CREWE PLAN TRIBUTE NIGHT FOR SOCCER LEGEND GEORGE
BEST PLAYED TWICE FOR LOCAL SOCCER CLUB
by GARY ELLIS
CREWE United are planning a tribute night in memory of George Best
whose links with the club span 30 years.
George played many charity games for many clubs, but rarely did he play twice for them.
This is an honour held by Glenavy based Crewe United Football Club.
One of the all time soccer greats donned the club colours in 1989 and 1995 - possibly the last time he pulled on the football boots.
The first match was on a foggy night at New Grosvenor when Best turned up to help raise funds for Action Cancer in a game against Dundalk.
Then Crewe chairman Eric Lyons along with present chairman Tom McKenna and vice-president George Keenan travelled to London to meet George and talk about the game.
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| Norman Stewart, Tom McKenna, George Smith, Dennis Shephard, John McFarlane and George Keenan of Crewe United with the shirts worn and signed by George Best. US48-109AO |
"George was only too happy to say yes and I'm sure at the time there were many who thought it would never happen, but he turned up and it was a great night," said Tom.
His next game for Crewe was in 1995 when he played against a Showbiz Select to raise funds for Down's Syndrome.
"On
that occasion George was joined by his new wife Alex, his
father Dick and long time friend Dennis Law," added Tom.
Tom's contact with George goes way back to 1964 when the
young Belfast boy just forced his way into the Manchester
United team.
"George came to the club to present some awards and I can remember when I collected him from the airport the first thing he said was take me home first to see my parents - then I'm yours for the rest of the day.
"George never let us down in anything we asked over the years and we are privileged he played at Crewe Park. It is our intention to organise a tribute night so that Lisburn fans can show their appreciation of an iconic talent whose name spread all over the world."
Davis calls for museum dedicated to Best
FORMER Chairman of Lisburn City
Council's Leisure Services Committee, Alderman
Ivan Davis, has called for a sporting museum to
be named after George Best saying it "would not
only be a fitting honour and memorial to the
'football genius', but also hail the
achievements of Northern Ireland's sporting
legends."
Mr Davis continued: "Through all our troubled years sport always had a healing influence, and the opportunity now exists to regenerate a site with a troubled history into one that not only would remember Northern Ireland's football superstar, but would enhance the lives of the whole community, a lasting legacy to George and future generations.
"Considering the size of the province we have a record second to none when it comes to sport which is now witnessed by the tributes to a soccer legend regarded by many as the greatest player the world has ever seen."
"In David Hanson, we have a go-ahead Sports Minister who's intention, I believe, is to develop a brand new multi-sports stadium at the Maze and a George Best Museum based at that location would indeed be a really wonderful legacy."
Best was `king of them all' for George
LOCAL man George Dixon has met some of the
most powerful people in the world, but the king of them all
was George Best.
"I have met the president of America Bill Clinton, Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher and even Prince Andrew � but the
king of them all is George," he said.
"I
only met George once back in the 70's when he was in
Belfast, but I have always followed his football career and
never missed a match he played for Northern Ireland.
"The game against Scotland has been talked about for years. George was brilliant that day. He ran rings round them. It was amazing to see," recalled George.
"The time he took the ball off Gordon Banks and scored was another moment I will never forget. The referee denied George a perfect goal that day, but I sup-pose because of that it has remained a great talking point for many down the years."
Like many, George wants to see a lasting tribute to the memory of Best. "First of all it is up to the family to talk about this and then after that ways can be looked at to preserve his great football memory.
"The new National Stadium is well documented as one of the options and I would agree with that as it will be a major sporting venue which everyone can see."
Hundreds of thousands will make their way to Stormont on Saturday for the funeral and along with several friends George will be there to play his respects.
"A group of us from the UGP Supporters Club are going to Stormont about 7.30am. The crowd will be massive, but we will not be put off and like so many of his fans we just want to be there."
02/12/2005
