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| Photo: The Telegraph |
The end of 2022 brought some sad news to the world of football. The death of Pele, one of the greatest players – arguably the greatest – of all time affected people not only in his birth country of Brazil and the world over but particularly people of my generation, those brought up in the 1960s and 70s.
My first memory of a major football competition was the 1970 World Cup finals played in Mexico. I was just eight years old and living in Aberdeen, having left Cumbernauld the previous year after my parents split up. In our rented accommodation in the Granite City we had a small, 14 inch, black and white portable television (ask your grandparents about black and white televisions, young ‘uns) There were only three television channels in the UK back then but as our cheap telly couldn’t receive BBC2 we had to make do with BBC1 and ITV which, in Aberdeen, came in the guise of Grampian Television. As part of the ITV network, Grampian showed the World Cup finals along with the BBC and this was something new and exciting for me.
The 6-hour time difference between Mexico and darkest Aberdeen meant I was allowed to watch some of the games albeit it was rather grainy black and white pictures. Half a century ago, the satellite technology wasn’t quite the standard we have today and the sound quality as well as the picture wasn’t great. But despite the grey pictures matching the grey buildings of Aberdeen, I did manage to watch the brilliant Brazilian team, of which Pele was the talisman.
At that stage in my life I had only ever been to Brockville, Tynecastle and Pittodrie and I had never seen anyone there do the things that Pele was doing with and without a football. I was mesmerised by Brazil, not only Pele but Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto and Tostao.
They were like magicians, gliding across the field teasing and tormenting their opponents. Not only that but there was a sportsmanship and Corinthian spirit shown by Pele that now sadly seems confined to a bygone age. Pele’s death last month was an excuse for the English media to show that well-worn clip from the World Cup of 1970 of England goalkeeper Gordon Banks pulling off a brilliant save from Pele’s downward header, thereby preventing a certain goal. Rather than vent his frustration, Pele applauded the save. After the game he swapped shirts with England captain Bobby Moore and their warm embrace and appreciation for each other’s talents was a splendid message for youngsters like me watching in awe. Simple gestures such as this taught respect.
Pele’s decision to retire from international football two years later deprived the world of seeing this gifted player at the next World Cup in West Germany in 1974. He was 33 at that stage but still surely good enough to grace the world stage.
His impact on the game was extraordinary. Fans the world over yearned to play like Pele, score as many goals as Pele and simply to be like Pele. Edson Arantes do Nascimento was one of the greatest players of all time and labelled ‘the greatest’ by football’s world governing body FIFA. He was an icon of the 20th century.
An indication of the universal popularity of the great man came during a league game in Scotland in 1992. Partick Thistle striker Colin McGlashan took a serious head knock during their game against Dundee. The Thistle physio ran on to attend to the stricken player and shouted across to manager John Lambie ‘I think it’s concussion, boss. He doesn’t know who he is.’ Now in these enlightened times, a stretcher would be called for and the player would have to adhere to strict concussion protocols, likely having to miss the next game. Thirty years ago, things were somewhat different.
Lambie bawled his instructions. ‘Tell him he’s Pele and get him back on his feet!’
I wrote earlier this season about how two Scottish football icons of the 1970s – Hearts Drew Busby and Aberdeen’s Davie Robb – were both taken from us within a few weeks last summer. 2022 left it late to claim the biggest football icon of all. But the memory of Pele will never diminish. His gift, his sportsmanship, his life ethos, will be kept alive forever.
Much was made of the alleged rivalry between Pele and another great player who was taken from us just a couple of years ago. But Pele didn’t see the Argentinian genius Diego Maradona as a rival, particularly as they were from different eras. When Maradona died at just 60 years of age, Pele expressed his sadness and said he looked forward, one day, to playing alongside him in heaven.
It’s an image to gladden the heart in these difficult times.
Twitter @Mike1874
