Gone Too Soon - Georgie Best

He was before my time. I only saw him in a Man United club video my late grandfather bought for me when I was 12. Before that, my memories of Best was when my uncle told me to do 'a Best' everytime I was kicking the ball about in the garden.

Best footage in the video was in black & white. Watching it from a 20" TV, it didnt create a big expression for a kid who had a huge Steve Coppell poster hanging on his wall. I only knew he was a legend and a Man United icon. And I loved Stevie to bits. He was my man, as gay as this sound.

I watched a lot of video footage of Georgie Best when I was in London later in my late teens. At the time Man United had not won the league for almost 20 years and all they could muster in marketing sense was to re-issue past great players. I then could understand how he single handedly made Man United the first club to break geographical boundaries in terms of football fans.

There was a few who came to the scene and was touted the next Best. I remember Arsenal's Charlie 'Champagne' Nicholas who came over from Celtic but he disappeared after a couple of years.

IMFO, one player who played as beautifully as Best was Gianluigi Lentini. That languid winger's gait, dribbling the ball with either leg and the ability to put it in the net. Lentini in his full stride looks like a ballerina. He did not really recover from his car crash, when he lost control of his 911 driving down from a ski resort in the Alps.

As a kid, you get mesmerised by those guys running with the ball on the byline taking on opponents. When I read about Steve Coppell retirement due to a dodgy knee in The Star, I cried. My mom thought I would grow up and become a trannie. But what do Mothers know about football aye? Except of course if your mother is Greek.

Cheers to all the wingers. Especially to one of the greatest wingers of them all, Georgie Best. Say hello to the cycling saint, Marco Pantani, up there in the heavens. Tell him I'll never forget him. Ever.