9
Best really was something else. /QUOTE]
Glyn Pardoe agrees with this comment.
@crazyg, it so happens that I was at that match (maybe you were too – I see that you're three years older than me). Scoreboard end, at a time when it was the only end of the ground that was uncovered, unless my memory is playing tricks on me. In amongst the City fans. I remember walking away from that match feeling as satisfied as I've ever felt from any match against United. We smashed them. At that point, most of us were unaware just how serious the injury on Glyn Pardoe was. I certainly don't think anyone thought it was a career-ending tackle. And to be fair to the man, Best was never a vicious, Keane-type player. I'm pretty sure it was unintentional, and that he was sorry about the effect of it. Best was Buzzer's best mate at the time, let us not forget.
You're quite right. I was at that match, also in the scoreboard end, and I remember it vividly. I remember at the time going apeshit over the "tackle", which didn't even warrant a foul by the referee. The match was stopped only when Derek Jeffries body - checked (?)Denis Law to get the trainers on. If it hadn't been for Sydney Rose , a City director at the time, and also a surgeon, who assessed the injury and immediately got him to hospital and operated on him, there was a strong possibility that he might not only have lost his leg, but also his life, as the injuries were so severe.
Apparently, if you look at the video of the incident, you can see Mike Doyle (RIP) mouthing the words "you dirty bastard" as Best went into the challenge. Had it not been for Tony Book and Brian Kidd holding Doyle back, Best would have been the "subject of an assault" by Doyle, as he was that incensed.
I am prepared to accept that Best didn't mean to cause the injury (it's taken me over 45 years to calm down!), but he certainly wasn't going for the ball. In fact, the following Wednesday, against Palace (I think) at the swamp, he committed an identical lunge/"tackle" on a Palace player, and was booked.
I never heard of an apology - Glyn may have. The fact that Buzzer was his mate is,to me, irrelevant, as it was an out of control lunge, as bad as Keane's.
Like you, I was happy with the result (we won again there), but incensed over what happened.
And breathe!