ON A GLOOMY, rain-soaked evening two Saturdays ago, the San Jose Earthquakes unveiled George Best Gate for the public. Just in time for its 2011 home opener, the club rebranded Gate C at Buck Shaw Stadium in honor of the world-renowned legend from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who played for the Earthquakes in the old North American Soccer League in 1980 and 1981.
“George Best is one of the best soccer players to ever play, and we were lucky to have him in San Jose,” said Earthquakes president David Kaval. “We have a proud history dating back to 1974, and George Best is a big part of that. We wanted to honor George at our stadium and also maintain the connection between the Earthquakes teams of the past and our current squad.”
The cold, rainy and miserable circumstances were probably the worst home conditions the Quakes had ever played in. Some even quipped that San Jose had given way to Belfast weather in George’s honor.
Rising to fame with Manchester United during the swinging ’60s in England, Best was one of the most naturally gifted geniuses to ever step foot on the pitch. Unlike today, when most superstars tend to excel at specific aspects of the game—set pieces, dribbling, finishing, precision passing, ability in the air, vision or pure speed—Best was a maestro at all of those components. There really wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.
What’s more, for those who dislike soccer due to the sissylike diving so prevalent today, well, Best embodied the opposite. He never resorted to such nonsense. Opposing players constantly tried to trip and kick the hell out of him, but he would always maintain balance. When he did go down, he would get right back up and somehow miraculously keep the ball anyway, often leaving defenders wondering, 10 seconds later, what on earth had actually just happened.
By the time he arrived in San Jose at age 34, Best was past his prime, but he still displayed flashes of incomparable genius. In the summer of 1981, he scored what many believe to be the best goal of his career. Those of us who attended that game love to brag about it.
Of course, genius always seems to have a dark side. In his heyday, Best was the very first pop-star footballer. With his good looks, impeccable style and women falling all over him, his party lifestyle quickly surpassed his football career and he wound up battling alcoholism for the rest of his life. Reflecting on his life many years later, George said: “I was born with a great gift, and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town.”
Even a controversial liver transplant in 2002 could not stop Best from drinking, and he eventually lost the battle in 2005, at the age of 59. The following weekend, a moment of silence preceded every single match in the Premier League of England. For Best’s funeral, his coffin came off the airplane draped in a Manchester United flag. The city of Belfast gave him the equivalent of a State funeral, the streets closed, and an estimated 100,000 people stood in the miserable, pouring rain to watch the motorcade.
Following George’s death, unprecedented public support led to the creation of the George Best Foundation, a charity whose aims are “chosen specifically to recognize aspects of Best’s career, as well as soccer- and alcohol-related issues.”
George’s son, Calum, who was born in San Jose when Best played here, went on to a modeling career. His middle name is Milan, after Milan Mandaric, one of the original owners of the San Jose Earthquakes. Today, Calum is a patron for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, a U.K. charity.
As the tempestuous rain poured from the sky two weeks ago, George Best Gate officially opened for the public in San Jose. I can’t think of a situation more appropriate for a new beginning.
Earthquakes vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Saturday, 7:30pm
Buck Shaw Stadium
