"Eleven of the Best" by Gordon West from, "The Championship In My Keeping."(Part Two)

Souvenir Press, London. 1970

See Part One

Another England man who ranks as one of my top players is West Ham's Bobby Moore. You might think this would be an automatic choice, any way, considering that Bobby skippered England to a W orld Cup victory, and has grown in stature, game by game, ever since. But there are still people who claim that Bobby Moore sometimes fails to stamp his mark on a game sufficiently. I say that's rubbish. Moore simply isn't theatrical . . . but you take my word for it, he's as shrewd a judge of the action as anyone playing; and he does the effective things simply. He'll be around at the top for a long time, yet. And deservedly so.

Bobby Moore can spot a move that's 'on' a mile off; and so well will he have read the situation that when he makes his own move, it looks so natural. You notice the way he is often around to clear up the danger at the back, and cover for a fellow-defender who has maybe landed himself in a bit of trouble. Notice, too, the way he will scythe a ball out of defence . .. straight to the foot of an unmarked team-mate up front. And suddenly, Moore's team is on the attack.

He's an artist in weighing up free-kick situations, too remember how he 'made' a goal for England in the World Cup, from a 'dead-ball' situation - But, above all, I think Bobby Moore makes the men around him believe in him - and in themselves, as a team. No panic, no flurry .. . just a cool assessment of the pressing need of the moment.

Bobby Moore has worked for his success, sure enough, and he has earned that image of Soccer's golden boy For his bearing, on the field and off it, is immaculate.

Now Nobby Stiles has two faces - the one his opponents see, when he's going in hard for the ball, and the other which he reserves for those moments of leisure away from the madding crowd. Alan Ball is a particular buddy of Nobby's, and they and their wives quite often go out together for a meal. Alan is one of Nobby's greatest admirers - and staunchest defenders (except when Everton and Manchester United meet !)

Nobby Stiles hasn' t had it easy in Soccer- far from it. As a nipper, he was knocked down by a bus, and at one time it was feared that he might lose his eyesight. Then they thought that he wouldn't be able to play games, any way. But Nobby overcame the handicap fate had dealt him at such an early age, and he finally convinced Manchester United that here was a Soccer prospect worth having.

Even then, it was not all plain sailing - Nobby found himself in and out of the first team, and a few seasons went by, before he became an established regular at wing-half. Then the honours began to come, and he was capped for England. Yet he had his troubles in the World Cup, when much play was made by England's critics of his so-called 'rough stuff'. But Nobby, backed by Sir Alf Ramsey, stayed in the England team and collected a winner's medal.

Yes, Nobby Stiles has had his critics and his moments of bad fortune. He had to get used to playing top-class football while wearing contact lenses, for one thing; he had to learn to take criticism, and still carry on playing, as though nothing had been said; and last season, he was out of action for months, through injury - but, when he came back, he found that Sir Alf Ramsey hadn't forgotten him.

Nobby IS a hard player: but he is also a fair one. He does get wrapped up in a game, but there is not one spark of malice in his make-up. And for those who think he is all brawn and no skill, let me add a reminder that there isn' t much brawn about Nobby, any way. He is small, and he doesn't carry 20 stone around to send opponents flying.

No, he goes in hard, and takes the knocks himself as they come. Nobby plays this game the man's way. But the skill is certainly there, as you will observe, if you watch this fellow closely in action. I think it is true to say that Manchester United missed him tremendously, dur ing the first half of last season - certainly their form was in and out, and I have a suspicion that they would have been a much more formidable combination, had Nobby been fit and able to play for them. He's the type who never knows when he's beaten; he runs himself into the ground - and he expects his team-mates to do the same. There is no shirking, so far as Nobby is concerned.

So that accounts for seven of my team; and there are four to go, Johnstone, Ball, Hurst and Best. Jimmy Johnstone first, then . .. and here is a player who has hit the headlines more than once, in his native Scotland. He can win a match on his own, or he can disappoint, on occasion. In many ways, he is like Charlie Cooke, of Chelsea, for he has terrific ability, and the guts to go with this skill.

