‘I said he should try being sober more often but a week or so later he died’: Sir Michael Parkinson’s pain over pal George Best’s decades of drinking

Chat show king pleaded with former footballer to leave booze behind a week before he died

Sir Michael Parkinson and football legend George Best (Fiona Hanson/PA)

Sarah Henderson

Michael Parkinson pleaded with George Best to sober up a week before he died after decades of drinking.

The late chat show king, whose death at 88 was announced on Thursday, started to worship Bestie after he saw him play his first match for Manchester United while covering the team as a young reporter.