Next week marks the 20th anniversary of George Best's death - his son Calum has planned an artistic way to commemorate his dad's most famous moments
Calum Best has worked with friend Aidan Phelan on a new collection of artworks celebrating iconic images of his dad, Manchester United legend George Best.
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Twenty years to the day since his Manchester United icon dad George Best passed away, Calum Best will be walking into Old Trafford with a special way to remember him. Calum has worked with his artist friend Aidan Phelan on a colourful new collection of artworks designed to celebrate the global football legend's most iconic moments from the 1960s and 1970s.
The collection of 40 artworks will go on display at Manchester United on Tuesday, November 25. On the 20th anniversary since George died at the age of just 59 years old, following a long struggle with alcoholism.
For George's only son Calum, 44, the upcoming anniversary has marked a time of reflection, and finding a new way of honouring his legacy. Calum says: "Over the years there's been many a documentary and book, but I thought this was a cool, modern, edgy take on celebrating his life.
"Adee was very smart and insistent on this collection being a celebration of fun, slightly cheeky Bestie, whether it be his time at United, to him and Pele together, him and Muhammad Ali or a cheeky one of him being arrested - but we made it about him arrested for doing impossible things on the pitch, so it became very much a celebration of his life."
Calum and Aidan celebrating George's legacy
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Looking at the collection of artworks, Calum smiles: "They're absolutely beautiful, we're very, very proud of them."
As the son of a global footballing icon, Calum has got used to talking about his dad almost daily - with fans always keen to come and chat to him.
Calum says: "With my old man, anyone of a certain age will know him and have a story about him, but it's really important to me to keep that legacy with a youthful crowd also which is the reason for these artworks.
"There won't be a day goes by when I don't hear a story of Bestie on my travels or in my work. It's nothing new for me sharing a visual or timeline of his life, but for me I wanted to do it in a really cool way.
George Best in a sombrero in the 1960s inspired one of the new artworks
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"There's some really stunning visuals of my old man, that made him look like an absolute stud - which he was to be fair! They're so bright and beautiful, and that's how I always try to remember my dad."
On which images of Best he chose to create the 40 artworks, Adee adds: "I just went through his personality. Some are ffootball related, some personality based, some about his fashion.
"It's coming up with cool unique times in his life and celebratory moments."
Calum struggled in the years following his father's death. But with the artworks, it was important for Calum to celebrate the football icon in his halcyon days rather than the demons that beset his later life.
Calum says: "A lot of the tragedy has been documented and I've lived it as well, I know it, I understand it, I've been through the emotions. You don't want to bring the journey of self discovery and all the c**p that came with it into this, you just want to say look at this beautiful time of this iconic man and let's share it with the world."
One of Aidan's favourite artworks is this of George in a sombrero
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Adee's favourite artworks in the collection include the one of George in a sombrero, he says: "It was 1968/69 and he was coming through the airport at Benfica, he was wearing this extravagant sort of sombrero that nobody else could carry off except George. You think of the Rolling Stones, you think of the Beatles, and the next name on that list would be George Best."
While Calum's favourites include one where his dad is wearing an American football helmet. He says: "It's jut the brightest and coolest and it triggered an emotion for me because it was the time he spent in the States, which is where I was born.
"He was at a team called San Jose Earthquakes when some people say he had his greatest goal of all time where he dribbled past six defenders and scored a goal, you can hear the American commentators scream: "This is the most incredible goal I've ever seen in soccer" - it was just so American, but it also represented a time in my youth, his transition going to the states and all that."
One of the works inspired by George's time playing in America
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Another that strikes a chord for Calum is his dad in his classic 1960s pomp. He says: "It's his eyes, his face, the playboy hat, it's just his face and the colours in the art. I look at it and then I think "what a handsome devil."
"I think "Jesus this man is striking" you know what I mean? There's not a piece that people haven't complimented so we're really lucky in that respect."
The colourful collection celebrates George in his halcyon years
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Calum also loves one of the works which celebrates Manchester United's famous number 7s, with George at the forefront. He says: "It's just a real big nod to Manchester United.
"I just love that club, I love how they represent the families of the players. I know I can go there and take friends and family and colleagues, I think it's really cool how they pay their respects.
He adds: "I'm really honoured that over all the years, all the funerals of the guys that have played in my dad's time which sadly are getting a lot more and more, I get to go and pay my respects on behalf of my dad, it's a great thing that I get to do that."
United's famous number 7s with George at the forefront
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When I ask about which portraits of his dad he likes to display in his own home, Calum sighs: "Sadly I don't have a lot of my dad's things for internal family reasons but that's for another time and date.
"But what I do have above my fireplace, the first piece he ever gave me, was this artist who did this incredible piece from George playing against City and he's riding this tackle and there's all these people in the background and it sits right above my fireplace."
Preferring not to discuss old hurt around the will of his father, in which George left the majority of his estate to his sister Barbara, Calum says instead: "I move on, I crack on, create things from my own memories in ways that represent my old man."
He adds: "When I talk about this art I don't mean to bring it back to a deep one. I hold nothing but pride about my old man.
"I'm really lucky that I'm able to share his stories with people, I use my social media to interact with friends and fans past and present."
He's excited to see the exhibition of art at Manchester United on Tuesday with Aidan. All of the artworks are available to buy as either originals or prints.
Calum and Aidan will head to Old Trafford next with the artworks
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He says: "I've been going to Old Trafford since I was 11, this is the first time they've kind of opened the doors for me to do my own thing and represent him, with Adee. I want people to know what we've done, that we've done this with pride.
"The loss of a mom or dad at a young age, it can f**k you up, it f**ked me up for a long time, but you figure out how to get through it, you persevere and crack on because such is life.
"There were highs and lows for however long, but for a long time now it's all been very positive, and I represent him the best I can, I've always done that. I've always been proud of him, but at the same time I had a dad who sadly had his demons, and sometimes that can affect his family, ie kids, and sometimes it's not always pretty. "
George was a legend on the pitch (Image: EMPICS Sport)
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Calum has long worked with the charity NACOA, which provides support for children affected by a parent's drinking, who he credits with helping him to work through his own emotions after his dad passed.
Calum: "I'm really lucky I found those guys soon after my dad passed, and I'm now 16 years deep, they were a huge part in my growth, and understanding the illness. You go from not feeling alone to knowing there's so many people out there dealing with this. Not to take away from the art, but the charity is a huge driving force of mine."
He adds: "For me what I've learnt to do, now on a personal level and public level, I'm nothing but proud and talk about nothing but the good moments. On a personal level, on behalf of the charity, that's when I tap into the darker stuff, the trials and tribulations of having alcohol in the family because there are 2.6 million kids out there who are dealing with it. There's a fine balance of representing him the best I can but tackling the other things by channelling it and supporting other kids going through it."