" Nothing lasts forever. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end someday "

A brilliant actor passes away at 72.

More here.

His masterpiece and a must-see for any art lover, political buff or Anglophile is of course To Play the King. In tribute, I'll be watching it tonight, once more.

The best obituary is from The Times:

Opinion was divided between those who saw Best’s career as a shameful waste of talent and those who were simply grateful to have had the opportunity to see him grace the game.

At the end of the day, it is probably both sentiments that apply to George Best’s life and career and the way the outside world observed them. Best himself put it all in the context of being non-conformist and in a way he was right, although it probably was an after-the-fact justification for his failings. It should be noted that those who put him on the pedestal of public adulation were not given the concurrent right to relentlessly point the finger at Best’s flaws. Nevertheless, it isn’t too hard to conclude that his death was a very sad end to what once could have been a great life. Rest in peace, George.