George Best vs West Germany | RARE FOOTAGE | 27.04.1977
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2021
- Interesting performance by 31 years old George Best - completely broken physically & severely lacking fitness and motivation, yet still producing magic with the ball that made him one of the greatest footballers to ever live.
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George Best was my hero, and his legend lives on. He's buried at Roselawn Cemetery, only a short distance from where I live in the most humble of graves alongside his beloved mother. It's wonderful that we can still enjoy his magical talents. Many thanks for sharing this video. RIP George 🙏
My vet was his next door neighbour in Ireland.
Muhammad Ali the only person i could rank above or equal as my hero then at no. 3 its the great JPR Williams
Many years ago, United were drawn away at Bristol Rovers in the cup. I was relatively young at the time and my parents took me to the game, must have been a record crowd for Rovers, we were packed in like sardines in a tin. There were 2 teenage girls in front of us. When the teams ran out and George ran onto the pitch, one of the girls said to the other “ok, we’ve seen him, can we go now”? and they did, didn’t even wait for the kick off, such was the superstardom of George. It was thanks to his display in the European Cup final against Benfica that I have been a United Fan all my life, was lucky to see him play many times. I have seen all of the United legends but George remains the greatest I have ever seen, a genius on the field.
Messi would not touch him the greatest player ever
Still see flashes of the balance and 'turn-on-a-sixpence' skill that made George a one-off and such a delight to watch. The patterns he made on the pitch were dizzying. A footballing genius. We'll never see his like again.
Was a dominant force in the NASL in 77 despite looking worn out and bloated. He didnt need the half step he lost from his earlier days because most of the players he was playing against never had it. He had to get on a plane for this game from Southern California and the alcohol was flowing. Come back to LA totally drained of energy and still get a goal and an assist against Vancouver or Vegas. Saw him in August of that year in the empty Coliseum looking even worse play against Dallas and still had a goal and some assists despite barely running. He just knew the game. Had brilliant moments right through his last year in San Jose in 81 when he scored one of his greatest goals against Ft. Lauderdale. We kids were lucky to see him even well past his best.
1977 he was unfit out of shape but still was class. Definitely the best player I have ever seen. The Germans still felt the need to take him down, that says it all
We need to remember that this was George when he was on the decline. What a player he was at his peak.
Your so right he was mesmerising to watch. What a talent.
His pace has gone by this time, you can see how frustrated he gets as he can’t get away from players after taking them on..Still flashes of brilliance and an eye for a pass.
would have better to leave him out of n ireland side then as they relied on him to produce but he couldnt
@@WELLBRAN West Germany won 5-0
@@mariogmajner6549 cannot remember that game but no shock that Germany won
Best past his best.
@@catinthehat906 my mate Gary Locke played right back for Chelsea at 18 years old when George was 26 and should have been in his prime....he couldn’t go past Gary, pace had gone.
Him and Pele are still the best I ever saw live. I'm lucky enough to have seen them both in their prime. Amazing talent and pace. At his best, Best would have skipped past opponents like no one else. Rough tackling on Best here.
Im in my 60s now and what you are seeing here is nothing like the real george best, its like a training match to be honest, in his, prime nobody could get near him, his fantastic pace and close control and thumping the ball into the back of the net was what we all loved, not sitting in the midfield pocket as you see here, i have never seen these clips before and ill never want to see them again, ill always remember him as one of the greats which he truly was
No one is trying to say that it’s prime George Best here, in fact I highlight the fact that he’s way past his best in the description. For me it’s very interesting to see how his game has developed once he had completely lost that physical/athletic edge over other players. There are many videos of prime Best on my channel if you’re more interested in that, so it seems like a very weird complaint.
@@HarmsFootball your not a football fan im afraid, if you were you would not have shown this edited rubbish!!! Best was one of the greatest players to ever play the game, theres no magic on the pitch at all just a player well past his peak, any real football fan just wants to remember the real best, your happy to show this rubbish and im entitled to comment on it!!!
This supposedly the back end of George's career yet he still looked the class act on the pitch heavily involved some great passing always wanting the ball etc even if he had lost some pace. Great memories watching George over many years the supreme entertainer. RIP GB.
I this match GB made NI thick and not overawed by the world champions West Germany.
Just an icon for 🇮🇪 football. When players wouldn't just lay on the pitch pretending to be hurt but got back up & kept on going. Modern day players wouldn't last 10 minutes playing these guys never mind 45. R.I.P George
Although today footballers are more likely to pretend to be hurt, they're still hard as nails and athletically would walk all over these lads. Respect to both generations though, who knows what best and maradona would have been with today's training ethics...
