Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!







Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

Barney Corkhill's Player Duels is back for another edition! In this series I pit two players against each other, and ask the readers who was better! To vote, simply leave a comment! Today's ...

Player Duels: Bobby Charlton v. George Best

by Barney (Senior Writer)

29

505 reads

History

September 18, 2008


Barney Corkhill's Player Duels is back for another edition! In this series I pit two players against each other, and ask the readers who was better! To vote, simply leave a comment!

 

Today's duel sees two of the greatest legends of English football, and two of Manchester United's greatest ever players, go head to head—Bobby Charlton and George Best.

Charlton is arguably the greatest player England has ever produced, Best is undoubtedly the greatest Northern Ireland have ever produced. But who was better?

 

Bobby Charlton

For 20 years, Man Utd fans saw Charlton's attacking instincts and thunderous strike, something which made him one of the best midfielders in English history. One of the Busby Babes, and a survivor of the Munich Air Disaster, Bobby Charlton was one of the main players Matt Busby built his team around.

He had a fantastic goal-scoring record for both club and country, and wonderful longevity. Overall in his career his stats are 277 goals in 834 games, which included a record-breaking amount of goals at Manchester United, a record which still stands today.

His international record is equally as impressive, with 49 goals in 106 caps, making him one of a handful of English centurions and their highest ever scorer. He was part of England's 1966 World Cup winning team, and was named European Player of the Year the very same year. He came runner-up in the two following seasons.

 

George Best

Maradona was good. Pele better. George Best. His pace, balance, acceleration, finishing, and ability to beat players with ease made him a quantity not seen before, or since, in English football, perhaps with the exception of Garrincha.

As with Charlton, his goal-scoring record is highly impressive. He has 204 goals in 579 appearances, including performances which guided United to their first ever European Cup.

In 1968, the year of the European Cup success, he pipped Charlton to the European Player of the Year award. At international level, Best was always carrying a mediocre team, and only won 37 caps, scoring nine goals.

 

So, ladies and gentlemen, what are you going to go for—Charlton's longevity or Best's quality? Leave a comment to vote!

 

Click here to see more duels by this author.

Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

29 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Barney 9 months ago

    This is a tough one for me. Two very different players but, although Best was the better player, I think Charlton was better for the team, and had the longevoty factor. It's Sir Bobby for me!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  2. Jon Marum 9 months ago

    OK this is the first time I sit on the fence... I can't seperate them

    As far as Im concerned Best and Charlton are a combination together with law- neither was better than the other because they all had different qualities... but together those three were probably one of the most devestating combinations ever seen in world football.

    Im sorry Barney, I just cant vote for one over the other.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  3. S B 9 months ago

    I`d go with Best.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  4. Michael Griffin 9 months ago

    I would have to go with best, although I shouldn't have to choose! Git! haha!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  5. Dev Ashish 9 months ago

    Best vs Charlton ? and u want to us to choose ? Evn choosing Pele vs Maradona is easier ....

    but i think i'll go with quality .... george best for me !

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  6. Thomas 9 months ago

    UGH!!!!!

    I despise this player duels Barney because you put me in a difficult situation.

    I am on the fence with this as well.

    If you want class and a gentleman type player, u can take Charlton.

    If you want skill and a thrill take Best.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  7. Barney 9 months ago

    Editor's gone for Charlton! 4-2 to Best!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  8. Salomon Gonzales 9 months ago

    WTF Barney! You trying to go on a killing spree or what..? How you gonna ask people to choose between these two...

    Im gonna go and join the people sitting on the fence.......

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  9. Maire Ofeire 9 months ago

    Agh as commented earlier Maradona versus Pele is easier than this....

    bloody hell.....

    Best by the tiny, tinest margin ever!!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  10. Yoosof Farah 9 months ago

    Charlton deserves my vote. I see him as United's greatest ever player. Record goalscorer and previously record appearance maker for United, it's not that much of a hard choice for me. But then again I'm just coming from a United point of view really and not a football one, but still, Charlton gets my vote!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  11. Steven Ho 9 months ago

    Never really seen them two play properly. But based on reputation and what he's done for the club, I gotta go for Charlton. He's a legend in every way to the club, to this very day.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  12. Anthony Sanchez 9 months ago

    Best. Even Charlton would agree with that!

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  13. Jamie Hughes 6 months ago

    best

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

    • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »

    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.