Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur

UTB 39
A lad was weaving his way back to where
his mates were sitting, expertly cradling
an arm full of Guinness and not a drop
was being spilled. As he passed the three
times World Cup winner, he leaned over
and uttered the immortal words “Alreet
Pele mate?” A genuine enquiry as to his
health that would have been much more
appreciated had he not tipped most of
the Guinness over our guest. Pele was up
and off back to his hotel. I reckon it was
less than 10 minutes, and some say that
Guinness is good for you…
Joking aside, that week was
unforgettable. I was lucky to be in his
presence on many occasions and to have
the opportunity to chat to him. I mean,
what dos a lad from Hackenthorpe say
to someone like that for crying out loud?
Just to be in the same room as him was
enough, but he had the art of making you
feel like you were actually, well, interesting.
We talked about Sheffield ref George
McCabe and the game he officiated over
at Goodison between Brazil and Portugal.
He remembered everything about him,
including the fact that he had taken the ‘69
Cup Final, and that was incredible. Some
man and some human.
To end, I saw a lovely post on
Facebook from an old school friend
called Anya Marson. Anya’s family have,
for generations, been WJ Hoyland
Undertakers on Mansfield Road at Intake
and it was a story about her multi linguistic
grandfather, Ralph, who sadly passed
away back in the ‘90s. He was self-taught
and had loads of high-profile jobs. Sir
Matt Busby had begged him at the 11th
hour to stand in for Manchester United as
interpreter for that fatal Munich trip, and
it was a fear of flying that thankfully saw
him decline. Ralph was recruited to help
when Santos visited Hillsborough in ‘72
and had the pleasure of meeting Pele.
Being a hospitable Sheffielder, he invited
him back to the family home for some tea,
an offer that Pele had to decline due to
previous commitments. The following day,
when meeting with him again, Ralph gave
him a small piece of stone from his home,
and told him: “You were unable to visit my
home, so I have brought a piece of my
home to you.”
Reading that brought a tear to my eye.
Such a simple and very Sheffield gesture,
but one that struck a chord as years
later, Pele mentioned the incident in his
autobiography and spoke fondly of having
it in his display cabinet at home. Such a life
and career, and yet he recalled Ralph and
his stone, George and his refereeing and
so much more, well, normal stuff.
I am really glad he had something
that meant something from Sheffield
in his trophy cabinet and that he didn’t
just think of being soaked in Guinness.
Seems he touched the lives of those he
met, and those that he didn’t. A rare and
irreplaceable talent, and a fine and decent
human being. God bless.
▲ Playing for Santos at Hillsborough back in 1972
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR