When asked to name a few Manchester United legends, any football fan will instantly think of George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton. After achieving so much with the Red Devils, the pair are synonymous with the very best of British football.
Their exploits at Old Trafford saw both recognised among the very finest of their era, with Charlton claiming the Ballon d'Or in 1966 and Best doing just the same two years later. In short, they were two players of near-unparalleled talent who graced he pitch together in a golden period for the English club.
However, it may surprise some to learn that their relationship was not particularly good. In fact, it got to the point where Best refused to play in Charlton's testimonial match against Celtic, saying that "to do so would be hypocritical."
Best and Charlton Had Opposing Values
"They would not even pass the ball to each other”
Although they are both considered players of a similar generation, there is a nine-year age gap between the pair. That seems to be a key reason for their differences at Man United. After all, Best – in both his style of play and off-field antics – represented the youth revolution of the 1960s.
Charlton, who had been born in 1937, seemed to take issue with these values. “I just don’t understand him,” he said of Best in April 1973 (via the Guardian). “What do you come into football for? It’s your duty to give your best to the people who come to support you, but he didn’t seem to see this.”
Best, meanwhile, accused Bobby of having “a holier than thou attitude”, commenting, “I wish I could hear him say ‘f***’, just once.”
A key issue may have been a sort of power struggle in the post-Matt Busby era. When the iconic manager retired in 1969, Charlton was 31 and past his peak. Best was just 22, but incredibly had already won his last trophy.
The Nothern Irishman seemed to think that it was time to move on from players like Charlton, viewing him as “part of the problem”. His senior teammate was growing ever concerned with the forward's attitude and drinking problem. However, with new manager Frank O’Farrell not taking action, Charlton – who didn't enjoy conflict off the pitch – let his frustration fester.
Animosity between the two was so strong, in fact, that when Best was asked who the biggest influence over his career had been, he replied, “Cissie Charlton” (Bobby’s mother).
Charlton’s biographer, Leo McKinstry summed it up best, saying:
“George Best found Bobby dour and aloof while Bobby hated Best’s lack of professionalism. So bitter was the Best-Charlton feud in the early 1970s that they would not even pass the ball to each other.”
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Charlton Would Snub Best's Testimonial
The club would fall on difficult times, failing to win a first division league title between 67 and 93. Only six seasons after winning the European Cup, United were even relegated in 1973-74, meaning that they would be a Second Division club for the first time since 1938.
Goalkeeper Alex Stepney spoke of the growing tension in the dressing room in the years building up to the relegation:
“There were long days when they would simply not speak to each other … I am sure it was George’s complete lack of concern for the club that threw Charlton into the desperately black mood which seemed to envelop him every time he was at the club.”
Charlton's love for Manchester United was so strong, but he was past his peak, and his presence was a bit of a black cloud in the latter stages of his career. As for Best, the club's on-field issues, coupled with his issues behind the scenes, left him unmotivated. He explained:
“I was finding it increasingly difficult to get motivated because the team was so poor.”
In the end, it got so bad that Bobby and Best stopped passing to each other. Charlon would leave in 73, and Best would last just one year longer, departing with the club relegated.
The issues between the pair were best summed up at Charlon's testimonial. It was a goalless draw against Celtic, held on 18 September 1972. Best refused to play, claiming an injury to his right ankle, although he later admitted that it would have been “hypocritical” to play.
The Northern Irishman actually turned up to watch the match, but lasted only five minutes before leaving for the pub. He would sit at the Brown Bull, drinking and throwing darts and two dozen eggs at a portrait of Charlton that hung on the wall.