'One of the best shows ever': Bar owner recalls when Brazilian legend Pele visited Cannock
It was a day to remember when Brazilian football legend Pele came to Cannock to recall his famous stories for a sell-out audience.
The legendary striker, who has died at the age of 82 following a battle with colon cancer, came to Bar Sport's Premier Suite in September 2016 to talk about his career, sign autographs and pose for photos.
Around 300 guests enjoyed Sunday lunch with the football icon, who was the only player to win three World Cups for his country in history, having made his debut aged just 16.
Recalling the event, Bar Sport owner Scott Murray said the venue has welcomed many great sporting legends over the years but that Pele had given "one of the best shows ever".
"It was a full house – a Sunday lunchtime and we had 300 people in," Scott said.
"He spoke about the World Cup, about the old England legends and about modern day football."
Brummie radio presenter Paul Burrell interviewed Pele after dinner and there was also a question and answer session with guests.
Scott said: "He was really humble and just a nice guy. He signed autographs and took photos with everyone.
"He was so softly spoken with fans – he would softly clasp their hands with both his hands and thank them for coming.
"He was a really good man and a true gentleman, one of the nicest sporting celebrities I've had the pleasure of working with.
"We’ve hosted hundreds of events with the world's greatest sports stars over the past 25 years but Pele was one of the best ever.
"Without question, he is the greatest footballer of all time."
A message from Pele's official Twitter account on Thursday read: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever."
He died at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo.
Scott added: "It's very sad, everyone knew he was ill. It was nice to bring him to Cannock when we could."
Pele, who is Brazil's joint all-time top scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches, became an icon of the game after winning the World Cup in 1958 as a 17-year-old, netting twice in the final to defeat hosts Sweden.
He also won the 1962 and 1970 World Cups with Brazil.
His club career spanned 21 seasons with just two clubs, Santos in his homeland followed by a stint in the United States with New York Cosmos.
Taking into account friendlies and tour games, his overall tally was 1,281 goals from 1,363 games.
During his playing days, he was the highest-paid athlete in the world.
After retiring, Pele acted as an ambassador for football.
In 2013, he was awarded the Fifa Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements.
In 2020, he was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest of all-time XI.
Three days of mourning for Pele have been declared by the Brazilian government.
