Poskettspurpose
Active member
- Jun 18, 2021
- 53
I'm really sad to hear this news, for me as a lad growing up in the 70's Pele was football and his name was the keyword for any kind of sublime skill on the football pitch, playground or otherwise....
I was 9. We’d just got a 26 inch colour TV! When I watched the games I could feel the heat of Mexico. I was transfixed by the Brazil kit and their team. As you said, Brazil England was on a different level to anything I’d ever seen (highlights) on Match of the Day or the Big Match and I know I’d only ever watched the Chelsea Leeds cup finals and the Brighton Wolves league cup clash as full games. England West Germany was the first game of football I cried about; the next was 47 years later vs Wigan. The final was utterly sensational and even though Jairzinho was by then a revelation (to me), Pele appeared supernatural. Hyperbole was limited in 1970 and even though ITV’s Brian Moore could get animated in commentaries most delivery was factual and to the point. But for me the beeb’s David Coleman’s voice was the accompaniment to Brazil’s wonderful samba football, led by Pele - the greatest footballer of any generation.Mexico 1970, I was 10 years old, watching a black & white TV, couldn't remember much about the 1966 World Cup but suddenly saw this bunch of Brazilians playing everyone off the park. Surely not us though?
England vs.Brazil still my favourite ever game of football. You just knew that the winner of this game would take the Cup. Bobby Moore was magnificent but Pele won it for Brazil. Should have been 2-0 to them but for that save!
Only George Best has approached him in my years of watching.
One may add to that a majority of Internationals are little more than exhibition games anyway.When Pele played for Santos European football wasn't considered the best in the world
Pele didn't rely on penalties to keep his ratio up either
While I agree that Pele is the best ever, it's slightly false to suggest that he did it all while being kicked while some others didn't. Maradona suffered some dreadful physical abuse while at Barcelona, including a notorious ankle-breaking foul from Andoni Goikoetxea, who was known as The Butcher of Bilbao.One may add to that a majority of Internationals are little more than exhibition games anyway.
Big thing for me is Pele played in an era where he had no protection, survived, and excelled despite being kicked to bits. Also he didn't cheat his way to greatness.
Yep. A great sportsman as well as the greatest player. A very sad day for football. RIP.Also he didn't cheat his way to greatness.
I watched this on iPlayer today.BBC1, just started, the official 1970 World Cup Film.
Dated and ‘groovy’.
It's a bit odd. Very Gianni Infantino. Stadiums are either named after sponsors for financial reasons or something relevant to the area. Whether Pele was the GOAT is debatable as it is hard to compare eras. I really don't like enforced bandwagons.FIFA to ask every country to name a stadium in honour of football great Pele, Gianni Infantino says
The former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, died on 29 December aged 82 after a battle with colon cancer since September 2021.news.sky.com
It's really just a matter of opinion whether Pele is the GOAT (personally, I have no idea as I don't believe you can compare across eras) but I don't really agree with this sort of instruction.
Mine too. It contains three moments that are still absolutely iconic: the save by Banks, the tackle by Moore, and Pele and Moore congratulating each other at the end. That whole World Cup though was amazing, and that Brazilian side is of course immortal. As kids playing out on the street we were always Brazil, never England. (Although unlike today we all supported England).Mexico 1970, I was 10 years old, watching a black & white TV, couldn't remember much about the 1966 World Cup but suddenly saw this bunch of Brazilians playing everyone off the park. Surely not us though?
England vs.Brazil still my favourite ever game of football. You just knew that the winner of this game would take the Cup. Bobby Moore was magnificent but Pele won it for Brazil. Should have been 2-0 to them but for that save!
Only George Best has approached him in my years of watching.