A NEW show documenting legendary footballer George Best’s time at a Cork club will air on St Stephen’s Day.
The Belfast native was one of the greatest footballers of his time, and became revered for his skill on the pitch as well as his extravagant lifestyle off it.
He was one of Manchester United’s star players for 11 years, hitting headlines across the globe during his time there.
Less well documented is the fact that when he left the British club, he spent a stint of time playing for a club in Cork.
George Best in actionThe 50th anniversary of his signing for Cork Celtic falls this month, and the story of his time there will be told in the new TG4 documentary George Best i gCorcaigh.
“In 1975 Cork Celtic were in trouble, attendances were low and with little money coming in through the turnstiles, the club was in danger of going broke,” a TG4 spokesperson explains.
“They needed a player to pull in the crowds and boost their flagging gates,” they added.
“George Best had left Manchester United the previous year after his superstar lifestyle had spiralled out of control.
“Now the greatest player in the world was a football nomad travelling wherever the work took him.
“He had developed a ‘play for pay’ policy and if you could come up with his fee, he’d tog out alongside you.
“Cork Celtic’s Bobby Tambling, who knew Best from encounters on the pitch when he played for Chelsea, was sent to England to see if Bestie was interested. He was.”
The documentary features rare archive footage of the Belfast manFeaturing interviews with many of his Cork Celtic team mates, including Alfie McCarthy, Bryan McSweeney, Jerry Myers & John “Blondie” Carroll, the documentary also includes comments from broadcasters and fans.
Produced by Dearg Films, George Best i gCorcaigh was shot entirely in Cork and features rare archive of the footballer in action for Cork Celtic.
“This is a fantastic and unique story that could only happen in Ireland, guaranteed to appeal to the fans, the fascinated and the mildly curious,” TG4 states.
George Best i gCorcaigh airs on TG4 on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26) at 8.15pm and will be available worldwide on the TG4 player at TG4.ie
See More: Cork, Football, George Best, Ireland, Manchester United
