Trailing George Best by Stuart Bolton

Author:Stuart Bolton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitch Publishing
Published: 2018-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

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The Old Grapes, Little Quay Street, Campfield, M3 3JU

Housed on the right-hand side of the ground floor at Sunlight House, The Grapes, to give it its original name, was the pub which Best headed to after pulling out at the last minute, supposedly because of injury, from appearing in Bobby Charlton’s testimonial against Celtic in 1972. The Grapes happened to be George’s favourite watering hole during 1972 and ’73, when it had been taken over by the Brown Bull’s former landlord, Billie Barr, and this was the place where he would regularly meet up with his usual crowd before they headed on to a local nightclub.

Colin Burne later recalled, ‘We used to go to The Grapes, often just stood there having a quiet drink and the next thing you know six drinks arrive, you know, “Get George and his pal one.” After a while that sort of attention takes its toll.’

Later renamed The Old Grapes, presumably to distinguish it from the original Grapes (see below) and to draw attention to its Victorian-style interior and its real ales, when we visited the place in the spring of 2016 (prior to its closure in the August) the walls were adorned with old music hall posters and photos of some of the famous people that have visited the pub. These included previous owner Liz Dawn, who of course played lovable battleaxe and Rovers Return regular Vera Duckworth in the long-running TV soap Coronation Street, and many other stars of the small screen. There were also photos of numerous sporting figures such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and a whole host of other ex-United players that have, probably unknowingly, followed in George’s footsteps around his old haunt.

The original Grapes, a cosy little pub with music-hall charm which George also used to frequent was located not far away at 238 Deansgate, but was moved lock, stock and beer barrel to Little Quay Street in the early ’70s. That particular spot on Deansgate (on the corner with Quay Street) is now by a new five-storey building occupied at ground-floor level by a Sainsbury’s Local store.

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