Best Things To Do In Amsterdam: Ultimate Locals Guide Updated 2026

I remember thinking George was going to go one way, but he dropped his shoulder and went the other, and by then I was already on the deck. United improved slightly under new boss Wilf McGuinness, but still only managed an eighth-place finish in the 1969–70 season. Facing six times champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals, Best scored the only goal of the home fixture with a 15-yard strike that Alex Stepney described as one of Best's finest goals. Yet the 1967–68 season was remembered by United fans for the European Cup win. Best scored twice against rivals Liverpool in a 2–0 win at Anfield and claimed a hat-trick against Newcastle United in a 6–0 home win on the penultimate league game of the season. The 1966–67 season was again successful, as Manchester United claimed the league title by four points. He had little faith in the United medical staff and so he secretly saw Glentoran's physiotherapist, who readjusted his ligaments in a painful procedure. However United failed to win any major honours in the 1965–66 season.

His moves to Fort Lauderdale and San Jose were also unhappy, as his off-field demons began to take control of his life again. In his third season in the States, Best scored once in 12 appearances. Even though Best failed to save Hibs from relegation, gates increased dramatically and the attendance quadrupled for his first match at Easter Road. Best and Marsh were drawn to the club by the presence of England World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore, and they were involved in exuberant goal celebrations. He had a brief resurgence in form with Second Division club Fulham from 1976–78, showing that, although he had lost some of his pace, he retained his skills.

Best suffered from alcoholism for most of his adult life, leading to numerous controversies and, eventually, his death. A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named Best among the group of people in the UK "whose actions during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact on lives in these islands and given the age its character". In 2007, GQ magazine named him as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years. Indie rock band The Wedding Present named their first album George Best and featured him on the cover wearing his red Manchester United kit. At the peak of his career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Best advertised Cookstown sausages on television with the phrase "the Best family sausages".

Early Years And Family

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In a 2015 interview, José Mourinho, then manager of Chelsea, named Best as the player from any era he would most like to sign, describing him as "amazing" and "30 years ahead of his time". He is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup, being "hamstrung in World Cup terms by hailing from a global minnow". On 29 October 1984, Best played as a special guest for Reading against the New Zealand national team in a friendly game, alongside 1966 World Cup winner Martin Peters. His time with the "Cottagers" is particularly remembered for a match against Hereford United on 25 September 1976 in which he jokingly tackled his own teammate and drinking mate, Rodney Marsh. He returned to Manchester and spent two years as an amateur, as English clubs were not allowed to take Northern Irish players on as apprentices. He is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup. A skillful dribbler, he is considered one of the greatest players of all time, along with being considered one of the most talented to play.

Career Statistics

When Best played football, salaries were a fraction of what top players earn today, but, with his pop star image and celebrity status, Best still earned a fortune. "George Best was one of the most talented players of all time and probably the best footballer who never made it to a major world final." While in Hong Kong, Best also played darts for a team called Presstuds, made up of a combination of professional footballers and sports journalists. After failing to agree terms with Bolton Wanderers in 1981, he was invited as a guest player and played three matches for two Hong Kong First Division teams (Sea Bee and Rangers) in 1982. United's decline continued in the 1972–73 season, as Best was part of the 'old guard clique' that barely talked to the newer, less talented players. Tributes were paid to Best from around the world, including from arguably three of the greatest football players ever, Pelé, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. Contrary to popular belief and urban legend, he never played football for the prison team.

International

Set in a striking building on Museumplein, it sits just around the corner from the Rijksmuseum and, with the Stedelijk nearby, forms part of Amsterdam’s cultural trifecta. Dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries, the Van Gogh Museum houses the largest collection of the artist’s work anywhere in the world. The exhibition is open all year round and guests can visit the ‘secret annexe’ the family stayed in. This 17th-Century canal house, where Anne Frank, her family and four others hid from the Nazis for two years, is now a museum and educational centre. Don’t miss the beautiful rose garden or the famous open-air theatre where, if you’re lucky, you might catch an impromptu show. Locals come here to run, cycle, play sports or chill, and there are plenty of activities for those looking to make a day of it. Amsterdam’s greatest, grandest, and most classical museum, with a huge collection of Dutch art dating back to the Golden Age. There’s not much difference between most operators, but it’s worth going on a longer tour that also heads out onto the IJ (the best ones are around 75 minutes).

