Belfast boys
Nostalgia remembers two Northern Ireland legends who made a massive impact for Manchester United
THERE’S a famous football story that George Best was rejected by his boyhood club Glentoran because he was ‘far too skinny.’
The Belfast side thought the future Manchester United legend was too small to make the grade, so a scout whisked him off to Old Trafford instead.
The year was 1961 and Best was 15 at the time. United Scout Bob Bishop sent a telegram to United manager Matt Busby which simply read: “I think I’ve found you a genius.”
The rest really is football history. Best left Belfast to make 361 league appearances for the Red Devils from 1963 to 1974, scoring 137 goals.
The mercurial winger with a mazy dribble helped United win the league championship twice as well as the European Cup in 1968, scoring in the 4-1 triumph over Benfica at Wembley.
Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland from 1964 to 1977, scoring nine goals, and was voted European Footballer of the Year in 1968. He came sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote.
In spite of all of this, he had never made an appearance at Glentoran’s home ground, the Oval.
But that all changed on August 14th 1982.
Best not only played at the Oval, he actually turned out for Glentoran!
What’s more, it was against his old club – Manchester United!
The extraordinary coincidence came about because United were booked to play a friendly against Glentoran to mark the Belfast club’s centenary.
A full squad travelled to Northern Ireland at the start of the 1982-3 season – and MEN photographers were there to capture the moment.
Best had just completed a season playing for San Jose Earthquakes in California and was between clubs. He later played a few matches in Hong Kong.
He did finally sign forms for Glentoran, the club he supported as a child growing up in Cregagh, East Belfast – but only for one game!
The teams mingled for a prematch photo with Best sitting alongside the likes of Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Gordon McQueen and Gary Bailey.
The game itself ended in a 2-0 victory for United, who went on to win the FA Cup and finish third in the First Division under manager Ron Atkinson.
After playing in Hong Kong, Best turned out for Bournemouth, Brisbane Lions and Nuneaton Borough before ending his playing career with Northern Irish team Tobermore United.
He had two spells with Los Angeles Aztecs after leaving United and also spent a season playing with former Manchester City striker Rodney Marsh at Fulham in 1976-7.
Apart from Best playing for his hometown side, the Glentoran versus United match of 1982 stood out for another reason.
It marked the emergence of another United legend who grew up in Belfast and, just like Best, made his mark in the first team at a tender age.
That player was Norman Whiteside – and 1982-3 was to be his breakthrough season.
When Whiteside made his debut two weeks before his 17th birthday on April 24th 1982, he became United’s youngest senior player since Duncan Edwards in 1953.
He became the club’s youngest goal-scorer eight days after his 17th birthday in the 2-0 home win over Stoke City.
Whiteside, who grew up in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, was a child prodigy.
At the age of seven he scored 10 goals in a game playing for the Boys’ Brigade against boys nearly twice his age.
A decade later, in June 1982, he broke Pele’s record as the youngest player to appear at a World Cup tournament when he made his debut for Northern Ireland against
Yugoslavia in Spain.
He was 17 years and 41 days old. Back in the UK, manager Atkinson decided to make Whiteside and Frank Stapleton the spearhead of the United attack for the 1982-3 season.
The plan quickly paid dividends.
Whiteside scored four goals in the first five games of the season and helped the Red Devils reach the finals of the League Cup and FA Cup.
He became the youngest ever scorer in a League Cup Final when United lost 2-1 to Liverpool and provided an assist to Stapleton in the 2-2 FA Cup Final draw with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Whiteside broke another record in the replay when he scored in the 4-0 United victory.
His headed goal made him the youngest player to score in an FA Cup Final at the age of 18 years and 18 days.
Just for good measure, he also became the first player to score in both domestic cup finals in the same season.
Whiteside went on to make 206 league appearances for United from 1982 to 1989, scoring 47 goals, before joining Everton.
More football legends are recalled in Clive Hardy’s three Around Manchester books covering the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Each book is packed with around 300 past images of Manchester along with fascinating insights and commentary from the author. The price is £14.99 per book, with all postage and packing paid. Just go to inostalgia.co.uk to place your order or telephone the order hotline on 01928 503 777.