George Best was a kind and generous human being who was sadly taken advantage of by many people including the organisers of this event who deliberately set out to get George drunk. Rodney Marsh was complicit by playing along with this. As a huge fan of George Best I was delighted when my company won the role to film and promote this event. But I did not know beforehand that the people closest to George at the time were using him to line their own pockets. 25 years later I've shared various clips from this show on our YT Channel because we own the rights in the footage and I think it shows you how George was exploited. So please be kind with your comments. George hugely admired Paul Merson as a footballer. But he was violently against drug taking, as I am. I also admire Merse and how he has turned his life around. I'm sure Merse wishes he could have helped George and now recognises that by admitting his own addiction and that he was in fact a junkie this actually saved his life. To anyone who thinks it is a good idea to lambast George for being honest and correctly identifying Merson as a junkie, I urge you to think again and remember George the way he wanted to be remembered. For his football. JG
How do you know we don’t think we’re junkies? I refer to myself as a junkie all the time. Maybe speak to one of us scumbag junkies before you make ignorant statements on a subject you seem to know nothing about.
Pathetic. Paul Merson was man enough to go public to seek help and prompted awareness for others suffering from addiction. These mugs made a poor attempt to humiliate and trash him (with the exception of Marsh and Elliott). In doing so they clearly revel in others' misery and downfall. Respect due to Paul Merson for his honesty. We are all human...We all have flaws.
Huge respect for the way Merse has turned his life around. What this video probably illustrates more than anything is how attitudes and behaviour have changed enormously over the past 25 years or so.
Well all the people who bow down to George best just need to know he may have been a decent player but he was also a very selfish and shallow human being who constantly needed to be told how good he was, well he wasn’t Liam Brady that’s for certain cuz what people forget is that he stopped playing top level football at 27, he messed around for another 10 years at hibs, Fulham , Bournemouth & Stockport , Brady played his peak career in Serie A when it was the supreme Serie A of the 80s, loved to have seen best in Serie A, Brady will always be the greatest Irish player ever....
@@spencerglover1 I respect your opinion but that's all it is, your opinion. I'm of the opinion that Roy Keane is the greatest Irish player ever, not everyone agrees with me, it's a divisive opinion. George best was twice the player Brady was 🤷♂️
Not only did best ruin his own liver but he also ruined his transplanted liver. Atleast Merson is making an effort to solve it where as it killed best!!
@@paulthrutner9114 well said he did get a transplant I'd actually forgotten that bit and he ruined that as well. Like you said at least Merston is clean now and still going strong he beat his addiction Best failed twice.
Paul played for my team Walsall and was fantastic. His first game was against WBA and he scored 2 screamers. Later he was made manager (it was the clubs cheap option) and were were relegated, having a total of 46 players on loan. We later met him and he was the first to admit he was crap at managing (his words). It was still a joy to watch him.play for us
You've got one of the best profile pics I've ever seen.....wait till Dec 11th. That will be a fantastic moment seeing him come back to Anfield. And yes Mr alki talking about drugs.
We have to take responsibility for own actions, but alcoholism is an illness, and it greatly affects the ability to chose. Would you call someone a worse or weaker person for failing to survive cancer?
@@daevpaeldruid8200 In my opinion Paul merson is a better man than george best. Paul merson continues to fight against his addiction every day and still finds time to help others as well. George best on the other hand found his way to ridicule people and cost the nhs thousands of pounds in operations. Can you imagine a cancer patient belittling another cancer patient the way george best done that? George Best was a selfish addict and after those comments he got what he deserved.
@@DT-lw9eu Best may well have been a bit of a twat even if he hadn't been an alcoholic or maybe alcohol made him that way; it does the same to a lot of people. All addicts are selfish in their addiction; for many that's a major aspect of the illness, or part of the necessary personality type. I don't think anyone deserves a horrible death just because they say some stupid things; Best had a very dark sense of humour. Merson has done very well, and deserves congratulations for how he manages his addiction, but I don't think we should be so quick to judge those who don't have the same sort of success. Btw, I saw Best and Rodney Marsh play together for Fulham. They were both past their best, but still great entertainers on the pitch. I was a bit disappointed that Bobby Moore wasn't picked that day.
Sounds like George was deflecting from his own demons by calling Merson a junkie. An alcoholic is the only person who could be lying in the gutter and still look down on a drug addict, but there's no such thing as hierarchies when it comes to addiction. The impact and results are exactly the same.
I was a heroin addict for years and from my experience of it all from going to the clinic for treatment et cetera and my experiences of seeing other people then alcohol was and is the biggest killer,it rots your stomach and your liver. You could live off heroin for years in its purest form,obviously you can't do that as it's cut full of bash but let's say morphine then,you could take that and live much longer than a bad alcoholic,with heroin it's the bash that's in it and it can kill you from mould around your heart or problems with blood clots if you inject and the stuff it's cut with like brick dust and crap like that. But believe me alcohol,like white cider or spirits or special brew that sort of stuff if you drink that crap it'll kill you in 30 years or less,some people a lot less. Your stomach will go and your liver,i had a neighbour who's oesophagus collapsed. Most drug addicts who mix alcohol with heroin and crack will die from the alcohol abuse first. But I'm not saying heroin is any better the withdrawals and stuff are terrible. My Dad drinks 6 or 7 pints of Stella every day and he's drank like that for over 50 years and he's fine he's mid 70s so that's not too bad but the other stuff,fortified wines or spirits and cheap cider,that'll finish you off its bad news. And it's legal,seems crazy to me that it is. But I've stopped my heroin habit now and it took me about 7 or 8 attempts,something I'm obviously not proud of..I think with a drug like Heroin though it changes people's personalities more so than drink,so in that respect I can understand why people shake their head at it,its bad news,dont get me wrong but I just wanted to point out alcohol is the bigger killer as are cigs too,mad the way we all live and judge when legal things are just as bad for your health. But like I say heroin changes personality more,people don't bath as much or tidy up and do stupid things like steal so it has a much worse stigma attached. It didn't change me in that way I still managed to keep alot of my morals,perhaps that is why I managed to kick it I don't know,but I was on it for 16 years. It's so so hard to get off it really is.
