Fact-Checking George Best's Cause of Death: Alcoholism Vs. Fatal Secondary Infection
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
In the second week of November 2005, knowing recovery was impossible, Best made a deliberate choice. He allowed his long-time agent, Phil Hughes, and the News of the World to photograph him in his intensive care bed.
The image shocked the sporting world. The charismatic winger who had danced past defenders in the 1968 European Cup Final was unrecognizable: jaundiced, hollow-cheeked, surrounded by infusions, with a ventilator tube taped across his lips. Above the image ran the headline: "Don't die like me."
It was a final act of unvarnished public communication. Best wanted young people and fans who lionized his hedonistic lifestyle to see the clinical reality of chronic physical degeneration. There was no glamour left in the Cromwell ICU, only the mechanical hiss of life support and the slow unraveling of vital functions.
On the morning of November 25, 2005, internal bleeding overwhelmed his remaining vascular pressure. Dialysis could no longer clear the acids accumulating in his blood. Professor Williams and Best’s family, including his son Calum, made the decision to withdraw invasive life-prolonging measures. George Best was pronounced dead at 1:06 PM GMT.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