My Uncle George was the best football player ever!
He was my grandad
@@McFlashhGeorge best was my grandmam boyfriend
HeRt Nd head are different.
Bobby the GOAT.
He was my son
Best the greatest footballer the world has ever seen
pROVE IT
Amazing. Thank you for posting
This is Best past his prime, & he's still the finest footballer on that pitch.
This was the last year that Best played international football. After this game, he appeared for Northern Ireland only two more times.
george best was ALWAYS 3 steps ahead of the opposition !!!!!!!!! his all around instincts you can not teach !!!!!! IMAGINE IF GEORGE BEST WAS SOBER !!!!!!!!!,,,,,nice video !!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert porrella, no he wasnt. Best was just an average player before 1966. Then his game got alot better and faster. But pre 66 in most games he wasnt that great to watch and made so many mistakes. His passing then was bad as i have ever seen. And it was only over 14 yards. He had to work hard in training to get alot better and stronger. He was so easily nudged of the ball in 1964 and 65. He was so thin and had to use the muscles on his legs to win a long ball with a 6ft defender shoulder to shoulder and it worked, most of the time. Sir matt tought him alot as well. But thats when he became the greatest in the world between 1966 and 1972
The legs had gone but you can still see how bright and inventive and positive he was even at this stage. What a class act and we can only wonder what he might have gone on to achieve.
The respect shown to George Best was obvious! See how the entire German team were anxious to autograph his legs.😊
Lots of fouls on him, hey!
And not a single yellow card, at least on this video. Referees were always happy to see him hacked half to death
They started two world wars as well ... 😱
German player #6 is the owner of stadium and ball. if referee yellow carded him. He'd finished the match.
@@rjl7779 to be fair that was very much par for the course back then. Players had to commit attempted murder to get yellow carded.
If Neymar was playing back then he would still be rolling around today.
But he may have scored at least one goal...
@@politicachata1164 lol he wouldn't have scored any, the very 1st bit of contact would have had him crying for his mother.
Great footage of Best. Credit to the rest of the team who raised their game too. They all contributed immensely to that match.
Thanks for the footage, just great. Thought he lasted fairly well but just the highlights obviously. Wished he'd twatted the German No 6....
One of the most remarkable things about Bestie and not always mentioned, is that he never ever stopped working on the field, for his whole team.
Great footage. Best notably in a deeper playmaker role. Yes, the critical 'half yard' of pace has gone, but he produced more moments of dazzling class in that 10 minute highlight reel than most 'superstars' of the 21st century produce in their entire gortesquely hyped careers.
@Richard Gere you wrote ''Yes, the critical 'half yard' of pace has gone'' Well far more pace lost than just ''Half a yard of pace'' ! Also no excuse for anyone to say that he was unfit due to not playing football at the time as around that time of 1977, he had been playing regular football for both Fulham and Los Angeles Aztecs. Such a great footballer and such a shame he never played in any of the World Cup tournament's and of course a personal tragedy that his health and fitness had deteriorated so much by the year of this match. The George Best we see playing here is a mere shadow of the player that he was in his prime at Manchester United.
Richard Gere ? Who knew he took such an interest in The Beautiful Game !?!?!
@@pressureworks There's more to me than meets the eye!
@@richardgere9365 i hung out with you a few times !!!!
Fantástico George Best. Genial y espectacular futbolista. Le vi jugar, por la tele, en los 60 y era un auténtico portento, imposible de parar por los defensas. Buen rematador, y uno de los jugadores mas desequilibrantes que ha existido nunca. RIP
His agility and dribling accuracy still there .
Ah, eternal George, still a Legend, even after his death ! Always a pleasure to see him ; RIP Sir !
Best was indeed a truly wonderful footballer, so gifted, balanced and technically brilliant.
The most talented footballer Europe has produced in my opinion.
@@russellmcghee2172
along with cryuff or was he better? sorry mate I’m only 33 so didn’t see either.
@@russellmcghee2172 Think Roy, George, Bobby & Irwin rolled into one complete player - Duncan Edwards. You just can't get better than that. RIP.
Even in a friendly in the 70s, the tackling is harder than today's regular games.
Today’s players wouldn’t be able to put up with the tackles of those days, they’re too soft.
Laws of the game tightened up a lot in the years since then, protecting the skilful players such as GB. As a defender in the amateur game, I wouldn't have got away with so much if I was playing these days.