That's rich coming from an alcoholic womanizing..wife beater who basically pissed a new life down the drain..I have nothing but admiration for Merson or anyone else who beats addiction ..for all his talent and money he couldn't buy an ounce of class
👌. Best had a liver transplant (needed because he drank so much). And then carried on drinking & lost transplant ....& Died. He was a fuck ing disgrace....I wonder what the family of the deceased person who donated that liver thought).....
But hes not conquered his demons only the other week he blew family money in bookmakers merson is forty faced they had a drinking club on a Tuesday at arsenal till Arsene Wenger put a stop to it then he was sold to boro blamed Middlesbrough for drinking culture hes a lot worse than best was he only had one addiction this blokes a walking nightmare.
Not Best's finest hour, but, let's be honest, it was a long way short of being. his worst either. Marsh comes off well here and I don't agree he was complicit in anything. He seems to be sympathetic to Merson and not going for cheap laughs. Paul Elliot was good, too. That presenter, though, .....what a wanker!
Agreed, what the hell even is this show? On one side trying to have a serious discussion about the problems with acholism and drugs in football players at the time and on the other they are treating it like a stand up comedy sketch!
I’ve been taught to never speak ill of the dead. But this was as classless as it gets from Best. A alcohol abuser pointing his finger at a drug abuser.absolutely no class.The friends he lost we’re not all due to drugs , many of them were drunks like him.
I think that there has been a movement in demographics being heard. But I also think there is still a significant amount of people who have little or no compassion. Empathy and compassion are emotionally sophisticated traits that people have to willingly cultivate. Sometimes the emotional pain is to much for others to take the risk on it so they remain a mob of mocking hypocrots hoping neither to be called out or exposed.
No, we're moving backwards. A stupid joke of course it was but today you can't even call a man a man without being arrested. Give me 1994 over that any day.
Its not nice to have a go at somebody who has an addiction problem. It clearly was upsetting for Paul Merson and as normal others with severe lacking of Humanity wanted to jump on the coat tails and pass judgement when there in no fit place to pass judgement
This video clip really demonstrates how much society has progressed. Mocking somebody with an alcohol problem and then suggestions of stamping it out using fear like having your contract terminated .. crazy
@@vrzM8 And remember, in our lifetimes, this would have been something we might have tuned into...you or I might have laughed along with the cruel gags and the way Paul is unanimously agreed to be a bit of a waste of space because he's not man enough to sort out his addiction. Just imagine how much we say and do now, that in 30 years' time younger people might look back on and be disgusted by! Very humbling, how much we think we know, until we're exposed to how little we actually know.
Regardless of what time or place you live in, there is an easy way to tell whether you are a stone cold stupid peasant or not -- and that is if you think your time and place constitutes "progress". Every generation of sh*t eating peasant dogs think they are living in a moral golden age because they are incapable of forming a thought which isn't a straight repetition of the messages they have just received.
As much as I loved watching George play, and he was definitely one of the very very best player on the world stage, it is so sad to hear and see him ridicule someone else for having an addiction, Being an alcoholic is no different to a drug user, in my opinion.. They both rely on a substance to keep them going, and they both need help.....
Fair comment my friend. George was my boyhood hero and I did not like seeing him controlled by drink. On this filming day I saw first hand what it was doing to him. JG
You're right in a way, but this was 30 years ago. Drugs were vilified and alcohol was seen as normal. They're both destructive if you over indulge. Also you gotta take into account we don't say or do things with a lot of thought when we are drunk. He clearly lost friends from drugs and had a zero tolerance attitude, I see that in a lot of people of that era and even today, it's a sickness of sorts, which George was also ultimately consumed by.
George, as much as I loved him, had no room calling anyone a junkie. He had more problems with his addictions than every other footballer combined, apart from Gazza. Gazza, like George, is a category all of his own.
This was a classic case of the attitude towards mens mental health back in the day, every time a gag was made your laughing at every addict that has killed themselves and ruined there family. George best failed at life and didn't have the courage to confront his addiction where's paul did. I'm so glad attitudes have changed for the most part.
From someone who has beat addiction I agree he's an absolute tool, he's all good and well sitting on a stage talking shit about people but you can tell he wouldn't say it to people's faces, as for George best calling merson a junkie at least merson shown courage to come out and get help, whilst George best not only killed himself but probably got a new liver before countless others who needed one due to his status then ruined that one with alcohol one selfish man
The really daft thing is that these comments have fallen into the same trap as the media in the 90s. Merson never had a serious cocaine problem. The massive problem which tore him apart was a chronic gambling addiction. But headlines about "coke binges" are more sensational so the papers made him out to be a cokehead, because he admitted that he'd taken it on a number of occasions. But it was the gambling that nearly destroyed him. These comments are the same. Everyone talking about super scary cocaine, while ignoring the real issue.
Very good comment. You are spot on with how the media paint the narrative that is more sensational. It’s worse now with clickbait. But pretty much the same thing.
Best was out of order and not a nice man with a drinck in him! Hes always got to talk about how good he was. At least 5 times during a 5 min drunken interview!
@@VISIONSPORTTV if you're being honest........you wouldn't be saying that if a) he wasn't famous & b) you'd been on the receiving end of his drunken nastiness. Everyone who's as famous as he is has hangers-on and friends that crawl out of the woodwork to try and bathe in your spotlight for 5 minutes.......Gazza is another example, Tony Adams and Freddie Mercury. But the list is huge. So huge that it can't be used as an excuse any more - he's a grown man and as such he just needs to pick his friends better.
ML H George was the first football superstar and all who followed have benefitted from seeing the mistakes he made - and the way he had no one who knew how to help him because we'd never seen anything like him before. Merson, Gazza, Adams all followed a long time after George
Someone with addiction problems wants to distance themselves from it when there in denial and try to make out there better and haven’t a problem. Best would of known deep down he was an addict
Just a reminder that this lot worked for Sky Sports for a number of years. When they tried to freshen things up there was outcry at 'Political Correctness gone mad'. The exception being Paul Elliot here, who come up with a great suggestion, however ask how many players were tested by UKAD last year. It's a joke!
Oooh that was below the belt. I won't lie, but I think Vision Sports dropped the ball posting this video and it is in poor taste. Merson deserves the utmost credit for facing the music, battling his demons and getting his life back on track. George was obviously under the influence of alcohol here, but that doesn't fully excuse his comments. Very poor form.