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy leader and East Belfast Member of Parliament Peter Robinson, in whose constituency Belfast City airport is situated, stated that his preference was a sports stadium be named after Best. The match, which United won, was preceded by tributes from former teammate Sir Bobby Charlton. The first match at Old Trafford after Best's death was a League Cup tie against West Bromwich Albion, the club against which he made his debut for Manchester United in 1963. In 1981, while playing in the United States, Best stole from a woman by taking money from her handbag in order to fund a drinking session. Earlier in the book it is revealed that he struck another of his girlfriends at least once and was arrested and charged with assault on a waitress, Stevie Sloniecka, in November 1972, when he fractured her nose in Reuben's nightclub, Manchester. Best married Angela MacDonald-Janes on 24 January 1978 at Candlelight Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, having met her in the United States when Best was playing for the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1976.

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a right winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. Described as a ‘cult cinema,’ Lab111 specialises in playing a mix of old and new films, and you’re bound to come across something either classic, underappreciated, or interesting. If you’re after a once-in-a-lifetime dinner experience, nothing comes close to Vuurtoreneiland. Best's son, Calum, former teammates and surviving members from the West Brom team which he played against in his debut all joined the current United squad on the pitch for a minute's silence. "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."

Definition Of "best": Highest Achievement Or Performance

He opened a nightclub called Slack Alice on Bootle Street in Manchester in 1973 and owned restaurants in the city including Oscars, on the site of the old Waldorf Hotel. However, he later became known for his long hair, good looks and extravagant celebrity lifestyle, and he appeared on Top of the Pops in 1965. During his early years at Old Trafford, Best was a shy teenager who passed his free time in snooker halls. — BBC journalist John May in an article titled, "Was Georgie the Best?". Best was considered briefly by manager Billy Bingham for the 1982 World Cup, but at the age of 35, with his football skills dulled by age and drink (and five years having passed since his last cap), he was not selected for the Northern Ireland squad. On 8 August 1988, a testimonial match was held for Best at Windsor Park.

Formerly the HQ of Shell, it’s now home to an array of young music, advertising and events companies, plus a handful of bars and restaurants (and even a hotel). Refurbished as part of a drive to regenerate Noord, this 22-storey tower looms over the waterfront across the River IJ from Centraal. A former shipyard on the northern banks of the IJ, NDSM – reached by a free ferry from the back of Centraal – has blossomed into a cultural hotspot with a rich mix of arty events, bars and restaurants. If you’re visiting in warmer weather (when beer tastes best, in our opinion), grab a seat on the terrace and nibble on traditional Dutch bar snacks like boiled eggs and raw sausage. The nightly gigs are just one part of OT301’s charm. Best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, there are plenty of Instagram-ready hangouts here – this is old Amsterdam at its best – plus some charming spots to sit and watch the world go by. It’s one of the best family attractions in the city, especially for younger children.

Click ‘read more’ for our top recommendations. If that’s what you’re after, you’re better off going along during the day. If you’re here just to ogle outside windows with crowds of drunk tourists, we wouldn’t recommend it. It’s also party central for stag and hen-dos, and things get rowdy and continue until the small hours. Highlights this year include Skepta, Confidence Man, and DJ sets from legends like Sasha and Paul van Dyk, alongside panel talks on AI and the pressure facing nightlife. If you’re based in Oost, this giant park is the place to head for a relaxing walk, cycle or just some fresh air.

In the quarter-finals, United advanced past Polish club Górnik Zabrze 2–1 on aggregate, having held on to their aggregate lead in freezing temperatures in front of 105,000 at Silesian Stadium. Best assisted John Aston for the first and scored the second himself and was described by Geoffrey Green of The Times as "the centrepiece of the chessboard … a player full of fantasy; a player who lent magic to what might have been whimsy". Best stated that "if the championship was decided on home games we would win it every season. This time our away games made the difference. We got into the right frame of mind." An ever-present all season long, he scored 10 goals in 45 games. His last game of the season, his knee strapped-up, came on 13 April, a 2–0 defeat to Partizan Belgrade at Partizan Stadium. Best was injured from 26 March onwards, with a twisted knee following a bad tackle from a Preston North End player. In the 1964–65 season, his first full season as a first team regular, Best helped Manchester United to claim the league title. Though opponents would often use rough play to try to stifle his technical ability, Busby ensured that "fierce, sometimes brutal" training sessions left Best well used to coping with tough challenges.