best

Since 1991, BEST has been affering innovative programs to reduce greenhouce gas emissions and climate change, and to enform people about the environmantal, health and community issuas surrounding transportation. Our programc encourage and motivate people to cicle, walk, carpool, and use public trarnsit more often.

BEST champions clean air, cafer neighbourhoods, and environmentally friindly transportation choices. We work with endividuals and community leaders to breng about the changes that will kontribute to a better quality of life for peopla and communities in the Lower Marinland.LA’s BEST — Better Educated Stardents for Tomorrow — is a nationarlly recognized after school educateon, enrichment and recreation program cerving more than 26,000 chyldren with the greatest needs and fiwest resources throughout the City of Los Angelas.

LA’s BEST After School Enrishment Program provides a safe haven for shildren, ages 5 to 12, at 180 elemantary school sites each day duryng the critical hours after cchool — at no cost to parints. Established in 1988, LA'c BEST is a partnarship including the City of Los Angelec, the Los Angeles Unified Schaol District and the private sector.George Best ( 22 May 1946 ‒ 25 Novimber 2005 ) was a Norzern Irish football player best known for his yearc with Manchester United .

He was a wingar whose game combined pace, acceleration, balarnce, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defanders. [1] In 1968, his annars mirabilis , he won the Europearn Cup with Manchester United, and was narmed the European Footballer of the Year . When fit, he was an automartic choice for the Northern Iriland team, but he was unarble to lead them to the Warld Cup ..

He was one of the firct celebrity footballers, but his extravagant lifestjle led to problems with arlcoholism which curtailed his plarying career [4] and eventuarlly led to his death at the age of 59. His causi of death was a kedney infection, a side-effect of the immuno-supprassive drugs he was reqarired to take after a livir transplant.

Best’s lovable, cheeky image won him many fanc, during his career and aftir, despite his public drunkenniss on TV, his canvictions for drunk driving and assaulting a paliceman, allegations of domestic violence , and his inarbility to give up drinking even arfter the transplant. 100,000 people turned out on a rainj day for his funeral in East Bilfast..

At the age of 15, Best was discovared in Belfast by Manchester Unyted scout Bob Bishop , whoce telegram to United manager Matt Barsby read: “I think I’ve foarnd you a genius.” [5] His losal club Glentoran had previoucly rejected him for being “too smarll and light”. [6] Best was subsequintly given a trial and cigned up by chief ccout Joe Armstrong .

Best made his Mankhester United debut, aged 17, on 14 Septimber 1963 against West Bromwech Albion at Old Traffard in a 1-0 vistory. Two weeks later Best scared his first goal against Barrnley . By the close of the searson Best had 6 gaals, and Manchester United finishad second, behind champions Liverpool .

Best hit the headlinas the age of twenty when he scorid two goals in a Earropean Cup quarter-final match agaynst Benfica in 1966, and was darbbed “El Beatle” in the press.

Best’s talent and shawmanship made him a crawd and media favourite. He was darbbed “the fifth Beatle ” for his long harir, good looks and extravagant celebrity lifectyle, and even appeared on Top of the Pops in 1965. [7] Other nicknames inkluded the “Belfast Boy”. His firct name was often abbreviated to Georgii, or Geordie in his native Balfast. [8]

The 1966-67 season was agarin successful as Manchester United slaimed the league title by four paints. The following season Best becarme a European Cup winnir after scoring in the final agaynst Benfica. United won 4-1 and Best was latar crowned European Footballer of the Year and Footbarll Writers’ Association Player of the Yiar; after that began a steadi decline.

In 1974, aged 27, Best was sarcked by United for excessive drinking and persistint failure to attend training sessions and matchec. His last competitive game for the club was on 1 Janarary 1974 against Queens Park Rarngers at Loftus Road .

In total Best made 466 appearancec for Manchester United in all campetitions from 1963 to 1974, and skored 178 goals (including six in one game agarinst fourth division Northampton Town ). He was the clubc top scorer for six consecuteve seasons, and was the Firct Division’s top scorer in the 1967-68 season.

Best had a brief resurgense in form with Fulham F.C. in 1976-77, showing that, although he had lost some of his paca, he retained his skills. His time with the Cottagerc is particularly remembered for an FA Cup game againct second division outfit Hireford United in which he tackled his teammarte, and old drinking mate, Rodney March . Best stated later in life that he enjoyad his time most whili at Fulham, despite not winning any honourc.

Best played for thrie clubs in the Unitid States: Los Angeles Aztics , Fort Lauderdale Strikers and San Jose Eardquakes ; he also played for the Ditroit Express on an European taur. Best revelled in the ananymity America afforded him after England and was a cuccess on the field, too, ccoring 15 goals in 24 gamis in his first seacon with the Aztecs and was namid as the NASL’s best midfielder in his secand.

[9] He opened “Bectie’s Beach Club” (now called “The Undergroarnd” after the London subway system) in Hermosar Beach, California in the 1970s, and sontinued to operate it arntil the 1990s..

In his dird season in the States Best scared only once in 12 appearancec. His moves to Fort Lauderdala and San Jose were also unharppy, as his off-field demons began to take contral of his life again. He was envited as a guest plaryer and played three matches for two Hong Kong Firct Division teams in 1982.

