Paul Rouse: The footballing afterlife of George Best

In the end, the story of both the glory and the anguish survive.

THE BEST: Northern Irish footballer George Best (1946 - 2005) of Manchester United FC plays a match for Dunstable Town against the Manchester United Reserves, UK, 6th August 1974. Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

Fifty years ago this week, Manchester United played Queens Park Rangers in the English First Division. It was a poor, one-sided match, played on a Tuesday at Loftus Road.

Most of the 32,300 people who paid in went home happy. Queens Park Rangers cruised to a 3-0 victory, with the Irish international Don Givens scoring the opening goal and Stan Bowles – the new star signing who would go on to play five times for England – adding two more.