In the latest of his 'The Week in History' blogs, Club Historian John Hutchinson recalls the 48^th anniversary of George Best's first Filbert Street appearance . . .

Forty-eight years ago this week, on 8 February 1964, a young 18-year-old Manchester United Youth Team player made his first Filbert Street appearance. His name was George Best. The occasion was the First Division clash between Leicester City and Manchester United, a thrilling encounter which Leicester won 3-2.

The game was widely anticipated. Over 35,500 turned up to see a re-run of the previous season's FA Cup Final. The crowd would have been even larger had it not been for a bus strike which kept many residents of the county away. Hopes were high. Going into the match, Leicester were on a good run having won five of their last six league games

The packed Filbert Street crowd was not disappointed. The Leicester Mercury reported that: 'People sat on top of the stand and several more on the turnstiles at the Filbert Street end to watch what was one of the finest games seen at Filbert Street for many a long day. Such sustained excitement and thrills made one wish that City had played like this at Wembley.'

Missing from Leicester's FA Cup Final side were the newly-injured Frank McLintock and Howard Riley. Their places were taken by the recent signings Bobby Roberts and Billy Hodgson.

It didn't take long for the Filbert Street crowd to notice the then largely unknown George Best. He quickly made his mark. Within the first two minutes, his corner kick had resulted in a goal. The legendary Denis Law rose majestically to meet the ball and casually flicked it past the outstretched Gordon Banks into the top far corner of the net.

Mike Stringfellow - scorer of Leicester's first goal.

 

Leicester equalised in the 23rd minute when their new record signing Bobby Roberts, playing in only his 11th game for the Club, flicked the ball from a free kick onto Davie Gibson on the edge of the area. Gibson daintily squared a low cross into the middle where Mike Stringfellow, running in, hit the ball low into the corner of the net, giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Ten minutes into the second half, Leicester's other new signing Billy Hodgson scored his first goal for the Club. He had been signed from Sheffield United as cover for Howard Riley who had decided, at the peak of his career, to go part-time so that he could train to be a teacher. In the 55th minute, he suddenly popped up in the inside-left position to slam a first-time shot past Gaskell in the United goal. It was a goal out of the blue.

United piled on the pressure with Law and Bobby Charlton particularly prominent. The tempo kept on rising in what was a pulsating game. In the 68th minute, the diminutive Hodgson popped up in the centre-forward position and beautifully headed the ball down past the groping Gaskell.

Billy Hodgson's two goals were pivotal in the match.

 

It wasn't over yet. The lethal combination of Law and Charlton saw United set up David Herd, scorer of two goals against Leicester in the previous season's FA Cup Final, to score the Reds' second goal of the afternoon. Charlton ran fifteen yards with the ball, pushed it to Law, who squared it to Herd. He took the ball on two paces and hit a fierce left foot shot which seared into the roof of the net just inside the near post for a most spectacular goal.

United then pressed really hard for the equaliser, and Best very nearly achieved this. Two minutes from the end he appeared to have scored with a header, but Banks had been fouled and the 'goal' was disallowed.

To the great relief of the Leicester fans, the final whistle blew. It had been a great game. Not only had it ebbed and flowed thrillingly throughout the 90 minutes, in which the strength and power of Bobby Roberts had been a big factor, the crowd had also had their first glimpse of the George Best.

City's new signing Bobby Roberts played a big role in Leicester's victory over Best's United.

 

Best went on to become a mercurial genius. Denis Law rated him as the complete footballer. His manager, Matt Busby, said that George had more ways of beating a player than anyone else he had ever seen. Every aspect of ball control was natural to him. He used opponents' shins to play one-twos. He had great leaping and heading ability. He was genuinely two-footed. He was a superb tackler. He was also completely nerve free. His trainer said that he had ice in his veins.

Not all of these qualities were in evidence on George Best's first appearance at Filbert Street forty-eight years ago this week, but the crowd had seen enough of his skills to realise that they had seen someone quite special.