WHEN GEORGE BEST HIT NORTHAMPTON FOR SIX
As United are drawn to face the Cobblers again, Sportsmail remembers...
IDON’T really class myself as a footballer,’ said George Best, the day after he struck a staggering six goals for Manchester United to sink Northampton. ‘I call myself an entertainer.’
Memories of when the Northern Irishman produced Six of the Best on a muddy County Ground pitch will be evoked when the Cobblers host Jose Mourinho’s United next month in the EFL Cup.
To score a double hat-trick is a remarkable achievement in itself — yet Best’s feat was all the more astonishing given the FA Cup fifth-round tie against the Fourth Division side was his first action for a month.
Best had served a four-week ban and been fined £100 for knocking the ball out of referee Jack Taylor’s hands in United’s League Cup defeat by Manchester City in December 1969.
Feeling he had been treated unfairly, Best — in his own words — ‘took my anger out on Northampton’. He added: ‘It was one of my most satisfying days for a long time. I scored one with my head, dribbled round the keeper for another and generally took the mickey.’
After striking twice in two minutes to fire United into a 2-0 lead by half- time, Best tapped in to complete his first hat-trick shortly after the break.
A flying header saw him net a fourth before he darted in behind the static Northampton back line to stroke in the fifth and brought up his double hat-trick in style. One on one with goalkeeper Kim Book, Best’s mazy footwork left his opponent on his backside in the mud before the winger rolled the ball into an empty net.
It was the first time a United player had scored six in a game since Harold Halse against Swindon in the 1911 Charity Shield and the feat even won Best an invitation to 10 Downing Street from Prime Minister Harold Wilson. More importantly, it gave him bragging rights over team-mate Denis Law.
He said: ‘It allowed me to poke fun at my mate Denis, who had scored six in a cup tie for Manchester City at Luton before the game was abandoned and the goals struck off!’
Northampton’s players acknowledged Best’s display by signing his match ball but not everyone at the club was as gracious.
‘It was disgraceful,’ said chairman Eric Northover. ‘To lose 8-2 on your own ground is unforgivable. Six of the Best? I would call them six of the easiest.
‘When we missed a penalty at 3-0 we should have recognised that we were not going to catch up and should have put the pride of Northampton first. Instead we tried to match Manchester skill for skill and went into these absurd attacking positions to give them goal after goal.
‘I am only an amateur but this is how I feel and it hurts.’ Northampton manager Dave Bowen believed his side were unfortunate to have faced United in top form, while centre-half Frank Rankmore — who missed the spot-kick — congratulated Best on his sixth goal. He quipped: ‘It’s a good job you weren’t really trying, George.’
Forty-six years on from their FA Cup thrashing and Northampton — newly promoted to League One — will host United at their ominously named Sixfields ground. After Best’s display, they must hope Zlatan Ibrahimovic isn’t planning to go one better...