Northern Ireland man's George Best and Manchester United memorabilia exhibition
Patrick Van Dort
Published29th Nov 2025, 14:28 GMT
Tributes to Best this week following the 20th anniversary of his death highlighted a football genius who dazzled fans across the world for Manchester United and stands forever celebrated in the hearts of Northern Ireland supporters.
A two-time English title winner and European Cup champion as one shining star in a golden era for United, Best remains for many the greatest British footballer in history and one of the world’s finest.
The latter stages of a professional career which officially ended in 1983 having graced some of the game’s greatest stages also featured various guest appearances back home in Northern Ireland.
George Best with Alan Flavelle (front right) plus, back row from left, John Brown, Derek Harrison, Brian McGurgan and Roy McMahon in the 1980s during a special appearance in Portadown. (Photo by Annagh United FC)placeholder image
George Best with Alan Flavelle (front right) plus, back row from left, John Brown, Derek Harrison, Brian McGurgan and Roy McMahon in the 1980s during a special appearance in Portadown. (Photo by Annagh United FC)
Including when he walked out one May evening in 1982 in front of a few hundred fans divided on a rugby pitch with temporary goalposts from one of the greatest players of any generation by a simple rope line.
“George had been over the previous year for an appearance in Portadown at Bannview Squash Club and we got to know his agent, Bill McMurdo,” said Flavelle, now a long-serving committee member with Irish League second-tier club Annagh United but captain and manager during the 1980s. "That night we set up a photo of George pretending to sign a form for us, we even had John Brown (Mid-Ulster football official) over as witness!
"The following year we got a phone call from Bill who told us he would be over that weekend for an appearance and the fee was £2,000 but they could get him to us on the Friday night for half that price as an extra deal.
"We played in the Mid-Ulster Football League then so had no ground and other places were reseeding the pitch following the end of the season.
The match ball signed by George Best following his appearance for Annagh United in 1982. (Photo by Annagh United FC)placeholder image
The match ball signed by George Best following his appearance for Annagh United in 1982. (Photo by Annagh United FC)
"But Portadown Rugby Club would set up temporary posts for summer football.
"It was a quick turnaround, maybe 10 days or a few weeks so we set up a programme and got some advertisers on board.
"Oxford United would be the kingpins at that time of junior football, they had a super team.
"We wanted to give our own boys a chance to be part of it all so selected a team of first-team players and reserves but then also got in a few ex-Irish League guys like Sammy Lunn and Tony Bell.
"I was captain and manager at the time...imagine standing in the dressing room before the match thinking about what to tell George Best to do in the game!
"It was basically a case of giving the ball to George so he could do his thing.
"A few of the Oxford boys would mark him pretty tight and George at that stage wasn't running around...but every now and again you'd see him do something special.
"He chipped the keeper from way out and only had a few yards of space behind to put the ball in over the line.”
As Best’s battle with alcohol problems took a toll, those peak years of the 1960s proved distant memories when the late 1970s and early 1980s featured the former European Footballer of the Year on a series of brief contracts with clubs including time in Australia, America, South Africa, Hong Kong, England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
"We had to give the £1,000 after the match and I remember counting out the last £50 or so in coins from the gate,” said Flavelle. "We charged £2 at the gate I think and wouldn't have covered the appearance fee from the crowd receipts.
"It was probably one of the smallest crowds he ever played in front of, maybe a few hundred.
"But George was great with everyone, we picked him up and brought him to the game but he wasn't getting on like a superstar or anything before the match with us.
"It was just people standing around the edge of the pitch, no stands or anything.
"There wasn't a massive cheer really when he got the ball or anything like a clamour to meet him or get his autograph after the game.
"He signed the match ball for us and it's still on display in our clubhouse at Tandragee Road...over the years it has been a talking point with visiting teams asking the story behind it all.
"Now getting someone down it would be promoted and everything co-ordinated to maximise the appearance but then it was more low-key and we had such a quick turnaround time to get organised.
"I remember running around as manager and captain more worried about sorting the team and everything that night.
"But it was brilliant for us all to say we played in the same side as someone like George Best."
ANNAGH UNITED: Kevin Devine, Drew Magee, Ivan Gray, Kenny Little, George Best, Roderick Joyce, Eamon Monaghan, Alan Flavelle, Philip Wright, Ashley Elliott, Philip Douglas, Alan Scott, Tony Bell, Ian Wray, Sammy Lunn, Jim Nelson.
OXFORD UNITED: Gerard Trotten, Joe Fitzsimmons, Hugh Flannery, Martin Seeley, Tony McAreavy, Seamus Toner, David Murtagh, Terry O’Hagan, Patsy Ferris, Brian McGeown, Denis Seeley, Gerard Clarke, Kevin McGibbon, Gerard McMahon, Eamon O’Connor, Paul O’Hanlon.
Referee: Derek Taylor.