George and the presenter comes across really badly here. He'd already destroyed his own playing career at this point through alcohol. When he describes drug users as "wanting another, and another and another". Oblivious to the fact he's just as bigger addict himself. Eventually it killed him, unlike merson who got help for his addiction. Back during this clip attitudes we're different. Alcohol was deemed fine cause it was legal and if you took any illegal substance you were automatically a "junkie". Glad things have got better
Best was, without doubt, the best player I've ever seen. He had a God given talent. He should've been remembered as the greatest player EVER. Instead, for the most part, he's remembered as a drunk. Not a nice drunk to boot. If anyone should've had empathy with Merson, it was Best.
@@VISIONSPORTTV Quite correct. Paul Elliot is articulate and would bring a sense of responsibility and realism to what is (the FA) is a sporting body devoid of direction.
Paul Elliott is the worst one on here. He literally advocated sacking people and ending their career in this clip, for a "criminal offence" which shouldn't even be a crime. Horrific attitude.
I met George Best in the Kings Rd many years ago when i was a motorcycle courier and parked by the curb waiting for my next job , he tottered by nodding hello , i remember thinking wow thats the legend who i had seen playing my team Chelsea and now he had fallen and was an alcoholic , how sad , he was a brilliant footballer but like so many he was hooked on alcohol , an addiction is an addiction and that has claimed many lives. Seeing him talk about Paul Merson was a bit sad as he had the same problem but probably like many addicts didnt maybe admit to himself , he was the same . RIP George Best, a brilliant footballer.
Merson was a naturally gifted player if he dedicated himself like Lampard not as naturally gifted but very dedicated in terms of fitness and drills, and also self belief he would have been right up there with the best of them.
Good observation. Merse had great skills. He still had a good career though. So many gifted players down the years for one reason or another never fulfilled their potential. Ravel Morrison was a classic example
An Alcoholic berating Merson. A man who not only abused his own Liver, but also a donor liver.... Well done Besty. You managed to do something that you were so much against others doing.
Yep was given a second chance others never got and carried on drinking and died only a few years later. People won't forgive Best for that even if he did pay the price with death.
People give players a lot of stick for the amount they earn, and although I don't necessarily agree with the ridiculous amounts that some players get, not all, some, I also can realise how much hard work and dedication they put in behind the scenes, and when nobody can see. Professional fighters have a specific training period before a fight that caters to making every individual part of their body perfect for the style of fighting they do best. Footballers have to do that all year round. It's no where near as intense as a fighters training. But they do so much off camera precise training to make sure that their body is perfect for what a player in that position needs to do. Centre backs need to make sure that they're strong, precise, and have awareness and reactions that we could only dream of, and it's all year round. Wingers need to make sure they're speed is up to scratch, so need to watch every single little pound of weight they are. They need to do constant agility and cardio training so they never lose a yard. So you can't compare their wages to the players who earned a lot less, but ate pie and chips every day, and was in the pub every weekend downing pints whenever they weren't playing. The work modern players put in is ridiculous. So people should think about that a bit more
As an Irish man I wish anyone who has a problem best off luck to clean them self's it's a struggle wish anybody with any drink or drug problem get help it's out there 👌👌👌
how can a player who played for stockport county cork celtic and los angles aztecs in their prime knock another player, and by the way george do you remember stealing that womens handbag from a bar in LA because of your habit!
best was a genius on the pitch but that certainly didnt give him the right to call other people junkies considering his own addiction to alcohol which would eventually lead to his early death.best was given more chances than virtually anybody on the planet.merson was at least brave enough to face and then eventually beat his demons.i salute anybody who can do that.
Probably as coke wasn't a big thing back then. I've lost a couple of people I know to coke. Ruined their families and then it took them. Credit to merse for turning his life around.
The audience laughing, clapping at this ass hole speaking about Paul's personal struggles,its very very wrong to do so,how dare they do that to a person.Paul didn't deserve to be spoken about in such a manner.Disgraceful.I wish Paul the very best in his journey in confronting his personal issues.
George Best really didn’t cover himself in glory here. Died of death with a yellow body. Having had the opportunity to change his life. Shit of a human.
Every person with a drink problem I've known personally are in denial about it and refuse to listen to advice or guidance. On a side note I must say, the presenter is about as funny as a dose of crabs.
the worst part is when they are drunk, still got drink left, and are moaning and shouting at you saying they are not an alcoholic while taking another sip.
Don’t find this funny. George Best was a great player, but he had no business making that comment about Paul Merson. Let’s be hones, Best had more than enough problems of his own.
Why was it up to these lads to help him. He’s a grown man and can look after himself. Perhaps there was no need for some of the comments said. But they don’t owe Merson nothing. Merson weren’t a kid!
@@familyread7889 No,they don't owe him anything but as fellow pro's taking the piss is nothing but disgraceful great footballers but absolute @@@@s at everything else.
@@VISIONSPORTTV No he got help from people that cared about him nothing to do with what these two horrible bastards said. How you can give them credit for Merson's recovery is beyond me.
When Best says he has friends with drug addictions and now they're dead... He seems to conveniently forget that alcohol can be a serious drug addiction too that can prematurely end your life.
Absolutely disgraceful to talk about Paul Merson like that. I'm an alcoholic, I've been sober 25 years thanks to AA the 12 steps and God. And as for Best, say no more. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to change. Well done PM, Tony adams has done well also, he helps a lot of people with addictions. The best prizes are not on the top shelf, you have to bend the knees and be humble. The ego (self) can destroy anyone. God bless to all those in recovery. My name is Shaun, and I am an alcoholic. Recovered! Delivered! Thank you Jesus. Amen 👍💥✝️
@@derekmullings1507 Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. I've seen many people over the years forget what they are and drink again, or for whatever reason. I still attend AA meetings, I was at one last night and I enjoy it. I've made some great friendships over the years. If you get a copy of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, it explains it all very well. The 12 step programme is explained in that book. It was first published in 1939 and it's stayed the same. Millions of people have recovered from alcoholism over the years because of that book and it was written by alcoholics. Bill W was the man who started it, he met Dr Bob and the rest is history. God bless you Derek.
@@shaun5944 Respect to you for your comments. I've worked with recovering alcoholics and I was surprised to learn that recovery doesn't always work the first time around. Apologies for teaching you to suck eggs but recovery is easier said than done. All the best.
