Soccer’s “El Beatle”

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 15

Soccer’s “El Beatle”

In a team full of talented, spectacular players, it is extremely hard to be more colourful than most But the Belfsst-bom, 20-year-old G. Best has succeeded doing the impossible In the Manchester United team. If any soccer player succeeds in becoming a millionaire it will be Best—but only a small proportion of his million will come out of football. For the slightly-built Irishman is not only one of the greatest footballers in the world, a winger being spoken about in the same breath as Sir Stanley Matthews, but he is also a highly successful business man, in spite of being only just out of his teen*. Outside of soccer, he owns one of the biggest boutiques in the north of England, a business which has grown spectacularly in th* last year. The long-haired Best is known as 'EI Beetle,” a name given to him by Portuguese soccer fans and which has stuck to him. He was "christened” by the Portuguese after he scored twice and made a third goal, all within the first 15 minutes, of Manchester United’s European Cup match against Benefica in Lisbon. Manchester had won the first leg, 3-2, at home and the one goal advantage was not considered enough on Benefica’s ground until Best scored his goals. A master dribbler and a prolific goal-scorer, Best has the ability to bring a game alive with one cheeky, insolent piece of footballing genius. The game might be meandering along on a mundane course until Best takes a hand. He might simply stop the ball, put one foot on it and look around him; or he might beat his man, deliberately allow himself to be overtaken, and then

beat his man again; or he will shoot from an angle at which everyone expected a pass, or pare from a position when a shot ia on; or he might pick up the ball deep in his own half and electrify the crowd with a dazzling, 60yard solo run. His Beatle fringe, his Irish humour, his brilliant football, his hordes of teenage supporters and his boutique make Best possibly the most colourful character in present-day British soccer. He will be a tremendous crowd-pleaser at English Park next Wednesday when Manchester United meets New Zealand. But he may not be a friend of New Zealand’* defenders. However, there Is very little defence to his craft and skill.