Beauty & the Best
George’s little black book of girlfriends’ names and numbers is sold at auction
FOOTBALL legend George Best was as famous for being a playboy as a player – and now his little black book stuffed full of his glamorous girlfriends’ phone numbers has been sold at auction.
The charm and looks that saw Best dubbed “the fifth Beatle” in the 60s were a seemingly irresistible combination and he dated a string of beautiful women, from actresses to Miss Worlds.
The Manchester United star was married twice – first to former Playboy bunny Angie MacDonald-Janes, who he met while winding down his career in the US in the 70s. He was boozing heavily by that point and reportedly slept with Angie’s best pal, but the couple had son Calum before parting in 1981. Despite this, Angie said: “Even when I divorced George, I had no ill will.”
Second wife Alex Pursey was with him from 1995 until 2004. Before that, he was engaged to Eva Haraldsted, three weeks after meeting her. And in the mid-70s he had a brief encounter with Texan Miss World Marjorie Wallace.
Best said later: “She wanted me because I was George Best and I wanted her because she was Miss World. It wasn’t exactly a meeting of minds.” He had flings with Barbara Windsor, Straw Dogs actress Susan George and British singer Lynsey de Paul, among countless others, and was unapologetic for devoting as much energy to having a good time as he did to football.
He once said: “If you’d given me the choice of beating four men and smashing a goal in from 30 yards against
EVA Then-fiancee in 1969
Liverpool or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both.” Best died, aged 59, in 2005. Stacey’s Auctioneers in Basildon, Essex, said the book – which sold for £1500 – held “all his main contacts including girlfriends” while a note inside reads: “With love, from George.” But Dave Alexander, from memorabilia specialist Football Wanted, which arranged the sale, could not confirm the names listed. He said: “We couldn’t bring the items to Essex because of lockdown, so I can’t tell any juicy stories. But I would’ve loved to have had a look at it.” The shirt Best wore on his Northern Ireland debut, against Wales in 1964, was also sold. It fetched £13,000.