing. These guys were/are loved by many, many people for their genuine qualities – never mind, even despite, what the media have done. Only a small proportion of those many, many people who are touched and inspired and given a different sense of pride and identity are sports enthusiasts.

 

I just though that was interesting, as football sport and motorbike sport are both regularly referred to here.

[Martin Barrett]

You are right. Everyone will have their own heroes for whatever reason.

 

I always new my comfortable middle class upbringing sheltered me from a lot of life's harsh realities. Whilst I'm not totally intransient in my viewpoint, Like most people I tend to think I'm right. One thing age has taught me is that other people can have an equally valid and contrasting point of view.

 

I have no problem accepting that Best was probably the best ever footballer these isles (there we go the English claiming everything as their own) has ever produced. That he would have been an iconic figure for many, working boy made good etc.

 

Yes he must have been a product of his times, the emergence of the Pop culture mega stars. The local situation in Ireland, something that always seemed so remote, may well mean he has extra special meaning to many.

 

Whilst his demise was ultimately at his own hand. My issue is not with him but the whole celebrity culture thing being fueled by the tabloids and glossies. If you pick up the popular press it's not news but mostly celebrity gossip and plot lines on TV soaps! These are the people generating the mass out pourings of grief, just as they did on Diana's death. Yet when he was battling with his alcoholism and domestic problems they gave him no quarter.

 

It must be the best part of 30 years since he last played top level football. He was a legend. Unlike Joey Dunlop he was still competing and died doing so, and Burns who had to stop and died within a year.

 

It was perhaps wrong of me to offer the comparison, but we naturally do.

 

I will now watch that 16Mb clip and celebrate his skill and lament his demise.

[Steve G.]

Gosh, that's really too bad about Richard Burns. Fantastic driver. I honestly did not know he was having such a tough time with cancer. Damn, too bad.

Ciao, Steve G.

[Baldini]

When I was a kid - George Best was everything I wanted to be. He was the most gifted footballer I ever saw (mostly on the TV, granted). Whether you follow football or not - look at some of the footage on video....He was an inspiration to anyone who saw him play. Such ability & application transcends it's arena - it's an example to all of us to apply in every aspect of our lives.

Not so his life outside of football.

I agree with all you say re celebrity & media Martin. But to compare his death with Richard Burns is unfair on both & not the point at all in my view. Thank them both for whatever they gave you. When someone you know dies, something of you goes too. It happens George Best was a part of more lives than was Richard Burns. That's all.

KB

[Baldini]

...I'm no football fan, but George Best had an extraordinary, mystical genius that communicated with and delighted everyone, football enthusiast or not....

 

Well put Belfast!

 

From Cal Rayborn wrestling a HD round Oulton Park to Freddie Spencer drifting at Donnington, same place every lap, Joey on the Island - so neat, so fast (& driving trucks of supplies to the Balkans!) .... & people I only saw on TV or read ...Nuvolari, Moss (ever seen about his Mille Miglia Victory - 100mph average on open roads in 1955[?]), Rossi....&...Ali.... Hendrix...Velasquez....Fienman ....whatever their field, they show us the possibilities....

 

KB

[Guest Bruce]

I remember Georgie Best when he had it all- talent, fame, fortune, and all the hot babes. The envy of every young man. What a shame to squander it all away.

 

Unfortunately I've had several friends destroyed by the sames means and it is damn frustrating. I lost my riding partner last year and, at the moment, one of my best friends has got himself 9/10s flushed down the toilet.

 

Sorry to be so morbid. I traveled to Montreal this weekend to confront him on just this topic but apparently he smelled it coming and ducked me at the last minute with a lame excuse. Argh.

 

Richard Burns made the best of what life gave him.

[belfastguzzi]

Sorry folks. This wasn't meant to be a comparison of who deserved to die more and who wasted their life...

just the opposite

just a comment on how,

through delightful sports skills (sports – as it happens, in these instances)

and warmth of character (that meant that so very many 'ordinary' people felt they knew and connected with these folk)

generations of people, across divisions, can be inspired and have their vision lifted above immediate circumstances. All sports events can potentially do that for a short period. Some special people can sustain it way beyond the short term.

Joey Dunlop was/is such a person (that's the motorbike connection, even if it's not Moto Guzzi)

George Best was/is another (no motorbike connection, but the subject of football appears here every now and again – and George and Joey admired each other, Robert Dunlop also and I imagine he, with all his own road racing battlescars, will be at the funeral).

On Saturday there'll be the biggest funeral that his country has ever seen. While they are grieving, yes, and 'frustrated', yes, all those people won't be there because they're 'morbid', or to meditate on disaster: they'll be there in such strength because there's something that's worth celebrating.

 

And for me, one of the reasons that this is notable is that as a football non-enthusiast I, probably like a lot of people, would more often associate the sport with unbelievably gross salaries and incredibly shallow characters – and with motorbikes, we all know that the perception of 'yer common-or-garden man in the street' is that they're nothing more than noisy, vile, anti-social, speeding, hooligan-piloted death-traps. Yet here, through the achievements and the character of certain individuals, they're taken way outside those perceptions and can be seen as vehicles for demonstrating the best (excuse the pun) in the human spirit.

 

OK, a quiz point to anyone who can translate this into one, or even two easily digested sentences.

[Guest Steve_W]

OK, a quiz point to anyone who can translate this into one, or even two easily digested sentences. 

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The good die young. Some of them, through grace and humility, inspire others before they go.

[mike wilson]

Well put Belfast!

 

From Cal Rayborn wrestling a HD round Oulton Park to Freddie Spencer drifting at Donnington, same place every lap, Joey on the Island - so neat, so fast (& driving trucks of supplies to the Balkans!) .... & people I only saw on TV or read ...Nuvolari, Moss (ever seen about his Mille Miglia Victory - 100mph average on open roads in 1955[?]), Rossi....&...Ali.... Hendrix...Velasquez....Fienman ....whatever their field,  they show us the possibilities....

 

KB

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LJK Setright

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...9/17/db1702.xml

[badmotogoozer]

with motorbikes, we all know that the perception of 'yer common-or-garden man in the street' is that they're nothing more than noisy, vile, anti-social, speeding, hooligan-piloted death-traps.

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Guilty as charged!

 

It is unfortunate to see anyone leave before their time. Tragic loss is tragic loss. Famous, infamous, unknown... many greats have left much too early.

 

Rj

[belfastguzzi]

There's an hour long programme being shown on UTV at the moment (8pm here).

It's streamed at

http://u.tv/live/

if you want to try to get it. It's not working for me though.

A lot of magical goals have already been shown – I'm sure there will be more to come.

 

 

It's better than Moto GP

[g.forrest]

well said..

No, it's not about sympathy, and it's definitely not about comparing one tragedy with another. Absolutely not.

I was thinking about the incredible power of special, talented characters to lift and galvanise the positive spirit of a whole country, not just for a short time but for years and generations. But maybe because of that, it's more of a local thing. The coverage and perspective in England is probably very different. At a time of great trouble and turmoil, (particularly the late sixties/seventies) the gifts of Joey Dunlop and George Best took people way beyond the grim circumstances.

 

Again - it's not even a media thing. These guys were/are loved by many, many people for their genuine qualities – never mind, even despite, what the media have done. Only a small proportion of those many, many people who are touched and inspired and given a different sense of pride and identity are sports enthusiasts.

 

I just though that was interesting, as football sport and motorbike sport are both regularly referred to here.

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