Other - Rest of the World RIP Pele
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bazzer9461
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Best player in the world and absolute Gent of the field and highly respected.
A very sad day R.I.P. Pele
A very sad day R.I.P. Pele
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Unfortunately this has been coming for a few weeks now. An absolute footballing legend. RIP Pele.
unification
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Witney Yellow
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Hearing the news about the sad death of the footballing great Pele, reminded me of another footballer that I met not that long ago in a local Oxfordshire nursing home.
Back in 2018, I got chatting to an elderly gentleman named Bill who was rather poorly and in a wheelchair.
His carer told me that he’d once played football so I decided to have a chat with him about his younger footballing days.
I smiled when he laughed and said that his career highlight was playing against Pele.
I wasn’t sure what to think so I googled the name Bill Slater which was written on his wheelchair.
Sure enough, he had indeed played against Pele for England v Brazil in the 1958 World Cup. He won 20 England caps in total.
On further investigation I was amazed when I found that he was the last amateur footballer to play in an FA Cup final.
He won three league championships with Wolverhampton Wanderers and captained them when they won the FA Cup in 1961. You can watch the highlights on YouTube and see Bill lift the trophy at Wembley.
He also won the footballer of the year award and was later an ambassador for the British Olympic team (his daughter was a top gymnast in the 70s).
In later years he was given an OBE and CBE for services to sport.
I revisited him several times over the next few months and found him a lovely, humble old chap.
Sadly, he’d forgotten most of the things he achieved but could still remember Pele.
He passed away later that year in 2018.
Remembering Pele and Bill Slater tonight.
Back in 2018, I got chatting to an elderly gentleman named Bill who was rather poorly and in a wheelchair.
His carer told me that he’d once played football so I decided to have a chat with him about his younger footballing days.
I smiled when he laughed and said that his career highlight was playing against Pele.
I wasn’t sure what to think so I googled the name Bill Slater which was written on his wheelchair.
Sure enough, he had indeed played against Pele for England v Brazil in the 1958 World Cup. He won 20 England caps in total.
On further investigation I was amazed when I found that he was the last amateur footballer to play in an FA Cup final.
He won three league championships with Wolverhampton Wanderers and captained them when they won the FA Cup in 1961. You can watch the highlights on YouTube and see Bill lift the trophy at Wembley.
He also won the footballer of the year award and was later an ambassador for the British Olympic team (his daughter was a top gymnast in the 70s).
In later years he was given an OBE and CBE for services to sport.
I revisited him several times over the next few months and found him a lovely, humble old chap.
Sadly, he’d forgotten most of the things he achieved but could still remember Pele.
He passed away later that year in 2018.
Remembering Pele and Bill Slater tonight.
Lincoln.yellow1
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The World Cup’s greatest ever player and an icon for any 50+ year old football fan growing up..
BeechRoadBokelberg
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Yellow River
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Some of my earliest football memories are watching the 1970 World Cup.
That Gorgon Banks save, the tussle with Bobby Moore and the unbelievably talented Brazilian side from that era.
A great, great player, of that there’s no doubt. RIP.
That Gorgon Banks save, the tussle with Bobby Moore and the unbelievably talented Brazilian side from that era.
A great, great player, of that there’s no doubt. RIP.
Sarge
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Sarge
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video footage on the link below ( some of it very grainy) - showing Pele being 'stopped' anywhichway, in an era way before yellow and red cards and that sort of thing .....
www.givemesport.com
Pele: Video shows the shocking tackles he received before yellow and red cards
Pele had to endure some pretty brutal tackles during his playing career before yellow and red cards.
www.givemesport.com
boogaloo
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video footage on the link below ( some of it very grainy) - showing Pele being 'stopped' anywhichway, in an era way before yellow and red cards and that sort of thing .....
Pele: Video shows the shocking tackles he received before yellow and red cards
Pele had to endure some pretty brutal tackles during his playing career before yellow and red cards.
This is why for me Pele is the GOAT. Forget about Messi v Ronaldo as they both play in an era where quality players are protected by the refs (and rightly so tbf). Back then the remit for opposition defenders was simple - stop Pele by whatever means possible, which makes his achievements all the more remarkable. Sure Messi won the World Cup this year, but Pele won 3 - a record, which probably never be equalled.
If Pele were playing today, I shudder to think how many more goals he would have scored. He would have blown Messi and Ronaldo out the water.