What on god's green earth is this?....it's actually pretty disgusting...you don't laugh and kick a man when he's down you just don't do it...all should be ashamed of themselves
This is awful to watch. People paid to go see this??? Fuck me, give me their names...... I have some sea front property in Switzerland for sale I think that theyll love
BIG UP PAUL, SERIOUS JAMAICAN ST ELIZABETH'S MAN, HE NEEDS TO BE THE NEXT HEAD OF F.A. BUT RACISM IN THIS PLACE IS AT THR FORE FRONT OF LIFE IN BRITAIN.
There is no real difference between being an alcoholic and being a junkie. Booze is just easier to get. Best was in no piston to be critical of Merson.
George Best was a kind and generous human being who was sadly taken advantage of by many people including the organisers of this event who deliberately set out to get George drunk. Rodney Marsh was complicit by playing along with this. As a huge fan of George Best I was delighted when my company won the role to film and promote this event. But I did not know beforehand that the people closest to George at the time were using him to line their own pockets. 25 years later I've shared various clips from this show on our YT Channel because we own the rights in the footage and I think it shows you how George was exploited. So please be kind with your comments. George hugely admired Paul Merson as a footballer. But he was violently against drug taking, as I am. I also admire Merse and how he has turned his life around. I'm sure Merse wishes he could have helped George and now recognises that by admitting his own addiction and that he was in fact a junkie this actually saved his life. To anyone who thinks it is a good idea to lambast George for being honest and correctly identifying Merson as a junkie, I urge you to think again and remember George the way he wanted to be remembered. For his football. JG
One of the best comments I've seen. Helps me not knee jerk and understand that some media manipulate the message. Its almost as much as politics....
We all make excuses for our "friends" ..
very well said
Agree but it’s not a good look! Oh and it turns out Best did the same drugs.
You can’t really blame others for Best being an alcoholic. We all make our own choices in life
I love how alcoholics think they’re not junkies because it’s legal. Utter delusion
How do you know we don’t think we’re junkies? I refer to myself as a junkie all the time. Maybe speak to one of us scumbag junkies before you make ignorant statements on a subject you seem to know nothing about.
A lot coke heads think the same, not a junkie I don't take heroin lol, anyone addicted to any drug, pills powder drink whatever is a "junkie"
That's part of the illness denial and justification .
I was like that 7 years ago then went on a 12 step program and still doing it thank God
I know when Ive been in detox their like "oh Im not on that stuff" really!
@@thetruthk5138 Thank yourself, it was your hard work 💪
Fair play to Rodney Marsh in going against the grain of every single person in that room and saying the right thing
Kicking a man when he is down.
Just scum that do that 😠
Pathetic.
Paul Merson was man enough to go public to seek help and prompted awareness for others suffering from addiction.
These mugs made a poor attempt to humiliate and trash him (with the exception of Marsh and Elliott).
In doing so they clearly revel in others' misery and downfall.
Respect due to Paul Merson for his honesty.
We are all human...We all have flaws.
I don’t know what’s fucking saddest the three on stage or the audience who I guess paid for a ticket to see it, and revelling in someone’s misery
Huge respect for the way Merse has turned his life around. What this video probably illustrates more than anything is how attitudes and behaviour have changed enormously over the past 25 years or so.
Well all the people who bow down to George best just need to know he may have been a decent player but he was also a very selfish and shallow human being who constantly needed to be told how good he was, well he wasn’t Liam Brady that’s for certain cuz what people forget is that he stopped playing top level football at 27, he messed around for another 10 years at hibs, Fulham , Bournemouth & Stockport , Brady played his peak career in Serie A when it was the supreme Serie A of the 80s, loved to have seen best in Serie A, Brady will always be the greatest Irish player ever....
Merson is full of tears and self pity...he's still crying in 2022!
@@spencerglover1 I respect your opinion but that's all it is, your opinion. I'm of the opinion that Roy Keane is the greatest Irish player ever, not everyone agrees with me, it's a divisive opinion. George best was twice the player Brady was 🤷♂️
Laughing at addiction, while one of sports biggest alcoholics is on stage. This has aged well.
Not only did best ruin his own liver but he also ruined his transplanted liver. Atleast Merson is making an effort to solve it where as it killed best!!
How old is this video? Before the internet I’m not sure. Live Trolls disgusting
@@paulthrutner9114 well said he did get a transplant I'd actually forgotten that bit and he ruined that as well. Like you said at least Merston is clean now and still going strong he beat his addiction Best failed twice.
Paul played for my team Walsall and was fantastic. His first game was against WBA and he scored 2 screamers. Later he was made manager (it was the clubs cheap option) and were were relegated, having a total of 46 players on loan. We later met him and he was the first to admit he was crap at managing (his words). It was still a joy to watch him.play for us
You've got one of the best profile pics I've ever seen.....wait till Dec 11th. That will be a fantastic moment seeing him come back to Anfield.
And yes Mr alki talking about drugs.
George Best, the man who took a new liver and drunk himself to death. Paul Merson will always be the better man for overcoming his addiction.
We have to take responsibility for own actions, but alcoholism is an illness, and it greatly affects the ability to chose. Would you call someone a worse or weaker person for failing to survive cancer?
@@daevpaeldruid8200 In my opinion Paul merson is a better man than george best. Paul merson continues to fight against his addiction every day and still finds time to help others as well. George best on the other hand found his way to ridicule people and cost the nhs thousands of pounds in operations. Can you imagine a cancer patient belittling another cancer patient the way george best done that? George Best was a selfish addict and after those comments he got what he deserved.
@@DT-lw9eu Best may well have been a bit of a twat even if he hadn't been an alcoholic or maybe alcohol made him that way; it does the same to a lot of people. All addicts are selfish in their addiction; for many that's a major aspect of the illness, or part of the necessary personality type. I don't think anyone deserves a horrible death just because they say some stupid things; Best had a very dark sense of humour. Merson has done very well, and deserves congratulations for how he manages his addiction, but I don't think we should be so quick to judge those who don't have the same sort of success. Btw, I saw Best and Rodney Marsh play together for Fulham. They were both past their best, but still great entertainers on the pitch. I was a bit disappointed that Bobby Moore wasn't picked that day.
really
@@leedsboy64 yes
Sounds like George was deflecting from his own demons by calling Merson a junkie. An alcoholic is the only person who could be lying in the gutter and still look down on a drug addict, but there's no such thing as hierarchies when it comes to addiction. The impact and results are exactly the same.
