Chris Edwards, a bus driver, clutched a picture of Best taken in 1972, the Manchester United player crouching with a small boy and smiling for the camera in his trademark red shirt.

“It’s my son, Rob,” he said. “He wanted to be a professional footballer so I took him to the old training ground and he met George Best and Denis Law.

“George said, ’I hope he goes on to become a professional footballer,’ and that’s what happened. Rob’s 35 now and he’s just retired from his playing career.

“George was the reason he got into football.”

Chris, 56, wrote a short message in the book: “God bless. Rest in peace.”

Tony Gormley, 48, was among the first in the queue. He had a tear in his eye as he wrote his message. It read: “Now there are two giants in heaven.”

“It’s just sad,” he said. “He was ill for such a long time, you knew it was coming. But it’s still a blow now that he’s gone.”

He joined calls from other fans for a fixed memorial to their hero.

“It would be nice if they named a stand after him, or built a statue.”

Michael Wright, 41, signed the book with his son, Liam, five.

“Liam just wrote his name,” he said. “He won’t remember George Best playing but when he sees videos of him he’ll remember signing the book.

“It’s like I’m too young to remember the Busby Babes, but I know about Munich from when I was a kid.

“He’ll have the same for George.”