Jimmy Johnstone, on his day, is the equal of any ball-playing forward in Britain - and you don't see him jump, when the tackles are coming in. Johnstone can take it, all right, and stand his ground. if need be. He can create chances for others to score goals, and he can crack , em in himself. All round, a pretty good combination to have in one forward.

Alan Ball ? I have gone into fair detail about him else where in this book, and I don't think there is much need to elaborate. I've said he's a great player - and he is. I'll just add that the fact that I put him in my top team should be enough to indicate just what a great player I consider this fellow to be.

So that leaves West Ham's Geoff Hurst and Manchester United's George Best. Geoff Hurst, of course, became a household word, when he scored that World Cup hatrick which meant that the trophy stayed in England. Hurst - and you have my word for it - is one of the most menacing forwards in top-class football. He can shoot, and he can get up to head goals when it doesn't even seem as if he's in with a chance.

He plays a quiet sort of game - but he's oh, so effective. I sometimes think that the quiet ones are the worst, if you know what I mean ... you tend to be deceived into forgetting about them, and then - wham the ball has flashed past you and into the net.

Geoff Hurst has a real flair for being in the right spot at the right time. He goes about his job of scoring goals so quietly, yet so effectively, that he is always a lurking menace to any goalkeeper, and a potential ace in the pack of any team for which he is playing.

He can spearhead an attack, and he can make scoring chances for team-mates. The way he can get up to the ball in the air, and flick it down to a fellow-forward is fantastic. Then, you will realise suddenly that the forward who has the ball has been given a clear opening for a shot - or Hurst has burst through to take the return, and glide it into the net.

Finally, Georgie Best .. . and millions of words have already been spouted about this slim Irishman with the long hair, the seemingly frail figure-and the fantastic ability to win a match on his own, almost any day of the week. Best, still in his early 2o' s, has become a living Soccer legend.

Fashion model, writer on Soccer, a young man with a yen for fast cars ... this is the image which Georgie boy presents to the public. But when he goes on the football field, he presents a vastly different image - for he's dynamite in football boots. Every time George gets the ball, the crowd - no matter whether it's at Old Trafford, Windsor Park, Belfast, Goodison Park, Anfield, or at the other side of the Continent - knows that it is about to be entertained. For George Best is that footballer supreme, an entertainer.

He is a Soccer virtuoso, because he plays the game so much by instinct. He will attempt cheeky flicks and tricks which other - and lesser - players would never dream of attempting. But Best, being Best, has the uncanny skill to get away with it. He tries shots from impossible angles - and scores goals. Ask Harry Gregg, one-time Manchester United goalkeeper and now the manager of Shrewsbury Town.

Harry tells the story of when he was playing in a practice match at The Cliff, one day, and he saw young George an unknown teenager at the time - boring down on goal with the ball at his feet. Harry , showed him an opening for goal - deliberately. George, according to the book, should have shot for that opening ... and Harry Gregg was prepared for this, and all set to go that way and pull off a save. But George put the ball past Harry on the other side! Beginner's luck, thought the genial Irish international.

And when George Best came down again with the ball, Harry , showed him the opening for goal again. But again George Best got the ball into the net . . . and Harry Gregg knew, there and then, that this frail-looking Irish lad was going to be something very, very special in big-time football.

Today, Manchester United depend heavily upon George Best, this ball-playing genius who can make full-backs look mugs and turn on such a tremendous display of talent that the crowd - and opponents - are left almost gasping, with the sheer artistry of it all. Some people say that George tries to do too much, at times. Well, what player with his fabulous footballing ability wouldn' t ?

It is, perhaps, too much to say that George Best is a one-man team - that wouldn' t be right or fair, when you consider the other fine players at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, George Best is probably the biggest crowd-puller of all.

And he could not be left out of any team in the world, in my opinion. If you doubt what I have just said, ask yourself one question : how much would he command, if he were offered for transfer by Manchester United ? The answer is ... that there isn't one. For even as you talk about a starting priceof £200,000-plus, you know that it could well top a quarter of a million pounds, before the transfer talks were concluded.