GEORGE BEST

In 1968 George Best puts pen to paper signing with Stylo Matchmakers. Stylo Matchmakers sales skyrocket with over 1 million shoes sold. George even designs and creates his own line of fashion with the brand.

This was trailblazing at the time and led the way for how footballers worked with brands. Stylo Matchmakers became the biggest British football boot brand and went head to head with the German giants and George Best became the world’s first celebrity sports star and football’s original pin-up.

George Best had a grip on 1960s and 1970s culture that rivalled the dominance of the “The Beatles” during his golden years at Manchester United. It’s no wonder his Portuguese fans called him ‘El Beatle’.

George Best is ranked one of the most talented footballers of all time who captivated his fans with his extraordinary skill, agility, and a unique style and flair.

Since his childhood, George nurtured a single-minded love for football. At the age of 15, his raw talent caught the eye of ‘Manchester United’ scout Bob Bishop, who was convinced about George’s potential.

Before long, George Best started playing for ‘Manchester United’ and immediately endeared himself to the club’s fans with his fast and attractive style of play. What followed was four glorious seasons for both Best and his club, during which the team won a host of trophies.

George’s life off the pitch was somewhat similar to his mindset on the pitch. He once said of himself

“I was born with a great gift, and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town”.

Hitting the town hard and dating International “Beauty Queens” was another part of Best’s off the pitch life, saying years later in his after-dinner speeches – “I used to go missing a lot…Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World.”

Back to the football, at Manchester United Best had forged a deadly partnership with Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, the two other ‘Manchester United’ greats and reached the zenith of his career when he led his club to a European Cup triumph. Among these three players, Best was considered to be the most gifted. Whilst at the top of his game, George was influencing millions of young footballers around the world to get a new pair of Stylos.