I was at an impressionable age and I'd watched him at the 1958 World Cup when I was 10 years old. We had a television that we used to share on the road between all the lads, we didn't have them in every household.
Even at 17, he caught everybody's eye. I was 10, my brother was about Pele's age, it was so impressionable.
After that Santos took him everywhere to make some money and Santos took him to Sheffield Wednesday in 1962. I just thought, 'I've got to go', even though I'm a Sheffield United fan.
My sister was a Wednesdayite so we went on the Kop at Hillsborough. It was an unbelievable atmosphere with the floodlight with the Santos shirts.
He did something that day I've never seen before. They got a penalty and he ran up and stopped. The goalie dived and he just passed it to the other side of him. I'd never seen anything like it!
Later on in the game, Wednesday got a penalty and Colin Dobson - a ginger-haired winger - took it. He tried to copy Pele's penalty… and the goalie just picked it up and started laughing!
The atmosphere was great, Wednesday and United fans all together in the Kop and it was just exhilarating. He was 17 and never even looked nervous.
Most of my school went, everybody I knew went to the game with somebody. There were probably 60,000 in there. To say you were there watching Pele, it was amazing, it's stuck with me all my life.
He did come back to Bramall Lane but I don't remember meeting him or having a picture with him.
What he did was he brought enjoyment. As a young lad and when I played and managed, I just wanted people to get on the ball and excite us.
No one came to watch Santos, everybody there came to watch Pele. I'm there in the Kop with Wednesdayites, we were all pals and everything!
Pele would rank as my No 1 of all time. The pitches, balls and everything have changed to help the likes of Lionel Messi. But if you saw some of the pitches Pele played on, he represented us lads going in the park for a kick-around.
I've enjoyed watching Messi and George Best and people like that but I don't think anyone replaces Pele as No 1.
Neil Warnock's podcast, Die For Three Points, with David Prutton, is available on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
SheldonCooper
2
Messi, CR7 & many current generation footballer will struggle to survive even 90s football whatelse the 60s or 70s.
Omo_Ologo
2
Thinking pele is the greatest! I'll disagree. Pele was great in his time. So many things has changed, to favor the players or makes it difficult. Pele has a striker didn't play with offside rule, No opponent analysis, So many stories are transferred just like this article. Pele was great in his time, so does Maradona and of course Messi.
as a matter of fact the offside rule was stricter during pele's time and there was no yellow/red card now imagine today's game nd no yellow card....? in 1970 world cup Barkenbeuer discolated his shoulder and was practically playing with one hand cos the other hand has been bandaged..... imagine that in today's game that will be horror bro...... there was also no backpass rule which means a defender cn pass to host keeper under pressure and the keeper will just use his hand... these and many more are the changes that's made football better today so we have to appreciate the legends that played wen soccer was raw.... I mean brutal nd also not removing anything from the greatness of players this generation
Zobipuz
1
The God of football will always be remembered
Kipbciklno
0
Thinking pele is the greatest! I'll disagree. Pele was great in his time. So many things has changed, to favor the players or makes it difficult. Pele has a striker didn't play with offside rule, No opponent analysis, So many stories are transferred just like this article. Pele was great in his time, so does Maradona and of course Messi.
everyone great player is only great in his era. However, you are wrong on the offside rule, it's been there since 1800s.
vehisea
1
Thinking pele is the greatest! I'll disagree. Pele was great in his time. So many things has changed, to favor the players or makes it difficult. Pele has a striker didn't play with offside rule, No opponent analysis, So many stories are transferred just like this article. Pele was great in his time, so does Maradona and of course Messi.
Stickle
0
The GOAT of all Goats!
doedimotyz
2
l! share that same sentiments 👍🙏