Today's players are fitter, stronger, faster, and with more stamina and tactical awareness than the old school. It's sentimental nonsense to assume that old players were tougher. Best's only 31 here and he's done.
@@johnnyrocker7495 Here's some more sentimental nonsense for you: toughness is a matter of psychology as much as of the body. Because there were fewer systems in the 50s to 70s, because children weren't constantly under surveillance, there was a random wildness to everyday life that often found its parallel on the pitch. Best was done at 31 because he didn't see himself or his life strictly as a marketable commodity. The abuse he took, including the self-abuse, made his accomplishments even more impressive.
@@TT-fq7pl Spare me the armchair psychology. And accomplishments? Yeah, 3 medals, big deal. Take a look at the career of Cryuff if you want a top player. Best is all about the hype and the Miss Worlds.
This is crazy to watch. Can hardly run but strolling around against Germany at times in this game just stroking the ball about. What a player!
Best clearly had a bit of a renaissance when he went to play in America. I remember his wonder goal in 1980 when he turned 3 or 4 defenders inside out before slotting the ball home. He was in far better physical shape in 1980, much leaner and fitter than the jaded and faded player we see here.
Looked chubby here
I saw him play in America & the defenders kicked the hell out of him.
Of course being playing in America especially at that time was so easy, there was no competition and football isn't popular there
Us old folk who can't run anymore should watch and learn from this video, Walking Football of The Highest Order.
The greatest player that ever lived
You must be some sort of magician,any how appreciate the footage.
Thanks)
@@HarmsFootball top class
Thanks for the memories.
Was still a fabulous player, yes was in autumn of his career, didn't have the same turn of pace but the magic was still there and in an era where the cynical tackle from behind was not punished. Fantastic player.
I assume that's Pat Jennings in goal. What a great goalie he was.
What's funny is that I remember very well having watched Jennings play on so many occasions. But I have no recollection whatsoever having seen Best play.
@@beorlingo That's cos being Norn Iron's keeper he had a lot of work! Great keeper.. one of the best!
Apart from Lev, he was the best ever. Better than Banks.
Matt Busby insisted the Man U team play 'two touch' in training games. George hated it so would play 'one-twos' off the opponents shins and so developed his wonderful close control .
2:44 brilliant trivela weighted pass
4:55
7:29 back feint
He was already well past his best by 1977. Years of drinking and partying had taken their toll. It's a shame he played for such a lowly-ranked country and was never able to display his talents in major tournaments.
He was 31 here but the ravages had caught up with him....but you still couldn't take your eyes off him. Genius.
Wonderful rare archive footage. Many thanks indeed for sharing...
Several years ago,the late Martin Harvey of Sunderland and Northern Ireland, ran our local corner shop. He played alongside George Best and swore that he was the greatest player he had ever seen.
Did he aye?
George was excellent - one of the greatest ever but Duncan Edwards was even better (beyond great) RIP.
Excellent upload. Many thanks.
A delight too watch
Best was still only 31 in 1977. He should have been a contemporary of the likes of Kevin Keegan but I always think of him as belonging to a previous generation because he was so young when he peaked and so young to retire. My only memory of him of him from the 70s is "taking the mickey" with Rodney Marsh at Fulham in the old Div 2.
Even past his peak, Best is a joy to watch.
I am a Leeds and Liverpool fan, but I love George Best.
If he was a part of the 1970 England World Cup squad, England had a decent chance to win it.
George played really well here - but clearly had lost his pace - which, along with his skill, used to make him so lethal.
IMO The greatest footballer ever!
I have only seen George Best play once for real, it was during a World Cup qualifying match between Belgium and Northern Ireland, in Sclessin-Liège, (2- 0. Goals from Roger Van Gool (FC Cologne -Germany) and Raoul Lambert (FC Bruges) Half time 1-0. Nov. 10-1976.
Northern Ireland will take revenge in the second leg by drastically beating the Belgians 3-0 (1-0). Both teams were eliminated in favor of the Netherlands who will go to the final without Johann Cruijff) at Bueno Aires vs Argentina. (2nd consecutive final unfairly lost)
Imagine what the transfer fee would be for George Best these days . It is sad to think how much better he could have been if he hadn't let booze and fast living take control of his life . A much fitter and leaner George Best had few equals on the pitch .
Best international vs westgermany world cup champion 1974 .woooooonderfulll.elegance.prestence.thank you vert much bro👏🏼👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Best will always be my best footballer from the past and my primary school kit back in 1973 when I started playing football was the old Man UTD kit and I played in the wing position as well. One kid in my primary school went on to play for UTD after he was a star at Southampton, Lucky git. LOL!!!
Sehr interessant, but it's sad seeing him in that shape at only thirty years of age.
Yeah, it's incredible how unfit he was at the age when a normal footballer would be just approaching the end of his physical peak. You can see that even when he beats the opponent with some feint, which he does with ease, he then has troubles getting rid of him as he doesn't have the acceleration to take advantage of this situation.
Fantastic footballer could be greedy which often irritated Bobby Charlton but he wanted to entertain and he did! I had the privilege to see him many times play when at his very BEST.
pure class
George Best You are a Fantastic Football player You are the Best George Best Good bye the Belfast boy World legend Maradona Cruyff Pele George Best is the Best
Phenomenal. His passing was superb. Even when everytime he got the ball, a German player would take a piece of him
It seems to be last international match for George Best
Very rare anyway, thank you😁
No his last international was a World cup qualifier at Windsor park v Netherlands a few months later I know because I was there aged 14 Best and Cruyff not bad for the first international I attended. Northern Ireland lost 0-1 but had drawn 2-2 in the Netherlands in 1976 Best was great that night I remember watching it on TV. By far the best British player of all time and one of the greatest ever up there with Pele or Maradona.
@@nigel6351 yeah!....Best, Pele, Cruyff!.....best 3 ever!
4.29 Excellent sign language from Best in response to the foul
4:29
George Best You are a Fantastic Football player you are the best George Best Good bye The Belfast Boy word Legend Maradona Pele Cruyff George Best is the Best
still the greatest player
Stop! I think you should put Diego Maradona into youtube.
Best was a truly great player - was lucky enough to see him live against a strong England defence just before the Mexico WC.But listen , at his peak he was a world class player but there is no way he is the Greatest of all time - I can name 6 or 7 players who have a better claim.There is a clip of Maradona playing in Italy and he does stuff Best just couldn't do yet Messi it could be argued is maybe just as good.Then there is the small matter of Pele who scored 2 in a WC Final aged 17.
@@marillion1 Matter of opinion, Bestie was a far better two footed player than any of those mentioned
@@shaka7594 come off it!! Pele was truly two footed..Messi and Maradona both left footers but both do stuff with their left Best couldn't do with either foot! I have seen loads of clips of Best and whilst I have seen him run half the length of the pitch to score ,I have never seen him dribble past more than 3 players.If he was that great, older foreign players would talk about him being Peles equal and they don't...its only us Brits and especially ManU fans of a certain age.Beckenbauer was a truly outstanding player ..better than Bobby Moore and he played against Best and Pele, but he says Pele is the best ever.Dont get me wrong he was an outstanding talent but not in Maradona or Messi league or Pele.
0:41 that subtle ball fake and cut was amazing.
Awesome offensive play, kick shots with both feet pity he didn't score on the goaltender.
even in the peak years he only managed 23 caps between 1964-70, but he did say that international football was "recreational football".
Great passer of the ball. This video shows the range of his passing.. The kicking was always bad for Georges legs, but the Germans team are physically larger.. George here plays like himself and Pirlo combined in this game...
This was a proper international friendly against West Germany who won 5.0, it didn't look very friendly at times but it was interesting that George Best was actually playing given he wasn't really playing a high standard of football back then!
Friendlies back then weren't the same as today
Imagine George now with the right protection on good pitches, modern lighter balls & video refs - he'd be unplayable.
Absolute Legend 💯
BEST At 31. Five years after his retirement at 26....Saw his Comeback game in 1973 aged 27 v Birmingham. Never quite The same player.
What a great idea to put together all of Best's moments on the ball. What a stylish player he was, maybe the most stylish ever. By this time he had clearly lost speed, so he got caught on the ball quite often, even putting his team in danger at times. Still one of the best ever, though.
Saw the Bob Marley film today it shows him watching this match on television.
George Best is Maradona like in this game, blimey N.Ireland giving Germany a game away from home because of him
What a goal!!!! Amazing stuff from Best.
Loved watching him play at Anfield.
Best may have been short of fitness but still had class, and took defenders on, The Germans hacked him to pieces which might have been their way of paying tribute to him. Looking at the way he looked for the ball and got involved in the game, I don't think you can criticise him for lacking motivation.
i remember watching Bestie play for Boro at Jim Platt's testimonial game, me and my brother stood on the terrace and couldn't quite believe we were watching the greatest player ever!!
Better than Pele, Eusebio, Matthews, Ronaldo, Messi, Proseneki, Charles (John), to name a few, I don't think so.