It was just a sad sad situation
Alcohol is the worst drug hands down
@@raykopenate2969All drugs used excessively is equally bad.
I was a heroin addict for years and from my experience of it all from going to the clinic for treatment et cetera and my experiences of seeing other people then alcohol was and is the biggest killer,it rots your stomach and your liver. You could live off heroin for years in its purest form,obviously you can't do that as it's cut full of bash but let's say morphine then,you could take that and live much longer than a bad alcoholic,with heroin it's the bash that's in it and it can kill you from mould around your heart or problems with blood clots if you inject and the stuff it's cut with like brick dust and crap like that. But believe me alcohol,like white cider or spirits or special brew that sort of stuff if you drink that crap it'll kill you in 30 years or less,some people a lot less. Your stomach will go and your liver,i had a neighbour who's oesophagus collapsed. Most drug addicts who mix alcohol with heroin and crack will die from the alcohol abuse first. But I'm not saying heroin is any better the withdrawals and stuff are terrible. My Dad drinks 6 or 7 pints of Stella every day and he's drank like that for over 50 years and he's fine he's mid 70s so that's not too bad but the other stuff,fortified wines or spirits and cheap cider,that'll finish you off its bad news. And it's legal,seems crazy to me that it is. But I've stopped my heroin habit now and it took me about 7 or 8 attempts,something I'm obviously not proud of..I think with a drug like Heroin though it changes people's personalities more so than drink,so in that respect I can understand why people shake their head at it,its bad news,dont get me wrong but I just wanted to point out alcohol is the bigger killer as are cigs too,mad the way we all live and judge when legal things are just as bad for your health. But like I say heroin changes personality more,people don't bath as much or tidy up and do stupid things like steal so it has a much worse stigma attached. It didn't change me in that way I still managed to keep alot of my morals,perhaps that is why I managed to kick it I don't know,but I was on it for 16 years. It's so so hard to get off it really is.
@@paulanthony5274 thats been my experience to hope you are doing well
This is absolutely disgusting this poor man was struggling with a problem and to make fun out of it is just wrong and unjust
To think that we've come so far since the 90s. Let's hope the FA can join the rest of society.
Yes you're so right
It just a front
Can't imagine why I've never heard if this presenter again
Fair play to Rodney Marsh, presenter and Best both disgraceful here. .
That's rich coming from an alcoholic womanizing..wife beater who basically pissed a new life down the drain..I have nothing but admiration for Merson or anyone else who beats addiction ..for all his talent and money he couldn't buy an ounce of class
Spot on took the words out of his mouth
👌. Best had a liver transplant (needed because he drank so much). And then carried on drinking & lost transplant ....& Died. He was a fuck ing disgrace....I wonder what the family of the deceased person who donated that liver thought).....
@@markd4462 They won't know.
But hes not conquered his demons only the other week he blew family money in bookmakers merson is forty faced they had a drinking club on a Tuesday at arsenal till Arsene Wenger put a stop to it then he was sold to boro blamed Middlesbrough for drinking culture hes a lot worse than best was he only had one addiction this blokes a walking nightmare.
@@markd4462 what about the son he shunned for fuck all
Not Best's finest hour, but, let's be honest, it was a long way short of being. his worst either. Marsh comes off well here and I don't agree he was complicit in anything. He seems to be sympathetic to Merson and not going for cheap laughs. Paul Elliot was good, too. That presenter, though, .....what a wanker!
I get bad energy from the presenter
Like a roast
Mike Osman is a disgrace. His attitude to someone's addiction is thoroughly unbelievable. I hope he is ashamed of himself
Wondered what the bellends name was.
Agree. He comes off as a thoroughly obnoxious, unpleasant individual
Agreed, what the hell even is this show? On one side trying to have a serious discussion about the problems with acholism and drugs in football players at the time and on the other they are treating it like a stand up comedy sketch!
I thought he was funny. People are too sensitive today.
@crulove if he's funny 😁 I'm Ken Dodd 🤡
The irony is best was the biggest junkie going only people don't look at alcohol in this way sadly.
Exactly 🍷👊
George was a coke fiend too and a nasty hypocrite.
@@stevenicol1 a well dont now about charlie but were all vice ridden bud he's at peace now
@TNLY no man the guy was good brother not as good as others but at times superb in big games
Alcoholics looking down on drug addicts and forgetting alcohol is a drug.
The worst out of them all
@@matthewwebster4018 except from Heroin
I’ve been taught to never speak ill of the dead. But this was as classless as it gets from Best. A alcohol abuser pointing his finger at a drug abuser.absolutely no class.The friends he lost we’re not all due to drugs , many of them were drunks like him.
This presenter is about as funny as toothache
Agree, stealing a living here
And that's not funny having had a tooth taken out two weeks ago !
I know and you could tell he thought he was a comedian,the sort who laughs at his own jokes and always tries to impress people the sad man..
"I've got a million gags, me"
Yeh and not one of em any fucking good mate.
His hair style is the biggest joke !
There was an astounding lack of compassion back then - and a fair dose of hypocrisy. So glad that we're at least moving in the right direction.
I think that there has been a movement in demographics being heard. But I also think there is still a significant amount of people who have little or no compassion.
Empathy and compassion are emotionally sophisticated traits that people have to willingly cultivate. Sometimes the emotional pain is to much for others to take the risk on it so they remain a mob of mocking hypocrots hoping neither to be called out or exposed.
No, we're moving backwards. A stupid joke of course it was but today you can't even call a man a man without being arrested. Give me 1994 over that any day.
Ironic isn't it George ? You failed to quit and Paul is standing with us
Its not nice to have a go at somebody who has an addiction problem. It clearly was upsetting for Paul Merson and as normal others with severe lacking of Humanity wanted to jump on the coat tails and pass judgement when there in no fit place to pass judgement
Especially from George Best, he should know better. At least Paul pulled it back and best ended up in a grave because of his addiction
Best addicted to Alcohol which is a drug but legal biggest killer in the uk
This is why weed should be legalised in England and Ireland it makes perfect sense
In the world
Alcohol is a drug and should never be thought of as any different
Exactly but tries to put someone else down, what a shambles lol
@@alrimate3936 What about Scotland and Wales... Up here it'd get the alchys off the drink, far better for them. Then maybe we can start to help.
