Russell to sing at GB memorial service in Manchester

xcept · Last edited by xcept on Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

11.00am 16th March 2006
George Best Memorial service
Manchester Cathedral

Russell will be singing 'You are so beautiful' and 'You raise me up'

BBC NEWS ARTICLE....

Family, friends and fans of Manchester United legend George Best will gather at a special memorial at the city's cathedral on Thursday.
Billed as a service of celebration for Best's life, the service will feature personal tributes from friends and former players.

The event will also be screened live for hundreds of people outside on the BBC big screen in Exchange Square.

The Northern Ireland star's funeral was held in Belfast on 3 December 2005.

The service, which has been devised by Best's family, will be lead by the Dean of Manchester - and Manchester United fan - the Very Reverend Rogers Govender.

He said: "This is Manchester's chance to say goodbye, and to say it with thanks.

"George had God's gifts in abundance; the gift to play, to win, to entertain and to bring joy. We are richer for having known him, and he will always belong to us."

The Irish actor James Nesbitt will talk with Sir Alex Ferguson during the service about the Best legacy and the imprint his talents left on modern football.

Tributes will be paid by friends and business colleagues of Best including Eddie Gray, Wilf McGuiness, Malcolm Wagner and David Sadler. Jane Busby, granddaughter of Sir Matt, will give a reading.

Best died on 25 November 2005 in London's Cromwell Hospital after suffering multiple organ failure. He was 59 years old.

source BBC NEWS

xcept · Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:37 pm Post subject:

SOURCE - Manchesteronline

A service of farewell to the Best
Don Frame

MANCHESTER will be saying its own poignant farewell to soccer legend George Best this week when family, friends and fans celebrate his life in a service of song, prayer and tribute.

The hour-long service on Thursday at Manchester Cathedral will be relayed to crowds outside on a huge screen - and millions more will be able to watch via a live BBC 1 TV broadcast.

The same evening more tributes will be paid to the former Manchester United and Northern Ireland star at a memorial dinner at Old Trafford.

George's father Dickie, brother Ian and four sisters, Barbara, Carol, Grace and Julie, along with their husbands, will be among those travelling to Manchester for the special service.

On Wednesday they will be among passengers on the inaugural flight of a new air service between Belfast and Manchester, which is being named after the player.

Portrait

Members of his family will unveil the flybe aircraft, which carries on its side a portrait of George. Fans attending the memorial service, which starts at 11am on Thursday, have had to apply to Manchester United for tickets, which have been limited to two per person.

Tributes will come from friends and colleagues of George, including Eddie Gray, Wilf McGuinness, Malcolm Wagner and David Sadler. Members of the United team will also be there.

Jane Busby, grandaughter of Sir Matt, will give a Bible reading during the service, which has been devised by family and friends. It will open with thanks for the life of Best, who died aged 59 last November after years of battling drink problems.

The Dean of Manchester, the Very Rev Rogers Govender - himself a United fan - will lead the congregation in prayer, asking for special thoughts for those suffering illness, particularly diseases of the liver.

He said: "This is Manchester's chance to say goodbye, and to say it with thanks. George had God's gifts in abundance; the gift to play, to win, to entertain and to bring joy. We are richer for having known him, and he will always belong to us."

During a period of quiet reflection during the service, the dean will ask the congregation to hold a memory of George in their minds. A single candle will be lit, reflecting the Christian hope that death is not the end.

Blessing

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, will bless the congregation as they leave the cathedral. An adopted son of the city, Best first arrived in Manchester as a shy Belfast teenager, but quickly became a football legend. His funeral at Stormont Castle last December was watched on TV by millions across the globe.

A song written by Salford band Cracked Flag in tribute to George will be performed live at the celebrity dinner at Old Trafford. The trio, who spent their own money recording and releasing the CD Goodbye to the Belfast Boy, have also been invited to attend the memorial service.

Lifelong pals Paul Johnston, Dave Mather and Pete Robinson grew up watching their hero in action, and are donating proceeds from the sale of the record to the Foundation for Liver Research - George Best Appeal.

The band have been invited to perform at a Belfast event on what would have been George's 60th birthday in May

volare · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:44 am Post subject:

There will be full coverage on BBC News 24 from 11am. They do tend to repeat stuff a lot, so you may catch up with it later.

dusty · Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Kent

Russell, you did George and his family proud. What an amazing honour and privilege it must have been for you. I am not from Manchester but have always been a follower of United thanks to my Grandad. Loads of love, Suzanne. x

xcept · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:27 pm Post subject:

Best draws them in one last time Mar 16 2006

source:icWales

The legend that is George Best drew one more capacity crowd at Manchester Cathedral as the great and the good of football mingled with ordinary fans to pay tribute to the Manchester United and Northern Ireland star.