@@stevemathews9535 He's up there with the best in the world, if i saw Pele, Eusibio etc playing live i may have a different view but what i saw Bestie do on those Ploughed fields they called a pitch, Messi, Ronaldo couldn't play on those pitches, we all have different views on who we think are the greatest players and its Best for me.
This was when he was with Fulham. This must have been one of his last internationals.
Just two more after this.....Iceland and Holland in Belfast...World Cup Qualifiers.
Yes fatbelly. I think George and Rodney Marsh quit Fulham around this time.
7:30- Best was so good, he even invented the ‘Scholes’, nearly two decades before it became fashionable.
You mean the back feint? No one knows who actually invented these moves TBH
@@hellowalkman4506 - I was thinking more of the clumsy hack at the end of the move.
He was brilliant such a sad ending for poor George
Tavy@ best was only 31 here but past his best and if it had been 7 years earlier best would have ran germany ragged. They even had to constanly kick an over weight and much slower best. His control and passing and vision was still there and his steel legs to carry on with the ball even being kicked from both sides. That man was the goat
He DID run Germany ragged. He was playing for Northern Ireland
He DID run Germany ragged. Look who he was playing for!
@@adamgutteridge9664 West Germany won 5-0
@@mariogmajner6549 Best was playing for . . . Northern Ireland. Germany seemed to find it hard to cope with him
Best was a truly great player - was lucky enough to see him live against a strong England defence just before the Mexico WC.But listen , at his peak he was a world class player but there is no way he is the Greatest of all time - I can name 6 or 7 players who have a better claim.There is a clip of Maradona playing in Italy and he does stuff Best just couldn't do yet Messi it could be argued is maybe just as good.Then there is the small matter of Pele who scored 2 in a WC Final aged 17.
Great in the DLP role. What a player.
The friendly Northern Ireland losing 0-5 in Germany was played in a slower pace compared with games of major tournments.
George Best was a genius.
Que Messi o Maradona, Best era sensacional.
Der George Best ist der bisher am besten Fußball spielenkönnende Fußballspieler!!!
The tackling back then was incredibly rough.
Best had lost his searing pace by this time. you can see him make some quality touches in this game but the ability to pick the ball up from deep and run at defences had largely gone.
One of the greats
Бэст, тут уже не тот, с пузцом,а вот какой он был в 68-72, 73, когда держал всю левую бровку в любом матче с любой, самой даже сильной командой!! Я видел его в Москве, на квалифе с Союзом, в 69г, то было классна игра!!!
It's stunning how much faster the game is today, just like every other top level sport. Not only football, but also the American pretender to the name, and basketball are all really different games than they were previously. They're much more exhilarating to watch, but the physical toll on the players is frightful.
Yes, today's players are lightyears ahead of Best's generation.
@@johnnyrocker7495 Only a few players from the old era can succeed in today's era, such as Cruyff and Best. Can't think of anymore tho
RIP George Best, long live Terrence Stump!!! The world is a stage...
George Best The Best!!
Wow, Awesome footage. So much disguise and effort, he really put a shift in to get this amount of touches in a game. Can you find that easily for any current players? GB7 or should I say GB77777777...
Vincent TV is our way of celebrating Vincent Van Gogh, our favourite artist.
"Every time I forget my socks to training, I blame it on george for having me on my phone too long..watching.studying carefully"lol
Brilliant Best!
Like watching Elvis in 77
Poor George looks well past his prime in this vid sadly.
He was. I found it interesting how he had managed to adapt his game after losing all of his athleticism though.
Top three most skilful players in the world Best 1 Ronaldo 2 Messi 3 noce video thanks for the nostalgia 👍👍👍
West Germany won 5-0
@andy armstrong not saying he surpasses those players as a player but most skilful player ever on the ball for me is ronaldinho
@@mariogmajner6549 you keep telling us 👏
Best is No. 1 for sure but I don't know about the other two. Tom Finney, Puskas, De Stefano?
Best was a truly great player - was lucky enough to see him live against a strong England defence just before the Mexico WC.But listen , at his peak he was a world class player but there is no way he is the Greatest of all time - I can name 6 or 7 players who have a better claim.There is a clip of Maradona playing in Italy and he does stuff Best just couldn't do yet Messi it could be argued is maybe just as good as Maradona.Then there is the small matter of Pele who scored 2 in a WC Final aged 17.Not to mention Ronaldino, Cruyff, Hagi - the Romanian, Kempes, Ronaldo the Brazillian.
4.30 - I think George told the defender what he thought of the tackle....