Not to be all pearl-clutchy but it never sits quite right with me singing a song about going on the piss with a player who ultimately died from alcoholism!
Did you or anyone you know ever go on the piss with Georgie Best?
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
My dad was in local pub in Co. Kildare and the owner told him he had George Best drinking in private round the back. He chatted to him and got his autograph. Late eighties/early nineties. So that kinda counts.
Also worked with a guy who used to organise football trips to England and also used to do those ex footballers tours. He said Best was a right embarassing prick waving his hotel key asking women who wanted to go to his room at end of night.
Also worked with a guy who used to organise football trips to England and also used to do those ex footballers tours. He said Best was a right embarassing prick waving his hotel key asking women who wanted to go to his room at end of night.
I used to drink in there and my secondary school was round the corner. The fact a legend of the game was in my local boozer and is still so surreal.
Shame I never bumped into him.
Had a pint with him in eastender bar on cregagh Road a couple years before he died when he was back over used to live few streets away from the family home in cregagh estate. But that was nothing I once enjoyed a lock in in a pub in donegal with Shane macgowan that is a night I will never forget he was a next level drunk. Also had a few with Alex higgins on several occasions when he popped into the royal bar in sandy row to read his paper.
Back in 1982, Best turned out for Nuneaton Borough in a friendly against Cov to raise funds for the club. (Obviously he scored as Boro came out 2-1 winners.) After the game, my Granny who lived round the corner from the ground, and was Belfast born, United mad, and therefore completely in love with Best decided to hang around in the car park to see if she could catch him with my Dad. Apparently he came out after about an hour with his then girlfriend, walking through the crowd who’d been waiting. As he walked past my Granny said something to him and he noticed her Belfast accent. They got talking and he invited her and me Dad to sit in the rear or the car with them for five minutes, so he could talk to her about “home,” and sign the program and tickets which I now have safely stored away. Apparently nothing but a gent and very easy to speak to. Can’t say they were necessarily on the piss with him, but I would imagine the odds are he was at least on the piss.
No, but I was in the Bridge Inn one afternoon when he was there and he was very hands on with a girl I used to know, who kept telling him to piss off. This happened multiple times with a few women. If he hadn’t have been George Best he would have gotten his teeth kicked in.
Not a great bloke, amazed at people who never saw him play who lionise him for being a sad drunk
Not a great bloke, amazed at people who never saw him play who lionise him for being a sad drunk
Briefly met him through my mate’s sister who had a fling with him. True to his perceived personality, was charming and down to earth. Everyone I met who knew him said the same. Maybe in his latter years he was different? Alcoholism is a disease and people who make cheap shots at it need to reassess. He had one or two high profile mishaps but generally, had quite an agreeable nature
Met Alex Higgins several times and although he was alright amongst a group of blokes in our circle, he often appeared a bit arrogant and disagreeable but I suppose that’s what drink does to some people. Probably in the early stages of what George became.
Met Alex Higgins several times and although he was alright amongst a group of blokes in our circle, he often appeared a bit arrogant and disagreeable but I suppose that’s what drink does to some people. Probably in the early stages of what George became.
Last edited:
No, but I have been on the piss with Nelson Mandela, ( former American minister of religion and civil rights activist) no stories to tell
I wish, but my mate and I were hitch hiking back to Birkenhead, (we did this a lot to watch United), when his yellow sports car (Lotus Europa I think) stopped ahead of us and his passenger got out and waved to us.We ran toward the car, not thinking where we would fit in this tiny vehicle, the passenger smiled got back in the car and off it went. Disappointed...not at all, we bored our mates with the story (all Evertonians and kopites!) I cannot swear to the passenger but he resembled John Fitzpatrick. Yet another player I adored, he took no prisoners. We had a fourty mile trek home , so what we "almost" got a lift off George.
That’s a wild contrast in stories! It really highlights how the charm of a private pub encounter can differ so much from the messy reality of fame!!
Last edited:
Did he pose, or were you discreet? Strange behaviour, taking pictures of men in toilets.
It was quite difficult, now if you want to record someone on the toilet, all you need are some Rayban Metas.Did he pose, or were you discreet? Strange behaviour, taking pictures of men in toilets.
Awesome story
George Best was the reason why I got interested in football and started following Utd in the middle sixties. Have drunk in the Victoria a couple of times but many times more in the Surbiton Flyer on the opposite side of the road, on my way home. My local in Claygate had started to annoy me and my drinking pal, another Utd nut by showing rugby instead of the football at times and we had started hopping on the K3 to the Flyer. I think (my memory not that great now) it must have been Sept 2004 we walked into the pub and guess who was drinking at the main entrance bar - yes George, but he was drinking a pot of tea.
My brother had met him in a bookies in Fulham and told me he really was a nice chap to talk with but I didn't want to fuss over him and be a nuisance. He watched the whole game too (think it was Bolton) and at the end signed autographs, football shirts and books - every request. Just over a year later, he was gone.
No but it would be awesome to know a story!!! haha
I met George Best while he was recovering in Malta. It nearly costed my job as I asked an autograph despite strictly been told not to by the GM. Luckily Mr Best didn't out me in. I know fans who went binge drinking with him back in the day. Best was extremely generous and would pay the drinks for everyone
I think anyone who frequented the Brown Bull on Chapel Street in Salford would have been on the piss with Bestie. I remember that New Year's Day game at QPR when he was awful. The whole team were poor but Bestie looked like he'd been sleeping in a ditch. If memory serves, the Doc sent him home when he turned up half-cut for a cup tie against Plymouth and that was it.
A pub i used to work in had a picture of him, Phill Lynott, and Gary Moore having a pint in the bar.
The Brown Bull was my parents local for a number of years in the 60s and 70s .
Not me, but a mate of mine played in a band and was doing a gig in a pub in Stockport, around the year 2000. After they'd finished, mate nipped out for a fag and there was George Best sat on his own nursing a drink and a spliff. He shared the spliff with my mate and they had a good old natter apparently. I thought he was having me on at first, but mate not into football in the slightest, dislikes all forms of sport in fact, so he had no reason to make it up and maintains it a true story to this day.