| Hands up if you saw Pele 07:09 - Dec 30 with 4116 views | bluelagos |
Any of the older posters get to see the great man play?
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 13:00 - Dec 30 with 1207 views | PhilTWTD |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 12:24 - Dec 30 by RevAdrian |
Yes! Saw him in 1973 at Craven Cottage in a Fulham v Santos friendly, though no idea why the match was being played. I was in London at the time and just went along. Pele was 32 by then. I remember how utterly luid and comfortable he looked when he ran with the ball, almost as if it really was attached to him in some way, and how he jinked away from challenge but always seemed to then be in a better place to continue moving forward. He scored a remarkable penalty where the keeper was completely rooted and even most of the crowd thought he had actually struck it to the opposite side to the one he had. I think he stayed behind after the game to sign loads of autographs for kids. |
Great memory to have! Santos were basically on constant tour through that period.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jul/14/the-forgotten-story-of-pele-and |  | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 13:05 - Dec 30 with 1187 views | bluelagos |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 12:31 - Dec 30 by GlasgowBlue |
Terry Paine was a superb payer. And a World Cup winner.
Although not in the same league as Pele. [Post edited 30 Dec 2022 12:33]
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He was the "expert" summariser on DSTV (African Satelite channel that shows the footie) -
Let's just say he was a better footballer than pundit.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=s0MwX135x74&feature=shares [Post edited 30 Dec 2022 13:10]
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 13:17 - Dec 30 with 1175 views | BloomBlue |
You probably won't believe this but I actually watched Pele live in 62 at Hillsborough playing against Sheff W, totally by accident. Then in 66 WC I watched him versus Bulgaria at Goodison although I had travelled to see Eusebio play the following night
The thing is Pele was kicked from pillar to post and I really mean kicked. If that game had been played today Bulgaria would have been down to 8 players within 20 mins but non of those tackles even resulted in a booking. But genuinely it was the only way they could stop Pele. As an old CH said recently, you could headbutt a striker in those days and not get sent off. The tackle from behind was aimed at deliberately breaking a leg.
That's why I think it's hard to compare, remember Pele nearly didn't travel to the 66 WC because of the lack of protection from refs. Not saying the likes of Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo (×2) won't survive in those situations but they have more protection now.
On a sidenote Duncan Edwards is still the best player I've ever seen live, but if he had lived beyond 21, would I still think that, who knows. |  | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 14:40 - Dec 30 with 1136 views | bluelagos |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 13:17 - Dec 30 by BloomBlue |
You probably won't believe this but I actually watched Pele live in 62 at Hillsborough playing against Sheff W, totally by accident. Then in 66 WC I watched him versus Bulgaria at Goodison although I had travelled to see Eusebio play the following night
The thing is Pele was kicked from pillar to post and I really mean kicked. If that game had been played today Bulgaria would have been down to 8 players within 20 mins but non of those tackles even resulted in a booking. But genuinely it was the only way they could stop Pele. As an old CH said recently, you could headbutt a striker in those days and not get sent off. The tackle from behind was aimed at deliberately breaking a leg.
That's why I think it's hard to compare, remember Pele nearly didn't travel to the 66 WC because of the lack of protection from refs. Not saying the likes of Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo (×2) won't survive in those situations but they have more protection now.
On a sidenote Duncan Edwards is still the best player I've ever seen live, but if he had lived beyond 21, would I still think that, who knows. |
Good stuff. Only point I'd contend is your grouping Maradona in the "they have more protection" group.
He got kicked to sh1t for most of his career - there's a clip on youtube of England players dishing it out to him in 86. Plus of course in Spain where the "Butcher of Bilbao" broke his leg in 83.