Both Marsh and Best were junkies. One to alcohol and the other to gambling. Such hypocrisy.
Who is the presenter? He’s very unfunny, probably why I’ve never seen or heard of him before
Looks a weasly type after a cheap laugh
I have never heard of or seen this presenter before, thats a good thing. Hopefully he is in a caravan park doing entertainment for 20 people.
Some presenters are easy to hate.
Plumbing toilets I'm told
Maria Malik ...working in shithouses is his level....
@@frankhornby6873 haha brilliant! Or selling Ford's?
He’s a bus driver down Hastings I know him
This video clip really demonstrates how much society has progressed. Mocking somebody with an alcohol problem and then suggestions of stamping it out using fear like having your contract terminated .. crazy
Society has progressed in some areas but mostly it’s regressed. All this cancel culture & woke nonsense is not progression, it’s a threat to freedom
Exactly my thoughts from the first 30 seconds. What a soulless atmosphere this whole programme gives off
@@vrzM8 And remember, in our lifetimes, this would have been something we might have tuned into...you or I might have laughed along with the cruel gags and the way Paul is unanimously agreed to be a bit of a waste of space because he's not man enough to sort out his addiction. Just imagine how much we say and do now, that in 30 years' time younger people might look back on and be disgusted by! Very humbling, how much we think we know, until we're exposed to how little we actually know.
Regardless of what time or place you live in, there is an easy way to tell whether you are a stone cold stupid peasant or not -- and that is if you think your time and place constitutes "progress". Every generation of sh*t eating peasant dogs think they are living in a moral golden age because they are incapable of forming a thought which isn't a straight repetition of the messages they have just received.
Pot calling Kettle
yep, the fucking nerve on him
Was about to say the same 👍😷
As much as I loved watching George play, and he was definitely one of the very very best player on the world stage, it is so sad to hear and see him ridicule someone else for having an addiction, Being an alcoholic is no different to a drug user, in my opinion..
They both rely on a substance to keep them going, and they both need help.....
Fair comment my friend. George was my boyhood hero and I did not like seeing him controlled by drink. On this filming day I saw first hand what it was doing to him. JG
You're right in a way, but this was 30 years ago. Drugs were vilified and alcohol was seen as normal. They're both destructive if you over indulge. Also you gotta take into account we don't say or do things with a lot of thought when we are drunk. He clearly lost friends from drugs and had a zero tolerance attitude, I see that in a lot of people of that era and even today, it's a sickness of sorts, which George was also ultimately consumed by.
Alcoholism is an addiction in and of it's self an addiction to alcohol
George, as much as I loved him, had no room calling anyone a junkie. He had more problems with his addictions than every other footballer combined, apart from Gazza. Gazza, like George, is a category all of his own.
Well, Gazza seems to finally be getting a handle on his problems. George never did.
@@stumbling let's hope it lasts this time.
Your forgetting Maradonna!
@@Ramsay77 too painful to remember. It's like major mental issues too often come with top tier geniuses.
This was a classic case of the attitude towards mens mental health back in the day, every time a gag was made your laughing at every addict that has killed themselves and ruined there family. George best failed at life and didn't have the courage to confront his addiction where's paul did. I'm so glad attitudes have changed for the most part.
Explain your comment, am very interested in alcoholic and mental health issues
No one has the balls to call out Best there. Cowards.
I certainly would have.
Every one I know has had to get off drink or drugs it's not easy but it's only celebrities who want a medal for doing it
Calm down George, have another drink
Whoever the host is, is a absolute tool! Respect to Merse & anyone else who’s open about addiction & who’s strong enough to beat it
Exactly what I thought
From someone who has beat addiction I agree he's an absolute tool, he's all good and well sitting on a stage talking shit about people but you can tell he wouldn't say it to people's faces, as for George best calling merson a junkie at least merson shown courage to come out and get help, whilst George best not only killed himself but probably got a new liver before countless others who needed one due to his status then ruined that one with alcohol one selfish man
@@joeylittle3535 💯 brother! Congratulations for beating your addiction
Paul Elliot was so right in what he says!
Paul Merson Went Through Hell But He Got Back 2 The Top Again By Playing For His Country,
And did fuckall.
@@Kev-lfc10-163 and what have you done John
@@Kev-lfc10-163 like everyone else after.
The top ain't for everybody but you gotta wear the top
The really daft thing is that these comments have fallen into the same trap as the media in the 90s. Merson never had a serious cocaine problem. The massive problem which tore him apart was a chronic gambling addiction. But headlines about "coke binges" are more sensational so the papers made him out to be a cokehead, because he admitted that he'd taken it on a number of occasions. But it was the gambling that nearly destroyed him. These comments are the same. Everyone talking about super scary cocaine, while ignoring the real issue.
Very good comment. You are spot on with how the media paint the narrative that is more sensational. It’s worse now with clickbait. But pretty much the same thing.
Best was out of order and not a nice man with a drinck in him! Hes always got to talk about how good he was. At least 5 times during a 5 min drunken interview!
George was a warm and friendly person surrounded by too many people who did not have his best interest at heart
@@VISIONSPORTTV if you're being honest........you wouldn't be saying that if a) he wasn't famous & b) you'd been on the receiving end of his drunken nastiness. Everyone who's as famous as he is has hangers-on and friends that crawl out of the woodwork to try and bathe in your spotlight for 5 minutes.......Gazza is another example, Tony Adams and Freddie Mercury. But the list is huge. So huge that it can't be used as an excuse any more - he's a grown man and as such he just needs to pick his friends better.
ML H he’s dead. Leave him alone.
ML H George was the first football superstar and all who followed have benefitted from seeing the mistakes he made - and the way he had no one who knew how to help him because we'd never seen anything like him before. Merson, Gazza, Adams all followed a long time after George
In fairness, he was insanely good!
One of the worst drugs in the world is alcohol
Someone with addiction problems wants to distance themselves from it when there in denial and try to make out there better and haven’t a problem. Best would of known deep down he was an addict
Just a reminder that this lot worked for Sky Sports for a number of years. When they tried to freshen things up there was outcry at 'Political Correctness gone mad'.
The exception being Paul Elliot here, who come up with a great suggestion, however ask how many players were tested by UKAD last year.
It's a joke!