A congregation of over 1,000, including Best‚Äôs father Dickie, old team-mates Denis Law and Paddy Crerand, Sir Alex Ferguson and the current United squad, plus ‚Äì for the last hour ‚Äì son Callum, made their way through the snow and sat through an uplifting 75-minute service which was also well received by the hundreds who gathered to watch on a big screen in nearby Exchange Square.

Led by actor James Nesbitt, a succession of Best‚Äôs close friends recalled their own memories of the man with the magical feet and demons in his head, who died in November, aged just 59.

Just as at his funeral back home in Belfast, Best‚Äôs memory brought a mix of tears and laughter.

Both former business colleague Malcolm Wagner and fellow 1968 European Cup winner David Sadler choked at the end as they thanked George for being able to call him a friend.

But Wilf McGuinness managed to lift any lingering sadness with a forceful accolade which did not avoid the flaws in Best‚Äôs character.

‚ÄúGeorge was known for selling dummies, well he certainly sold me a few when I was his manager. It was a hair-raising experience that‚Äôs for sure,‚Äù chortled the bald McGuinness, who tried unsuccessfully to curb Best‚Äôs excesses after succeeding Sir Matt Busby as United boss.

Best‚Äôs footballing heart was honoured by two young current Northern Ireland-born United players ‚Äì Craig Cathcart and Jonny Evans ‚Äì who made their way slowly to the altar and laid down the famous red and green shirts of Best‚Äôs club and country.

By then, Salford-born vocalist Russell Watson had performed a stirring rendition of ‚ÄòRaise Me Up‚Äô, a tune Best‚Äôs sister Barbara admitted she had not been able to listen to since her brother‚Äôs funeral because of the emotions it stirred.

Immediately beforehand, Ferguson had spoken of the legacy Best left behind for the current generation, in particular the great courage he had shown throughout his footballing career.

‚ÄúYou can have mental courage and you can have physical courage,‚Äù said Ferguson.

‚ÄúThe legacy George leaves is for young players with talent to have the courage to express it and never let anyone put you down.‚Äù

Sitting behind him, Wayne Rooney ‚Äì a modern-day Best in terms of talent at least ‚Äì soaked it all up, presumably hoping one day he will be revered in the same manner, if without the off-field tribulations.

Yet to many, it was the personal problems which made Best such an alluring figure, producing the unprecedented outpouring of grief at the time of his death.

Reliability was certainly not one of Best‚Äôs many attributes, so Callum‚Äôs absence from the start of proceedings was something of which his dad would no doubt approve.

‚ÄúIt is my father‚Äôs memorial and I will be late if I want to,‚Äù declared Best jnr, having spent the best part of 30 minutes signing autographs and posing for photographs with supporters eager to attach themselves to the son of the man widely acknowledged to be the finest player ever produced.

For all his faults, recalling Best‚Äôs memory brought a smile to the face of everyone, even ex-wife Alex, who confirmed the man with whom she shared such a combustible relationship would have enjoyed the service.

FA executive director David Davies, Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, top agent Paul Stretford and Peterborough owner Barry Fry all filed out looking cheery, managing to avoid the type of media scrum which was such a part of Best‚Äôs life, and which engulfed Law as he made his way back onto the freezing Manchester streets.

Law‚Äôs tearful presence outside the Cromwell Hospital remains one of the most haunting memories of the closing chapter in Best‚Äôs battle for life.

But this time, the Scot was in control as he remembered an old team-mate, who ironically he became closer to after their respective playing careers had finished.

‚ÄúIt was very sad, but also very joyful,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúThe most amazing thing is that I didn‚Äôt cry because, as you all know, I usually do.

‚ÄúEveryone spoke from the heart and overall it was a very fitting tribute. George‚Äôs only complaint would have been that he wasn‚Äôt there to see it.‚Äù

xcept · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:34 pm Post subject:

click on the link below and then select 'video' to see a small clip of the service and Russell.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4811006.stm

Toddy · Joined: Mar 08, 2006 Posts: 9

Does anyone know if the memorial service will be shown again on TV? I missed it this morning - at work!

volare · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:21 pm Post subject:

Thx xcept for all of that. Very Happy

I haven't heard of any repeats Toddy. Probably the best you may be able to do is to click on xcept's link.