Great player who spent much of the game "riding" tackles as players (like with Pele) tried to kick lumps out of him. | |
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 14:59 - Dec 30 with 1104 views | PhilTWTD |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 12:51 - Dec 30 by leitrimblue |
Think I once seen him playing in Trinidad. On the street, with oranges |
There's got to be an orange peel/Pele joke here somewhere. | | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 15:24 - Dec 30 with 1060 views | leitrimblue |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 14:59 - Dec 30 by PhilTWTD |
There's got to be an orange peel/Pele joke here somewhere. |
Has to be in the top 3 lines from escape to victory. You have to say it in a Brazilian/Portuguese accent obviously |  | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:09 - Dec 30 with 1035 views | ronnyd |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 07:36 - Dec 30 by Lord_Lucan |
Out of the "Greats" I think I've only seen Cruyff and Best.
I don't remember seeing even Ronaldo or Gascoigne - and I would 100% put Gascoigne up there, in fact I think he was actually underrated.
I saw Best play his last game for Man U which was at QPR.
I know John Barnes is a bit off skew but I have never witnessed a crowd "Hum" as much as when I watched him play for Liverpool while standing in The Kop, every time he got the ball everyone hummed in anticipation, it was incredible really.
As for Pele, well to be honest I think I am like most people inasmuch as I've only seen a few TV clips. I was always told he was the best footballer ever and I am sure he was brilliant but I do wonder if it's all a bit overblown, I don't know.
For me it has to be Maradona. |
Pele wasn't a cheat. |  | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:09 - Dec 30 with 1038 views | witchdoctor |
me…when he played in Brazils homecoming game following their success at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico…the game was against Mexico and you can imagine the atmosphere when they took the field with the Jules Rivet cup… |  | | |
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:14 - Dec 30 with 1025 views | bluelagos |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:09 - Dec 30 by witchdoctor |
me…when he played in Brazils homecoming game following their success at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico…the game was against Mexico and you can imagine the atmosphere when they took the field with the Jules Rivet cup… |
Was that at the Maracana?
Proper jealous! | |
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:15 - Dec 30 with 1025 views | ronnyd |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:09 - Dec 30 by witchdoctor |
me…when he played in Brazils homecoming game following their success at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico…the game was against Mexico and you can imagine the atmosphere when they took the field with the Jules Rivet cup… |
If the rivet comes out, the cup would fall in half.  | | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:46 - Dec 30 with 990 views | oldburian |
No but I saw the 66 World Cup team play their next match after winning it.
A boring 0 - 0 draw against the Czechs. The seats cost us 15/- each (75p in mickey mouse money). | | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 18:31 - Dec 30 with 950 views | Crawfordsboot |
Not Pele but I did see Mathews play for Stoke at Portman Road. I think he must have been in his late forties then. Stood out on the wing but still had the ability to dribble past a full back.
Don’t remember the score - I must be getting old.
Edit: we drew 1-1 at home but lost the replay 1-0 away in 4th round of the FA Cup [Post edited 30 Dec 2022 18:55]
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| Hands up if you saw Pele on 18:50 - Dec 30 with 932 views | Churchman |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 12:42 - Dec 30 by stonojnr |
Ive seen Messi play and score a goal, and given how many people claim to have been at the game I thought we'd all seen Ronaldo play at Inter Milan against the Town.
Pele never saw play, but I do think I saw him at a distance once at an airport or being whisked through as some VIP at a sports event, something like that where you kind of go wow that was Pele. |
Saw the home game, of course, but I didn’t go to Milan and it was a bit before Ronaldo’s time wasn’t it? Clarence Seedorf and Vieri was playing for them along with national keeper Toldo |  | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 18:58 - Dec 30 with 924 views | witchdoctor |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 16:14 - Dec 30 by bluelagos |
Was that at the Maracana?
Proper jealous! |
yes mate..I was in the merchant navy at the time…guys were going ballistic just managing to get a ticket for the game..I was dead jammy to get one myself… | | | |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 19:05 - Dec 30 with 918 views | bluelagos |
| Hands up if you saw Pele on 18:58 - Dec 30 by witchdoctor |
yes mate..I was in the merchant navy at the time…guys were going ballistic just managing to get a ticket for the game..I was dead jammy to get one myself… |
Nice one. Our own pugwash (Newkie) messaged the other day - sadly he's off West Africa rather than Buenos Aires atm. | |
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