George Best

Dal Belfast Telegraph

Best close to death
Ailing George on life support as his friends and family pray
27 October 2005

Football legend George Best was fighting for his life last night.

The Ulster soccer star (59) was put on a life support machine by his doctors after suffering from internal bleeding.

His former wife Alex said his condition had "deteriorated dramatically".

"I am just praying that, once again, he somehow manages to pull through against all the odds," she said. "My thoughts and prayers are with him."

And Professor Roger Williams, who is in charge of the former footballer's care, told The Sun newspaper that Best is "severely ill and is fighting for his life", but he added that there is still a chance he could battle through.

Concern had been mounting yesterday over the condition of Best's health.

Earlier yesterday evening, a spokesman for the private Cromwell Hospital in London, where Best is in intensive care, confirmed that he was still "seriously ill" but said his condition had not deteriorated throughout the day.

However, it appears his health took a dramatic turn for the worse late last night.

According to The Sun, George was last night only hours from death and had sent farewell messages to ex-lovers and friends.

His close friend Stephen Purdew, boss of the Champneys Health Resort where Best lived for two years, told the newspaper that he had received what amounted to a farewell message from George.

He said: "It looks like he's close to the end.

"I've been a friend for a long time and this is a very upsetting time for anyone who knows him."

Neither Best's agent Phil Hughes or a spokesperson for the hospital could be contacted late last night.

It is almost four weeks since Best was rushed into intensive care where he has been battling numerous infections. At the time his doctors and his agent thought he would be out of intensive care in a matter of days.

Speculation that Best's condition was deteriorating was fuelled after his sister flew over to be with him yesterday afternoon. At the weekend Best's elderly father Dickie and three sisters visited him.

Earlier yesterday, his agent Phil Hughes said at this stage there was no prospect of Best leaving the intensive care unit in the next few days.

He said: "He is still very poorly. He is not getting any worse but he is not getting any better."

Mr Hughes added that Best's family were not over to say their goodbyes to him.

"Of course they've been over to visit him, they're his family and he has been in hospital a few weeks," he said.

Best has been in intensive care at the private Cromwell Hospital in west London since October 2.

He had been rushed to hospital by Mr Hughes suffering from flu-like symptoms, including shortness of breath.

It is believed the Northern Ireland hero had a serious reaction to drugs he had been prescribed following a liver transplant.