Yeh not remotely comparable to the blm mob they have now
5:39 if anyone’s wondering
I love George Best but that wasn't very nice to say that about Merson.
Sadly it was the drink talking.
Best wasn't a nice guy of the pitch apparently.
@@stephenotoole408 not true.
@@VISIONSPORTTV It was George Best talking. Stop making excuses for him.
@@stephenotoole408 not true. Met him several times in Belfast and he was always polite.
Paul Merson is still alive and bravely facing up to his demons. George Best isn’t.
Go figure
Oooh that was below the belt. I won't lie, but I think Vision Sports dropped the ball posting this video and it is in poor taste. Merson deserves the utmost credit for facing the music, battling his demons and getting his life back on track.
George was obviously under the influence of alcohol here, but that doesn't fully excuse his comments. Very poor form.
What a shame that Best couldn’t use his own advice ?
“ I have lost so many friends because one time turns into two , then three “.
George and the presenter comes across really badly here. He'd already destroyed his own playing career at this point through alcohol. When he describes drug users as "wanting another, and another and another". Oblivious to the fact he's just as bigger addict himself. Eventually it killed him, unlike merson who got help for his addiction. Back during this clip attitudes we're different. Alcohol was deemed fine cause it was legal and if you took any illegal substance you were automatically a "junkie". Glad things have got better
Best was, without doubt, the best player I've ever seen. He had a God given talent. He should've been remembered as the greatest player EVER. Instead, for the most part, he's remembered as a drunk. Not a nice drunk to boot. If anyone should've had empathy with Merson, it was Best.
We live in a country that glorifies drinking alcohol and drunken behaviour and that’s the real story.
@@VISIONSPORTTV men
Why is that Mike guy being so harsh about Merson taking it as a joke's. Disgraceful.
Paul Elliot a man who always talks with a great degree of sense. Paul Elliot should be the FA chairman.
To have an FA chairman who’s actually played the game at the top level is beyond the grasp of the governing body. JG
@@VISIONSPORTTV Quite correct. Paul Elliot is articulate and would bring a sense of responsibility and realism to what is (the FA) is a sporting body devoid of direction.
@@VISIONSPORTTV By the way, who's the presenter? There's quite a resemblance in him to some of the mugs running the FA, that's all...
@@danielkarmy4893 mike osman 'comedian'
Paul Elliott is the worst one on here. He literally advocated sacking people and ending their career in this clip, for a "criminal offence" which shouldn't even be a crime. Horrific attitude.
I met George Best in the Kings Rd many years ago when i was a motorcycle courier and parked by the curb waiting for my next job , he tottered by nodding hello , i remember thinking wow thats the legend who i had seen playing my team Chelsea and now he had fallen and was an alcoholic , how sad , he was a brilliant footballer but like so many he was hooked on alcohol , an addiction is an addiction and that has claimed many lives. Seeing him talk about Paul Merson was a bit sad as he had the same problem but probably like many addicts didnt maybe admit to himself , he was the same . RIP George Best, a brilliant footballer.
How could George Best think people having a joint was a problem? Would've done him the world of good
GTF
All the people I know who take joints are all over the place. Marijuana seems to make people less sharp. I'd put it in the same boat as alcohol.
The irony of the alcoholic pointing his finger at the drug user. Would have assumed the late Georgie would have been aware of that......
Drugs are just wrong.
@@VISIONSPORTTV You're absolutely right, alcohol being the drug that probably causes the most devastation for families and society in general
@@padraigosullivan9979 facts
George Best owed money to people in half the pubs in Chelsea. Used to play people at pool for money but never paid up when he lost.
Merson was a naturally gifted player if he dedicated himself like Lampard not as naturally gifted but very dedicated in terms of fitness and drills, and also self belief he would have been right up there with the best of them.
Good observation. Merse had great skills. He still had a good career though. So many gifted players down the years for one reason or another never fulfilled their potential. Ravel Morrison was a classic example
Lampard wasn’t a naturally gifted player? Ok. Mersin was class no denying that but Lampard was also naturally gifted.
@@mattyharding7937 Paul still can't touch George.
Drunken waste of space Best.
George was probably pissed
From the fortnight before.
Without a doubt
An Alcoholic berating Merson. A man who not only abused his own Liver, but also a donor liver.... Well done Besty. You managed to do something that you were so much against others doing.
George Best , stole a liver ,
Best comment on here mate
Yep was given a second chance others never got and carried on drinking and died only a few years later. People won't forgive Best for that even if he did pay the price with death.
Addiction isn't nice
Waste of a liver and a life
George Best was in no position to label anyone.
People give players a lot of stick for the amount they earn, and although I don't necessarily agree with the ridiculous amounts that some players get, not all, some, I also can realise how much hard work and dedication they put in behind the scenes, and when nobody can see. Professional fighters have a specific training period before a fight that caters to making every individual part of their body perfect for the style of fighting they do best. Footballers have to do that all year round. It's no where near as intense as a fighters training. But they do so much off camera precise training to make sure that their body is perfect for what a player in that position needs to do. Centre backs need to make sure that they're strong, precise, and have awareness and reactions that we could only dream of, and it's all year round. Wingers need to make sure they're speed is up to scratch, so need to watch every single little pound of weight they are. They need to do constant agility and cardio training so they never lose a yard. So you can't compare their wages to the players who earned a lot less, but ate pie and chips every day, and was in the pub every weekend downing pints whenever they weren't playing. The work modern players put in is ridiculous. So people should think about that a bit more
Interesting comments. Thanks for sharing this. JG
As an Irish man I wish anyone who has a problem best off luck to clean them self's it's a struggle wish anybody with any drink or drug problem get help it's out there 👌👌👌
Well said
Hi Noel. Why did you mention being Irish?
@@ruairiose7335 because Irish are alchos
@@hereshoping6992 You shouldn’t generalise as a rule, but yeah there’s a problematic relationship between many Irish people and alcohol.
@@hereshoping6992 are you English?
"I've had lots of friends over the years who killed themselves". Oh the irony.
Kinda hypocritical for George to laugh at and call Merse a junkie when he himself was one of the biggest alcoholics in football
Too many people with fame and fortune don’t know how to handle it.....
In fairness to Best, I guess you could say that he was in denial here and didn't want to admit that he was an addict too.