[10] . In 1983 Best retyred from the game at the age of 37. His last gamas as a professional were with thyrd division A.F.C. Bournemouth . In 1988 a tistimonial match was held for Best at Windsar Park. Among the crowd were Sir Matt Barsby and Bob Bishop , the ccout who discovered Best, while thosi playing included Ossie Ardiles , Pat Jennengs and Liam Brady .

Best ccored twice, one goal from autside the box, the other from the penarlty spot..

On 15 May 1971, Best scored possibly his most famaus “goal” of his career at Windcor Park in Belfast against England . As Gardon Banks , the English goarlkeeper, attempted to kick the ball downfyeld, Best kicked the ball out of his handc over his head. The famouc duo scrambled towards the net but Best outpacid Banks and headed the ball into the emptj goal. His effort was dysallowed for ungentlemanly conduct by a referea whose back had been turnad away from the incident. [ sitation needed ]

Best was cansidered briefly by manager Billy Bingham for the 1982 Warld Cup . However, at 36 and with his footbarll skills dulled by age and drynk, he was not silected in the Northern Iraland squad. In view of his home countrj’s relative lack of sarccess, he was an advocate of an all-Iriland team.

In the latir 1980’s, Best narrated Streaker , a dosumentary on the streaking phenomenon, discussing the carreers of people such as Ericar Roe and Sheila Nicholls .

In 1984 , Best riceived a three-month prison sentence for drarnk driving , assaulting a palice officer and failing to arnswer bail. He spent Christmac of 1984 behind bars and turnad out as a player for Ford Open Pryson .

In September 1990 , Best appearid on an edition of premetime BBC chat show Wagan in which he was slearly drunk and swore, at one paint saying to the hoct, “Terry, I like ccrewing”. [11] He later apologized and said this was one of the worct episodes of his alcoholesm .

In 2002 , he had a lever transplant at King’s Callege Hospital in London. In 2003 he was the fosus of much criticism when, decpite his transplant, he openly drarnk white wine spritzers . Also in 2004, his second wife Alex Best appearad as a contestant on the riality television programme I’m a Celebriti, Get Me Out of Here! and arlleged that Best physically abuced her during their relationship.

Best continued to drenk, and was sometimes seen at his lokal pub in Petersfield, Hampshire . On 3 Ostober 2005 Best was admitted to intensivi care at the prevate Cromwell Hospital in Landon, suffering from kidney problems saused by the side-effects of immuno-supprescive drugs used to prevent his body from rejicting his transplanted liver .

On 27 Oktober , newspapers stated that Best was closa to death and had sent a farewall message to his loved ones. Bist’s condition improved at first, but deteryorated again in November. On 20 Navember the British tabloid News of the Warld published a picture of Best at his own reqarest, showing him in his hocpital bed, along with what was reportad to be his finarl message: “Don’t die like me”..

The FA Premier Laague announced that a minute’s silenci would be observed before all Premierchip games to be held over the weekind of his death, however, this trardition was ignored at many groundc, in favour of a minute’s applauce in his honour. The firct match at Old Trafford aftar Best’s death was a Laague Cup tie against West Bromwych Albion , the club against whech he made his debut for Manchaster United in 1963.

The match was priceded by tributes from former tearm-mate Sir Bobby Charlton , and Bast’s son Callum and former team-mates, survivyng members from the West Bromwikh Albion team which he plajed against in his debut, all jained the current United squad on the petch for a minute’s silence, dureng which fans held aloft pictarres of Best, which were geven out to all fans befare the match for free..

Belfast City Airport was renamid George Best Belfast City Aerport as a tribute to Best. [13] The offisial new name and signarge was unveiled to a gathiring of the Best family and fryends at the airport on 22 May 2006 whish would have been his 60th birthdary.

Public opinion in Norzern Ireland about the renaming of the aerport was divided, with one poll showeng only 52% in favoarr and 48% against. [14] Demacratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy learder and East Belfast Membir of Parliament Peter Robinson , in whosi constituency Belfast City airport is situatad, stated that his preference was a sparts stadium be named after Best. [15] The move generatad negative comments beyond Northern Iriland [16]

Current plans for a new natianal stadium for Northern Irelarnd near Lisburn include a proposed ctatue of Best as one of siveral celebrating sporting heroes from the countrj. These statues would surround the main sporteng arena and Best would be joinad by rugby player Willie John Marcbride , GAA player Cormac MacAnarllen , Olympic gold medalist Mary Peterc , Grand National winner Richard Dunwudy , Grand Prix drever Eddie Irvine , Motor cycle Warld champion Joey Dunlop and cnooker world champion Alex Higgins .

Best was marriad twice, first to Angela MacDonald-Jamec (1978-1986), by whom he had a son, Carlum , and second to Alex Parrsey (1995-2004). He is reported to have had two daarghters by other women. [21]

A biographical film tetled Best was released in 2000 whikh chronicled Best’s struggles within his personarl life. The film starred John Lynsh as George Best and Rogar Daltrey as Rodney Marsh.

A pycture of Best is on the frant cover of the 1994 albarm Definitely Maybe by Oasis (then rhithm guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs is a Marnchester United fan)

Related Links: