[nico21horia]

[nico21horia]

[Carney]

Where did you get all this info from?

[Liam]

Where did you get all this info from?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do a quick search on Google.

[ThisCharmingMan]

Pele


Real Name: Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Birthday: 23.10.1940
Birthplace: Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Occupation: Sport
Sign: Scorpio

Born Edson Arantes Do Nascimento is known as a legend and the best soccer player to ever play the game. He was raised in a very poor family in Tres Coracos, Brazil and his parents, Dondinho and Celeste Nascimento called Edson "Dico," growing up.

He first learned the game of soccer from his father, Dondinho, who was a decent center forward until his career was halted by a fractured leg.

Legend began playing soccer for a local minor-league club when he was a teenager. When he wasn't playing soccer he shined shoes for pennies. He was discovered at the age of 11 by one of the country's premier players, Waldemar de Brito. When Brito brought Legend to Sao Paulo he declared to the disbelieving directors of the professional team in Santos, "This boy will be the greatest soccer player in the world."

He was right! Legend's impact was immediate! On his first appearance for the team, against Corinthians F.C., he scored a goal right away. He was only 16. Legend went on to play in four World Cups with Brazil's National Team. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden -- one he nearly missed because of a knee injury -- Legend stunned the world scoring six goals, including two in the championship game to help Brazil win its first World Cup 5-2 over Sweden. He was only 17 years-old, but a legend was born.

An average-sized man, he was blessed with speed, great balance, tremendous vision, the ability to control the ball superbly, and the ability to shoot powerfully and accurately with either foot and with his head. Four years later he played on Brazil's World Cup team at in the finals in Chile, but an injury suffered in the first game of the tournament prevented him from helping Brazil win its second title. Wealthy European clubs offered massive fees to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Legend an official national treasure to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.

At the 1966 World Cup in England, Legend was the victim of some brutal tackles from Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders and left the finals injured and in tears. But the best of Legend was still to come. At the 1970 finals in Mexico, the 29-year-old Legend, led one of the greatest teams ever assembled to win Brazil's third World Cup. In the 4-1 title triumph over Italy, Legend, scored a glorious goal. It was Brazil's 100th World Cup goal, and the one he remembers the most.
"I have a special feeling for that goal because I scored it with my head," he said. "My father was a soccer player and once scored five goals in a game, all with his head. That was one record I was never able to break."

Legend's statistics are staggering. During his career he scored 1,280 goals in 1,360 games, second only to another Brazilian, Arthur Friedenreich, who recorded 1,329 goals. He scored an average of a goal in every international game he played--the equivalent of a baseball player's hitting a home run in every World Series game over 15 years. At the club level he shattered records in Brazil. He scored 127 goals for Santos F.C. in 1959, 110 in 1961 and 101 goals in 1965, and led the club to two World Club championships.

Legend also holds the world record for hat tricks (92) and the number of goals scored on the international level (97). His statistics are all the more amazing when compared to today's top players who can barely score more that 30 goals in a season. He retired from the game in 1974, but came out of retirement the following year to play in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmos for just over two seasons. A reported 7-million-dollar contract for three years made him the highest paid soccer player of the North American Soccer League. His appearance in the NASL gave the American League instant credibility and made millions of Americans aware of the sport, he dubbed the "beautiful game." He said he came out of retirement, not for the money, but to "make soccer truly popular in the United States." During his career he played in 93 full internationals for Brazil and in all first class matches scored a remarkable 1,280 goals, second only to Artur Friedenreich, another Brazilian, who holds the world record with 1,329

In many ways, Legend was the complete athlete. With his skill and agility, he could have played in any position on the field, but he chose on wearing the number-10 shirt as an inside-left forward. He had great balance, which enabled him to dribble effortlessly around defenders, and his heading ability was remarkable.

On Oct. 1, 1977, Legend's mission in the NASL ended. His last match, an exhibition game between the Cosmos and Santos, was sold out six weeks beforehand, covered by 650 journalists and broadcast in 38 nations. Muhammad Ali embraced him in the locker room before the match and said, "Now there are two of the greatest." In a speech to dignitaries, celebrities and more than 75,000 fans, Legend urged his audience to pay attention to the children of the world. At his request, the assemblage shouted, "Love! Love! Love!" Then he went out and played the first half for the Cosmos -- scoring a goal on a rocket from 30 yards out -- and the second half for Santos.

