Jackie McGregor: My knee, George Best’s leg and the magic hands of a Glentoran legend
I was walking like John Wayne, my knee throbbed, there was nothing else for it, it was time to treat myself to a bottle.
I didn’t desire Merlot or a cheeky Shiraz, I needed vinegar, and I needed it now! On acquiring a bottle of white, I took it home, got out my pot and my rags and prepared to cast a spell. It was time to work some healing magic.
I took half a cup of vinegar (it must be white) and a cup of water and warmed it in the pot.
Then I dipped my old tea towel rags in the vinegar and tied them around my knee and sat with it on for an hour. I’d repeat this for the next three nights.
I’ve used this concoction for years on all the aches and pains I’ve developed, from my ankles to my shoulders.
When my late mother had her bad rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, she’d ask me to wrap her joints in the elixir. She swore it relieved her pain tremendously.
I learned the vinegar wrap from my father who got it from his brother, Bobby McGregor.
Bobby was a man ahead of his time regarding the natural potions he used to aid people’s wellbeing.
He was the physiotherapist and trainer for both Glentoran and Northern Ireland football teams and the manager of Glentoran from 1974 to1977.
Bobby had no qualifications, but he was regarded as a legend. He had a small practice near Agnes Street, Belfast where he administered physio to people from all walks of life.
He would only charge them what they could afford. If, for example, an old lady went to see him, he would accept a homemade apple pie as payment.
People would queue from the early hours awaiting his treatment. He was nicknamed, ‘Magic Hands’.
George Best paid him a visit when Best was playing for Manchester United and as a result, claimed Bobby helped save his career.
Best’s father urged him to see Bobby when he suffered an injury. The treatment George was receiving wasn’t getting results and he feared he might never play again.
During Best’s visit for treatment in Belfast, he discovered Bobby had unorthodox ways when he handed him a small piece of wood to bite on and prodded Best’s leg.
George said the pain was so unbearable he thought he’d bite through the wood. Though the pain didn’t last long, and his leg felt better.
Bobby’s treatments were quirky, from his vinegar use to his secret white formula, which he would make up himself for his patients, the contents of which remain a mystery, but his methods were effective.
“No one will ever know what he did for me at that time,” said Best the day after Bobby’s death - he suffered a fatal heart attack on the pitch in Bulgaria in 1981, during the European Cup, when he rushed on to treat injured centre-half, Alan Harrison.
No doubt many readers and Glentoran supporters will remember the enigma that was Bobby McGregor.
As usual, by day three of wrapping my knee the pain was gone. It’s not a pleasant experience, the vinegar stinks and the cloths begin to feel cold, but it’s worth it for relief.
Hey, if it was good enough for Geordie …