Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚑ Farewell Pele.


It was with sadness that the football world, indeed the sporting world in general, learnt of the news that perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, Pele, had died on 29th December 2022.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known simply as Pele, played for most of his career at Brazilian club Santos, making his debut at just 15 years old, making 636 appearances for the club between 1956 and 1974, scoring 618 goals. He earned his first cap for the national team of Brazil aged just 16 wearing the shirt 92 times and scoring 77 goals and winning three World Cups: 1958 Sweden - becoming the youngest player to win the World Cup - 1962 Chile and 1970 Mexico when Brazil won the tournament for the third time thus keeping the Jules Rimet trophy. 

It was this last tournament which I remember Pele for, in a game against England, his header down to the left hand of the goal, the goalkeepers right, which Gordon Banks, the England Goalkeeper, was equal to. That Brazilian team were a treat to watch and I can remember it like yesterday, watching it on television eating a bag of quavers. He played for New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977, the Indian summer of his career making 64 appearances and scoring 37 goals.

I never had the privilege to see Pele live, having seen many greats like the Holy Trinity of Best, Charlton and Law at Manchester United, Ian St. John and Kevin Keegan at Liverpool, when they came to Manchester and at Anfield, Jimmy Greaves, Rodney Marsh, QPR and Man City. Maradona but not Pele - more is the pity. This could have been different as Pele revealed Manchester United under Matt Busby tried to sign him. What a treat that would have been, the Holy trinity plus Pele. They would have become the Immortal Quads! Pele once said of George Best; “George Best was the best footballer I’ve ever seen. He was just a special talent”. He went on to say; “The great football critics said that because of his skills he didn’t seem like a European athlete but rather like a Brazilian athlete who danced the Samba with the ball at his feet”. A great tribute George from the world's best ever. It is my view that for a few seasons, between 1966 and 1970-71 Best could match Pele as the best player in the world, before George pressed the suicide button for the first, but not the last time, which because of his longevity gives Pele the title best ever player.

Pele was more than just a player he was an ambassador, not only for football but the impoverished people of his native country, Brazil. He was born in Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, Brazil and played his football in the back streets kicking a ball around with other poor kids of his generation. He never forgot his roots or his humble upbringing and the poverty which surrounded him and his kin. He died on 29th December in Sao Paulo, Brazil, looked over by the statue of Christ the Redeemer. His final resting place Memorial Necropole Ecumencia, Santos, Sao Paulo, a fitting place for the man who played most of his playing career for Santos. The last few weeks of his life were spent in an “end of life care home” so obviously the writing was on the wall. Nevertheless, it does not dampen the sorrow of this great ambassador’s departure.

A sad farewell to the greatest footballer thus far of all time, for those of us who remember his greatness we should pass this knowledge on to younger generations. For myself it is perhaps the last of the greats, Bobby Charlton up to now exempted, of my childhood days when football was the only game in town.

RIP Pele - a sad loss to all of us.

⏩Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist

Pele

Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚑ Farewell Pele.


It was with sadness that the football world, indeed the sporting world in general, learnt of the news that perhaps the greatest footballer of all time, Pele, had died on 29th December 2022.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known simply as Pele, played for most of his career at Brazilian club Santos, making his debut at just 15 years old, making 636 appearances for the club between 1956 and 1974, scoring 618 goals. He earned his first cap for the national team of Brazil aged just 16 wearing the shirt 92 times and scoring 77 goals and winning three World Cups: 1958 Sweden - becoming the youngest player to win the World Cup - 1962 Chile and 1970 Mexico when Brazil won the tournament for the third time thus keeping the Jules Rimet trophy. 

It was this last tournament which I remember Pele for, in a game against England, his header down to the left hand of the goal, the goalkeepers right, which Gordon Banks, the England Goalkeeper, was equal to. That Brazilian team were a treat to watch and I can remember it like yesterday, watching it on television eating a bag of quavers. He played for New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977, the Indian summer of his career making 64 appearances and scoring 37 goals.

I never had the privilege to see Pele live, having seen many greats like the Holy Trinity of Best, Charlton and Law at Manchester United, Ian St. John and Kevin Keegan at Liverpool, when they came to Manchester and at Anfield, Jimmy Greaves, Rodney Marsh, QPR and Man City. Maradona but not Pele - more is the pity. This could have been different as Pele revealed Manchester United under Matt Busby tried to sign him. What a treat that would have been, the Holy trinity plus Pele. They would have become the Immortal Quads! Pele once said of George Best; “George Best was the best footballer I’ve ever seen. He was just a special talent”. He went on to say; “The great football critics said that because of his skills he didn’t seem like a European athlete but rather like a Brazilian athlete who danced the Samba with the ball at his feet”. A great tribute George from the world's best ever. It is my view that for a few seasons, between 1966 and 1970-71 Best could match Pele as the best player in the world, before George pressed the suicide button for the first, but not the last time, which because of his longevity gives Pele the title best ever player.

Pele was more than just a player he was an ambassador, not only for football but the impoverished people of his native country, Brazil. He was born in Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, Brazil and played his football in the back streets kicking a ball around with other poor kids of his generation. He never forgot his roots or his humble upbringing and the poverty which surrounded him and his kin. He died on 29th December in Sao Paulo, Brazil, looked over by the statue of Christ the Redeemer. His final resting place Memorial Necropole Ecumencia, Santos, Sao Paulo, a fitting place for the man who played most of his playing career for Santos. The last few weeks of his life were spent in an “end of life care home” so obviously the writing was on the wall. Nevertheless, it does not dampen the sorrow of this great ambassador’s departure.

A sad farewell to the greatest footballer thus far of all time, for those of us who remember his greatness we should pass this knowledge on to younger generations. For myself it is perhaps the last of the greats, Bobby Charlton up to now exempted, of my childhood days when football was the only game in town.

RIP Pele - a sad loss to all of us.

⏩Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist

8 comments:

  1. We grew up hearing about his prowess on the soccer pitch but rarely having the chance to see him. The 70 World Cup was a treat to watch from Brazil's very first game against Czechoslovakia when he tried to lob the keeper from his own half.

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    Replies
    1. Nobody has come close to matching his balleticism. That plus his sportsmanship makes Pele THE No 1

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  2. Sheer brilliance, memories mo chara, happy memories. Jazinio and Revellino are still alive, in their seventies.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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  3. Gianluca Vialli has just died from cancer. Great player

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    Replies
    1. His death hit harder than most. Such a lovely guy and secondly a great player much loved by us.

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    2. Yes, that was also sad, the death of Vialli.

      Caoimhin O'Muraile

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  4. And manager and all round human being. Graeme Souness was in tears on Sky Sports News about his passing. RIP.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pele, footballer, ambassador, humanist the player with every attribute and did not "press the suicide button". Happy memories to be cherished by all, I think we all agree on that.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

    ReplyDelete