| George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November | | | | 1963 he captained his side to victory |
| 2005) is widely acknowledged to have | | | | over Atletico Madrid in the final of the |
| been one of the greatest football | | | | European Cup Winners' Cup, the first |
| players of all time, remembered for his | | | | British side to win a European trophy. |
| halcyon days with Manchester United F.C. | | | | Between 1949 and 1963, he earned 56 caps |
| He played for the Northern Ireland team, | | | | for Northern Ireland, often playing |
| but their failure to reach the final | | | | alongside his brother Jackie, and in |
| rounds of the World Cup denied him the | | | | 1958 captained his country when they |
| ultimate global stage. | | | | reached the quarter-finals of the World |
| He starred for United as a forward with | | | | Cup. |
| unique gifts between 1963 and 1974, | | | | After retiring as a player in April |
| helping them to win the Football League | | | | 1964, he withdrew from football for |
| Championship in 1965 and 1967, and the | | | | several years, returning briefly as |
| European Cup in 1968. He was named | | | | manager of Northern Ireland in 1978, and |
| European Footballer of the Year and | | | | as manager of Chelsea in 1978-1979, |
| Football Writers' Association Player of | | | | where he won just 5 out of 32 games as |
| the Year in 1968. He had a rare | | | | the club plunged towards relegation. He |
| combination of pace, balance, | | | | eventually left the job less than a year |
| two-footedness, goalscoring prowess and | | | | after his appointment, in September |
| the ineffable ability to run through | | | | 1979. |
| entire defences. Indeed, Pelé, the | | | | He was one of only a handful of players |
| Brazilian who is often said to be the | | | | to have been awarded the title of |
| greatest player of all time, called Best | | | | English Footballer of the Year on two |
| "the greatest footballer in the world". | | | | occasions, winning in both 1958 and |
| The great Argentinian Diego Maradona | | | | 1961. On February 6, 1961, he also |
| held Best as highly. | | | | became the first person to turn down the |
| Best's lovable, cheeky image won him | | | | invitation to appear on This Is Your |
| many fans, during his career and after. | | | | Life, simply walking away from host |
| One of many anecdotes told about him | | | | Eamonn Andrews live on air. |
| refers to the time a room service waiter | | | | In the later years of his life, he |
| brought him breakfast in his room in a | | | | suffered from Alzheimer's Disease, and |
| leading hotel. He found Best in bed with | | | | died at his home in December 1993 aged |
| a Miss World, with thousands of pounds | | | | 67. In 2003 Blanchflower was inducted |
| sterling lying around the room. As he | | | | into the English Football Hall of Fame |
| left the room, the waiter turned sadly, | | | | in recognition of his talents. |
| and asked: "Where did it all go wrong, | | | | Malachy Martin Donaghy, (born 13 |
| George?" News of Best's death led to | | | | September 1957 in Belfast) was a |
| tears on the streets of Belfast, before | | | | Northern Irish football player. Donaghy |
| and during a funeral for which some | | | | started his career at Luton Town before |
| 100,000 people turned out on a rainy | | | | transferring to Manchester United in |
| day. Best had developed a drinking | | | | 1988. He later played for Luton on loan |
| problem while still a player, and it | | | | again and was later sold to Chelsea F.C. |
| contributed to his early retirement from | | | | The current Northern Ireland Under-19 |
| top-level football. He was imprisoned in | | | | coach, originally from West Belfast, |
| 1984 for drunk-driving and assaulting a | | | | amazingly began his football career as a |
| policeman and was unable to give up | | | | goalkeeper with little known Down and |
| alcohol for any length of time. The | | | | Connor League side St.Agnes, before |
| condition of his liver deteriorated to | | | | moving on to play as an outfield player |
| the point where a transplant became | | | | for works team Post Office Social Club. |
| necessary. The immuno-suppressive drugs | | | | After barely six months, he was on the |
| given to prevent rejection of his new | | | | move again, this time joining Amateur |
| liver caused him to develop a serious | | | | League side Cromac Albion, where his |
