Just as one legend gets cleared of paedophilia..........

[partygirluk]

A new one takes his place. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4090216.stm)

[stanky]

I see 2+2 is going to add a sports forum, among others. My question is when are they going to add a Euro forum so we North Americans don't have to be bothered with these boring "Football" related posts.

No offense OP /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[mmbt0ne]

Meh. This matters to us about as much as OJ mattered to you. I'm sure it's a big deal over there, but here it's "Who's George Best?"

[lawrence]

Wow. George Best is huge.

It's a 34 year old though, slightly different.

[PoBoy321]

[ QUOTE ]
"Who's George Best?"

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good question. Who is he? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[partygirluk]

Actually the OJ trial was very very big over here. Not sure exactly why, seeing as most people would have had no idea who he was before he was arrested. I remember seeing the verdict live on TV and then going to synagogue for Yom Kippur and everyone was talking about the verdict.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]


It's a 34 year old though, slightly different.

[/ QUOTE ]

From BBC

[ QUOTE ]
Football legend George Best has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of indecently assaulting a young girl.

The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland star, 59, is alleged to have attacked the girl, who is aged under 13, last month in Surrey.

[/ QUOTE ]

[lawrence]

it's not a terribly well written web report.

[ QUOTE ]
Mr Best was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against a 34-year-old woman.

[/ QUOTE ]

[lawrence]

Northern Ireland/Man U football legend. Biggest Ulster sportsperson ever.

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
Actually the OJ trial was very very big over here. Not sure exactly why, seeing as most people would have had no idea who he was before he was arrested. I remember seeing the verdict live on TV and then going to synagogue for Yom Kippur and everyone was talking about the verdict.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, that's actually fascinating to me. I have no idea why it would be big there. In fact, I remember hearing Robert Shapiro on tv today talking about how little international interest there was in the OJ case. Maybe he was just jaded since he was a part of the case, and the MJ case had all kinds of international attention.

[Blarg]

George Best was Pele's nemesis, one of the best goalies ever in by far the world's most popular sport.

He eventually wound up with serious alcohol problems. I guess his problems aren't over yet.

[masse75]

[ QUOTE ]
Meh. This matters to us about as much as OJ mattered to you. I'm sure it's a big deal over there, but here it's "Who's George Best?"

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought The Who's drummer died...

[pshreck]

Comparing this dude to Jacko is kinda funny.

[BottlesOf]

Who the [censored] is that?

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
George Best was Pele's nemesis, one of the best goalies ever in by far the world's most popular sport.

He eventually wound up with serious alcohol problems. I guess his problems aren't over yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

George Best was not a goalie. He also, by virtue of being Northern Irish, never played in the World Cup, so he wasn't Pele's nemesis either. He is before my time but my dad swears he is easily the best British player of at least the past 50 years, and most "expert" polls put him in the top 10 players of all time.

[Blackjack]

Oh "soccer"

He's not quite a worldwide legend.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh "soccer"

He's not quite a worldwide legend.

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm, yes he is.

[Blarg]

The British goalie I saw miraculously blocking Pele's goals one after the other in World Cups, who Pele was astounded by and very complimentary to, was Best, I thought. I could be wrong, of course. He was a monster talent as a goalie, whatever the name of the guy I'm thinking of. Sure thought it was Best, though.

Ask your dad who I'm talking about -- he must know. Been too many decades for me to remember, but I'm not a Brit.

[Blarg]

Ah, found it -- it's Gordon Banks I was thinking of. But it's Best with the alcohol problems.

[ QUOTE ]
Banks played the game of his life - and needed to. The dramatic moment came as the Brazilian winger Jairzinho lofted a high, dipping centre towards Bank's far post.

In Banks of England, the goalie wrote: "Pele got above the ball and powered it low and hard towards the corner of the net. It was the perfect header. I was now into a dive to my right and as the ball hit the ground just in front of my goal-line I flicked it with my outstretched right hand as it came up."

The ball, miraculously, rose and cleared the bar for a corner. No one, least of all Pele, could take it in. The Brazilian ace shouted "Goal!" as the ball left his head, so certain was he of scoring. Later, he was to tell everyone that it was the greatest save he had ever seen.

