25 November 2005 - Best In Peace

On 25 November 2005, former Northern Ireland international and Manchester United superstar George Best died in London. His death was caused by complications related to a liver transplant required after years of alocohol abuse.

Best was born and raised in Belfast where, at the age of 15, he was discovered by a Manchester United scout. He joined United's youth academy, then signed a professional contract with them in 1963. He soon became a crowd favorite, with his flashy playing style and long-haired good looks earning him the nickname "the Fifth Beatle" and making him one of football's first international superstars. He helped United to several honors, including the European Cup in 1968, the same year he was named European Footballer of the Year.

Unfortunately, Best's playing career began to suffer as he battled with his alcoholism. He left United in 1974 and started a journey that saw him play for a number of different clubs, including the Los Angeles Aztecs (1976, 1977-78), Fulham (1976-77), Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (1978-79), Hibernian (1979-80), and the San Jose Earthquakes (1980-81). He last played for Tobermore United in the Northern Irish league, for whom he made a single appearance in 1984.

He also earned 37 caps for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1977, but the side did not qualify for the World Cup during that time.

25 April 1947 - I Finally Get To Mention The Washington Diplomats

On 25 April 1947, football legend and three-time European Footballer of the Year Johan Cruyff was born in Amsterdam.

A pioneer in the Dutch concept of "total football," Cruyff started his playing career at the age of 10, when he joined the Ajax youth academy. His first appearance for the first team came on 15 November 1964, when he scored the only goal for Ajax in a 3-1 loss.

Within a year, he was a regular first team player, scoring 25 goals in 23 games in the 1965-66 season, as Ajax claimed the Eredivisie title. He was the league's top goalscorer the following season, with 33 goals, as Ajax again claimed the league title and also won the KNVB Cup. He stayed with Ajax until August 1973, scoring 251 goals in 319 appearances in all competitions.

In the summer of 1973, Cruyff was sold to Barcelona for 6 million guilder, and immediately helped them claim the La Liga title that season - their first since 1960. He was an immediate fan favorite, and continued his prolific scoring, with 61 goals in 184 total appearances for the Catalan side.

Cruyff was lured away from Barça in 1979 by the Los Angeles Aztecs, who offered him a very lucrative deal in their efforts to legitimize American football. His was named NASL Player of the Year in his one season with the Aztecs. He then played for the Washington Diplomats and Levante in Spain before returning to the Netherlands to play for Ajax and then Feyenoord.

He retired from playing in 1984, but enjoyed a successful managerial career with Ajax (1986-88) and Barça (1988-96), winning multiple awards and trophies.