| kidney infection, which his doctors were | | | | blossoming talent was spotted by then |
| unable to redress. | | | | Larne boss Brian Halliday. |
| In 2005, the infection caused him to | | | | Donaghy's rapid rise in the game |
| fall into a coma. His final days were | | | | continued when after just 20 matches |
| watched over by his father and other | | | | with the Inver Park club he was |
| family members, and also by former | | | | transferred to Luton Town in June 1978 |
| football colleagues such as United's | | | | for a fee of L20,000. |
| Denis Law. He died at the age of 59 and | | | | The first of his 91 caps came in May |
| is buried in East Belfast. | | | | 1980 at Windsor Park in the 1-0 Home |
| Robert Dennis Blanchflower, known as | | | | International Championship victory over |
| Danny Blanchflower (February 10, 1926 in | | | | Scotland. He further enhanced his |
| Belfast - December 9, 1993) was a | | | | reputation during the 1982 and 1986 |
| footballer, football manager, and | | | | World Cup finals. In the former |
| journalist who captained Spurs during | | | | tournament, he played in four of |
| their double-winning season of 1961. He | | | | Northern Ireland's five games. He was |
| is remembered as one of the great | | | | harshly sent off after 60 minutes of the |
| tacticians in the history the game, | | | | famous 1-0 win over Spain in Valencia, |
| renowned for his passing and as an | | | | for the offence of shoving Spain's José |
| outstanding right-half. | | | | Antonio Camacho, but returned for |
| He began his professional football | | | | Northern Ireland's final match, the 4-1 |
| career at the end of the Second World | | | | defeat by France in madrid. |
| War when he was signed by Belfast side | | | | After ten years of sterling service at |
| Glentoran. In 1949, Barnsley F.C. paid | | | | Kenilworth Road, he earned a L650,000 |
| L6,000 to transfer him to England, and | | | | move to his boyhood heroes Manchester |
| two years later Aston Villa bought him | | | | United in October 1988. It was at the |
| for L15,000. He played 155 times for | | | | time a big risk for Alex Ferguson to pay |
| Villa, captaining the side on many | | | | out a large sum of money for a player |
| occasions. However, he became unhappy | | | | who was then past 30, but Donaghy repaid |
| with the club and the way training was | | | | the United manager’s faith in him with |
| conducted, becoming one of the first to | | | | some consistent performances in not only |
| propose that players should train with a | | | | his favoured central defensive position |
| ball as opposed to merely undertaking | | | | but also as a full-back. |
| physical exercise. In 1954 he was bought | | | | His next move was in August 1992 when, |
| by Spurs for the huge fee of L30,000, | | | | just a month short of his 35th birthday, |
| and during his ten years at White Hart | | | | Chelsea paid L100,000 for his services. |
| Lane he made 337 league appearances. | | | | Donaghy called time on his club career |
| The highlight of his time at Spurs came | | | | at the end of the 1993-94 season and |
| with the 1960-61 season. With | | | | after 14 years on the international |
| Blanchflower as captain Spurs won their | | | | stage; he made his final appearance for |
| first 11 games, still a record for the | | | | Northern Ireland against Mexico in Miami |
| top flight of English football and | | | | in June 1994, at the ripe old age of 36. |
| eventually ran out as league champions | | | | Shortly after his playing career ended, |
| by 8 points. They then beat Leicester | | | | Donaghy returned to the province with |
| City in the final of the FA Cup to | | | | his family and after a brief spell as |
| become the first team in the 20th | | | | manger at Newry Town, he had stints as a |
| century to win the league and cup double | | | | coach with Cliftonville and as a Youth |
| not achieved since Aston Villa in 1897. | | | | Development Officer back on his home |
| In 1962 he again captained Spurs to | | | | patch with Donegal Celtic. In 2000, he |
| victory in the FA Cup, only narrowly | | | | was appointed to his present position as |
| missing out on a second double when they | | | | coach for the Northern Ireland Under-19 |
| finished a close third in the league | | | | team. |
| behind Ipswich Town and Burnley, and in | | | | |