GEORGE Best was a brilliant footballer. After the passing of his old Manchester United teammate Denis Law last week, some superb footage of Best in his pomp was resurrected.
In one clip from 50 years ago, Best, unmistakable with his flowing dark locks and the trademark red jersey out over his shorts, picks up the ball on the edge of the opposition penalty area.
With amazing speed and control he races to the byline and whips in a cross for ‘the Lawman’ to volley the ball into the net.
What a goal! What a player!
On the field George Best was undoubtedly a genius. Off it (living a celebrity lifestyle the rest of us can only imagine) he was often out of control. When fame descended on the Belfast native it appears he used alcohol to fill in the gaps of his naturally-shy personality.
Booze became a serious problem for him. First he took a drink, then the drink took him and a string of allegations of violence towards women began when he was charged (he was not convicted) with assaulting a waitress in 1972. Years later his ex-wife claimed that he punched her in the face on several occasions.
George Best was an alcoholic and alcoholism is a disease so I have sympathy for him. But I have more sympathy for the women he allegedly assaulted.
He was – as they say – a flawed human being and society opted to ignore his faults.
We named the city airport after him.
In a sense I can understand that. We don’t have that much to shout about round there. George Best was never convicted of violence against a woman and he was, and remains, a hero to many of the millions he entertained.
That’s not really ok though, is it?
Violence against women is a serious problem in our society.
At Armagh matches you’ll see a flag behind the goal remembering Natalie McNally who, along with her unborn child, was brutally murdered in 2023. Natalie’s family are determined to keep her memory alive and, in her honour, campaign to end violence against women. Unfortunately, there is no sign of it ending.
In the case of George Best, society appeared to look the other way, but Jarlath Burns won’t be doing that.
Last Friday night GAA president Burns appeared as the final guest on RTE’s Late, Late Show. From The 2 Johnnies to Pat Spillane and a walk-on (he didn’t get a chance to speak) appearance from Offaly’s 1982 hero Seamus Darby, the entire programme was a celebration of GAA.
When Jarlath took his seat the mood changed and presenter Paddy Kielty challenged the Uachtaráin on a series of issues including the email he sent to Naas GAC after they had appointed former Derry manager Rory Gallagher as a coach.
Gallagher’s ex-wife has claimed she was the victim of domestic violence over a period of years during their marriage. The Fermanagh native denies all allegations made against him and, after police investigation, no charges were made.
However, because of the severity of the allegations, Burns had reservations over the appointment and he outlined them to the club in what he intended to be a private email which later became public.
“I made it clear when I became president that I wouldn’t be a hands-off president,” he said.
In other words, he not just there to cut ribbons and read out prepared speeches, shake hands and pose for photos. Through their county delegates, members of the GAA voted for him to lead and Burns intends to do exactly that.
“I did take the opportunity to contact Naas and let them know the reservations that I had, given the values and the principles we have in the GAA which are very important to us,” he explained to Kielty.
“One of them which is underlined in the ‘Game-changers’ initiative I launched in November which has shone a light using the power of the GAA in all communities on the area of gender-based domestic and sexual violence.
“If Naas GAC had decided: ‘Well, thank you for that advice but we’re not going to take it’ that was me finished with them because clubs organise themselves and we (the GAA) are the most democratic institution in Ireland.
“I wouldn’t be true to myself as the person whose number one job is to protect the values of the GAA if I didn’t at least point out to somebody somewhere that I had reservations. Once they (Naas) decided what they were going to do, that was none of my business anymore.”
Burns stressed that the correspondence he had entered into with Naas was intended to be of a private nature. Next time, if there is a next time, he might stick with a phone call, but Naas’s decision to go public on the issue has turned into a positive development.
Burns, who said there is a “road back for Rory Gallagher to coach in the GAA”, is not some ‘Big Brother’ character scrutinising the actions of clubs and members up and down the country lest they step out of line with his thinking.
He has a job to do and he has shown that he is up for doing it.
It would have been so easy for him to dodge this issue. He said himself he could have “kicked for touch” and hid behind a committee, or a press release and done nothing.
That’s not leadership.
“If you’re there to protect the values of the GAA, you have to do it,” he said. “And sometimes that involves tough choices.”
What actual or practical use would he be to any of us if he had reservations on the Naas appointment but didn’t act on them? What signal would that have sent out?
Ultimately the buck stops with Jarlath Burns and he has made it known that he will stand for the core values of the GAA. We should respect him for that.
