Six of the very Best

Northampton’s cup clash with Manchester United brings back memories of George Best…

“I don’t really class myself as a footballer,” he said afterwards. “I call myself an entertainer. I know a lot of people have paid to see me do something spectacular and that’s what I was trying to do on Saturday. It’s my job to do something that will send people away feeling that they’d like to see me play again.”

George Best’s assessment of his role came the day after one of his most memorable performances. His comeback game after a four-week ban for kicking the ball from a referee’s hands was much anticipated. On February 7th 1970, Best duly put six past Northampton in Manchester United’s 8-2 FA Cup fifth round tie at the old County Ground.

It was an overt display of his genius. The one and only time in which Best scored six in one game. The backdrop to it was intriguing. The achievement came despite – or perhaps more accurately, because – his role at United was being questioned. “While I’ve been suspended I’ve had letters from cranks saying that the team played better without me,” he said.

“I felt that if we were beaten by Northampton, people would say it was my fault. People think that just because I’m a bit of a showman and lose my temper occasionally I’m not trying but I do as much running as anyone. During the past week I drove myself harder than ever in training and when I went out yesterday I felt really great.”

He looked great too, going through his full repertoire. A brave leap at the far post to head in his first. A sliding finish into the vacant net for the second. The hat-trick effort was lashed into the net at the second attempt, hands on hips in celebration. Another header followed by a neat right-footed finish into the corner made it five, before the coup de grace.

With one feint, Best sent Northampton goalkeeper Kim Book tumbling to the ground before drilling the ball into the empty net with his left foot. “It’s been a joke on the circuit ever since,” Book later remarked. “You know, I’m on one side of the street, George Best is on the other. He nods to me and I dive under a bus.” He added: “He was just too good for me.”

For Northampton, what should have been a game to enjoy had become an …

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