Pictures show Banks outstretched, his body extended and frozen horizontally, as he made crucial contact with the ball. An athlete captured at the supreme moment of his skill.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
# "Banks of England" made 73 appearances for England and kept a clean sheet in 35 of those matches. He is England's second most capped goalkeeper following Shilton and up until he was beaten by a Eusebio penalty he had kept seven clean sheets in a row (another England record)
# Banks was awarded the OBE in 1972, two years before his English career was ended when he lost the sight in one eye after a car crash.
# Other England goalkeepers had nothing but praise for Banks. Peter Bonetti called him his 'model goalkeeper' while Ray Clemence claimed that Banks had always been his Idol. Peter Shilton's tribute came ironically just before the accident when he said:"He's the best in the world and could go on playing for England for years."
# Jimmy Greaves, England's leading striker at the time, summing up goalkeepers, said: "With Gordon, I used to ask myself:: "How can I beat this man?""
# Between 1966 and 1970, when Banks was acknowledged as the best goalkeeper in the world, he was transfered from Leicester City to Stoke city for a bargain £52,000. The reason? Banks' understudy was a 17 year old called Peter Shilton!
# Pele said of Banks: "For me,Banks was the leading goalkeeper of the 1970 games, and quite possibly the leading defender in any position.
# Banks also made what is generally regarded as The Greatest Save Ever!

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is described here:

[ QUOTE ]
Ten minutes into the game Jairzinho, Brazil's powerful right winger, collected the ball near the touchline inside England's half. Showing superb ball control, he turned towards goal and accelerated past his marker, Terry Cooper, on the outside. He reached the byeline at full speed and sent over a perfect cross. The ball came over in a high arc to Pele, who was running in near the far post with his marker, Alan Mullery, in close attendance. Banks was guarding the near post, while his defenders ran back towards the six-yard box. Banks takes up the story. 'As Jairzinho chipped the ball over I started back across the goal. Halfway across, I was sure the ball was too high for anyone to reach, but then I saw Pele. He seemed to climb higher and higher until he got the ball on his forehead, putting everything behind it.' Pele saw that Banks was apparently stranded at his left post, so he directed his header towards the right. He hit the ball with the centre of his forehead and powered it downwards toward goal The downward header is one of the most awkward for a goalkeeper, and Pele had executed it perfectly. The ball bounced just in front of the line in the corner. It looked like a certain goal. But then suddenly, out of nowhere, Banks appeared. He sprinted, dived the full width of the goal and managed to scoop the ball up as it was about to cross the line. It went upwards almost vertically, and away over the bar.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.ifhof.com/hof/banks.asp
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/3163/banks.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/3163/save.html

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Oh "soccer"

He's not quite a worldwide legend.

[/ QUOTE ]


Erm, yes he is.

[/ QUOTE ]

He's a worldwide legend if you exclude the one country in the world that matters.

[Thythe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Who's George Best?"

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good question. Who is he? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah George Best &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; Michael Jackson &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; OJ Simpson

[Blarg]

Atlantis was buried beneath the sea millenia ago, man. Stop living in the past.

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]

He's a worldwide legend if you exclude the one country in the world that matters.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol and way too blunt. you know the deal, we have to at least pretend that the rest of the world matter. you're fired.

[-Skeme-]

At least it was a girl.

[daveymck]

The sooner his second liver packs in the better, the guy should never have been given a transplant as he has pissed away the new one with his alcoholism.

His son has just been on Celebrity love Island a sort of Temptation Island but with very minor celebs (The stripper cop from I think American Pie the wedding has just joined)and just got voted off I bet hew wishes he had stayed finding out his dad has a black eye, arrested for assault of his girlfriend and now allegations of sexual assault, not a good week by anyones standards.

We used to get a round up show of OJ each night I think from court tv, think he was more well known as an actor here thna his NFL career. Noone in the uK beleived he was innocent neither.

[partygirluk]

It is a very interesting ethical issue - should he have been given the liver transplant given that

i) His liver problems were slef-inflicted
ii) Looking at his past it was highly unlikely he would remain sober for the rest of this life.

The decision was taken to give him the liver. Seeing as he has gone back to his old ways, if this liver packs in, should he be given a third?

[Blarg]

Because he's a celebrity dammit!

You ordinary people can go to hell!

[Slacker13]

Whoever he is he looks like a molester.