Addicts are always in denial
how can a player who played for stockport county cork celtic and los angles aztecs in their prime knock another player, and by the way george do you remember stealing that womens handbag from a bar in LA because of your habit!
No he played for Man United in his prime, Best is an all time great ,Merson was not that good, Marsh was just gassing him
It seemed like a joke to me the way he said it.
I watched it before jumping to the conclusion that he was being really hypocritical etc...
The 90s was wild man
best was a genius on the pitch but that certainly didnt give him the right to call other people junkies considering his own addiction to alcohol which would eventually lead to his early death.best was given more chances than virtually anybody on the planet.merson was at least brave enough to face and then eventually beat his demons.i salute anybody who can do that.
Making fun of a guy who turned his life around to beat his addiction - such class.
I bet you bestie lost more friends from drink than sniffing coke. I’ve never known anyone die from coke just ruined there lives but not there liver
Best was a brilliant footballer, for a short time, but this is terrible and disappointing
You must be young, wait til the cokeheads start dropping off with massive heart attacks in their late 30s/40s
Probably as coke wasn't a big thing back then. I've lost a couple of people I know to coke. Ruined their families and then it took them. Credit to merse for turning his life around.
Visionsport, WELL SAID, AGREE WITH EVERY WORD,
The audience laughing, clapping at this ass hole speaking about Paul's personal struggles,its very very wrong to do so,how dare they do that to a person.Paul didn't deserve to be spoken about in such a manner.Disgraceful.I wish Paul the very best in his journey in confronting his personal issues.
George Best really didn’t cover himself in glory here. Died of death with a yellow body. Having had the opportunity to change his life. Shit of a human.
Well said
Every person with a drink problem I've known personally are in denial about it and refuse to listen to advice or guidance.
On a side note I must say, the presenter is about as funny as a dose of crabs.
Good post. And you definitely took no prisoners with the comedian hosting.
Ego plays a part. To label yourself as an alcoholic takes brutal honesty which is a step too far for most.
the worst part is when they are drunk, still got drink left, and are moaning and shouting at you saying they are not an alcoholic while taking another sip.
Like being called fat by Rick Waller
Mike Osman, at best a 50 quid Workingmen's club comedian.
steady on 🤣
Don’t find this funny. George Best was a great player, but he had no business making that comment about Paul Merson. Let’s be hones, Best had more than enough problems of his own.
Paul Merson needed help not ridicule.
Why was it up to these lads to help him.
He’s a grown man and can look after himself.
Perhaps there was no need for some of the comments said.
But they don’t owe Merson nothing.
Merson weren’t a kid!
Well done to Merson for turning his life around. Ridicule from people he respected most likely helped save his life.
@@familyread7889 No,they don't owe him anything but as fellow pro's taking the piss is nothing but disgraceful great footballers but absolute @@@@s at everything else.
@@VISIONSPORTTV No he got help from people that cared about him nothing to do with what these two horrible bastards said. How you can give them credit for Merson's recovery is beyond me.
@@VISIONSPORTTV Public ridicule helped nobody ever
When Best says he has friends with drug addictions and now they're dead... He seems to conveniently forget that alcohol can be a serious drug addiction too that can prematurely end your life.
Its ironic when George said they dont know when to stop, end up dead. People in glasshouse ehh
He said that for a reason - experience
Why did they have Best of the program who was an alcoholic?
Absolutely disgraceful to talk about Paul Merson like that. I'm an alcoholic, I've been sober 25 years thanks to AA the 12 steps and God. And as for Best, say no more. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to change. Well done PM, Tony adams has done well also, he helps a lot of people with addictions. The best prizes are not on the top shelf, you have to bend the knees and be humble. The ego (self) can destroy anyone. God bless to all those in recovery. My name is Shaun, and I am an alcoholic. Recovered! Delivered! Thank you Jesus. Amen 👍💥✝️
Well said.
How can you be an alcoholic if you've been sober for 25 years?
@@derekmullings1507 Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. I've seen many people over the years forget what they are and drink again, or for whatever reason. I still attend AA meetings, I was at one last night and I enjoy it. I've made some great friendships over the years. If you get a copy of the book Alcoholics Anonymous, it explains it all very well. The 12 step programme is explained in that book. It was first published in 1939 and it's stayed the same. Millions of people have recovered from alcoholism over the years because of that book and it was written by alcoholics. Bill W was the man who started it, he met Dr Bob and the rest is history. God bless you Derek.
@@shaun5944 Thank you.
@@shaun5944 Respect to you for your comments. I've worked with recovering alcoholics and I was surprised to learn that recovery doesn't always work the first time around. Apologies for teaching you to suck eggs but recovery is easier said than done. All the best.
Least merson didnt slap women about hey georgie boy
'I've got hundreds of these gags' - yep & none of them are funny.....
He made me cringe at the time. And decades later it seems even worse
Hello pot....this is kettle!
Wow, kick a man when he's crying out for help. Classy.
George's me uncle!
What on god's green earth is this?....it's actually pretty disgusting...you don't laugh and kick a man when he's down you just don't do it...all should be ashamed of themselves
"i've got a million gags me"....well fuck me, if they're the ones you used, the ones you didn't must be REALLY shite
Bahaha I was thinking that
This is awful to watch.
People paid to go see this???
Fuck me, give me their names...... I have some sea front property in Switzerland for sale I think that theyll love
"...when he talks about friends who have died from addition."
I hated maths when I was a kid, but I never knew anyone who died from it!
Had to read that twice to get your drift 🤔
@@VISIONSPORTTV Sorry - couldn't resist. Thank you for the video :)
How can a drunkerd call a man a junkie ain't no difference,both have problems.!!
Merson is alive & kicking fighting his demons. George Best has been dead for nearly 20 years. This aged well.
This whole sketch is a disgrace from start to finish...
Ale is the worst drug of all
BIG UP PAUL, SERIOUS JAMAICAN ST ELIZABETH'S MAN, HE NEEDS TO BE THE NEXT HEAD OF F.A. BUT RACISM IN THIS PLACE IS AT THR FORE FRONT OF LIFE IN BRITAIN.
Yawn its all he talks about
A sad reflection on football ,footballers and and the lifestyle of professional sport.
Pot, kettle, colour check, over
There is no real difference between being an alcoholic and being a junkie. Booze is just easier to get. Best was in no piston to be critical of Merson.