A Cwmbran man has been featured in a new BBC documentary exploring the childhood home of football legend George Best.
The three‑bedroom terraced house on Belfast’s Cregagh Estate was bought by regeneration charity EastSide Partnership after Best’s father died in 2008. It has since been restored to its original 1960s style and is now available to book on Airbnb, attracting fans from across the world.
Among its most dedicated visitors is Andrew Bowen, from Pontrhydyrun, who describes himself as a lifelong George Best superfan. Since September 2021, he estimates he has stayed at the house around 40 nights over 16 separate trips.
His devotion caught the attention of Ronin Films, an independent Belfast production company, who invited Andrew and his uncle, David Bowen, to take part in a new documentary capturing the stories of people who travel to the football icon’s former home.
Andrew’s regular visits have led to friendships with several of Best’s relatives and friends.
Calum Best
Last year, he was invited to London to meet Best’s son, Calum, where he presented him with some of the memorabilia he has collected over the years. In June 2024, Phil Hughes – George Best’s former agent – even visited Andrew’s home in Cwmbran for a barbecue.
I met Andrew this morning to find out more. He told me: “I thought the 30-minute documentary was brilliant…perhaps a little bit nervous doing it, but watching it, I was well impressed and thought it was really good.”
During each trip to Belfast, Andrew visits Roselawn Cemetery, where Best and several family members are buried.
Andrew said: “Every time I go there, I always go up the cemetery, sometimes more than once, tidy up the grave, say a prayer, lay a load of flowers. And sometimes I’ll go up George’s niece’s grave and lay flowers there, and George’s grandparents, they’re only 50 yards away, so I’ll do a bit of tidying up and put some flowers there.”
Cregagh Green
The documentary also shows Andrew and his uncle watching a football match on Cregagh Green, the pitch where Best was first spotted as a young talent. The ground is overlooked by a huge mural of the Manchester United star
Andrew said: “That one day, I was looking at that mural and it was like George was there, the sky was beautiful, the sun was there, it was gleaming. I’d never seen it like that before. I was looking at it thinking ‘I hope you’re watching all his George and smiling because it’s good, everything’s going well, everyone’s talking about you and the love for you is there even young children and older people’.”
Ronan McCloskey, from Ronin Films, told Cwmbran Life: “It was amazing meeting Andrew Bowen, undoubtedly George Best’s number one fan and seeing how the footballer’s legacy persists into the present day.”
Watch the George Best documentary
The documentary, ‘Staying at Georgie Best’s’, is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.