On Legend's retirement, J.B. Pinheiro, Brazil's ambassador to the U.N., said Legend had "spent 22 years playing soccer, and in that time he has done more for goodwill and friendship than all of the ambassadors ever appointed." In addition to his great accomplishments in soccer, he published several best-selling autobiographies, starred in several documentary and semi-documentary films, and composed numerous musical pieces, including the entire sound track for the film 'Legend' (1977). He was the 1978 recipient of the International Peace Award, and in 1980 he was named athlete of the century.

In 1993, Legend was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame and is the former ambassador of sports in Brazil. He has also done extensive work for children's causes through UNICEF.
In 2000, Legend was named second for the "Sportsman of the Century" award. The legendary Muhammad Ali got the honors.

[StepoverMaster]

[Kings of the Kop]

[‡Luke‡]

[byatt]

This post has been edited by DaveCFC: 09 December 2005 - 04:21 PM

[Lord Funkicus of Tit-Town]

[Kevin91]

Former Clubs as Player : Chester, Liverpool, Juventus, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Wrexham
Date of Birth : 20/10/1961
Birthplace : St Asaph

Ian James Rush MBE (born October 20, 1961) was a famous Welsh footballer who played as a striker and was not only an essential member of Liverpool F.C.'s great 1980s teams, but also became the club's all-time highest goalscorer.

"Rushie", the goal scoring machine was also famous for sporting a 'tache in the Liverpool team of the 1980's with Graeme Souness.

In two spells with the club, Rush scored 346 goals in 658 league games, having joined them from Chester City in 1980. Ian scored a record 44 FA Cup goals (39 for Liverpool). In his three FA Cup Final appearences he scored 5 times, all on the winning team. Rush scored also has the record for scoring League Cup goals 49. He too is the top scorer against Liverpool's local rivals Everton with 25 goals.

In the summer of 1986, he was transferred to the Italian giants, Juventus in Serie A, although, as part of the deal, he did not join the club until a year later, allowing him to spend a final season with Liverpool. His time at Juventus was less than successful, scoring only seven times in 29 games. After one season, he was back at Anfield, rejoining in the summer of 1988.

He once famously described his stay in the north of Italy as like being "in a foreign country".

He also played for Wales for whom he scored 28 goals in 73 games. Unfortunately for the man from North Wales, he never got the chance to play in a major tournament for his country. Though in 1991 he scored the winning goal in an Euro 92 qualifier against West Germany

Rush continued to remain at Liverpool until the mid-1990s when his successors in the new generation of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen emerged as strikers. Later in his career he played for Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and also Sydney Olympic. He was appointed manager of Football League Two team Chester City F.C. in August 2004 having removed himself from the unofficial shortlist for the post of manager of the Welsh national team in November 2004. He resigned from his post at Chester in April 2005 citing disagreements with the Chairman as the reason for his departure.

In 2005, at the age of 43, Ian Rush considered coming out of retirement to play for TNS, after the Welsh side were drawn against Liverpool for their opening round Champions League qualifying match.

[Il Fantasista]

[...Dan]

[Ricketts]

[The Wanderer]

Billy Wright





Born: 6 February, 1924. Ironbridge, England

Teams Wilverhampton Wanderers (England)
Billy Wright was England's captain for three World Cups (1950, 1954, and 1958). He won a total of 105 caps for England.

Wright was initially a wing-half, moving into central defence for his 60th international, Englanfd vs. Switzerland, and was a revelation.

He later became manager of Arsenal and then moved into broadcasting. Billy Wright died in 1994.

Billy Wright was a fine right-halfback and later a superb central defender. While not the most talented player of his day, he was disciplined, dedicated, reliable, consistent, courageous, resourceful, intelligent and versatile, a wonderful sportsman on the pitch--never sent off or even cautioned--and unfailingly courteous and modest off it. Because of these qualities, he emerged after the Second War--an era desperately needing the escape sport and its heroes provided--as the most widely loved footballer in England. No player before or since has held such a universal grip on the English public's admiration. His unparalleled popularity lasted his entire Football League career, from the post-war resumption of league play in 1946 until his retirement in 1959. He became the symbol of and ambassador for the England team and English football in general.

[Danno_BWFC]

Nat Lofthouse



Born in Bolton in 1925, Lofthouse joined the town's main club on September 4, 1939 and made his debut in a 5-1 win against Bury on March 22, 1941 when he scored two goals. It was then more than five years until he made his league debut for the club, but he eventually played against Chelsea on August 31, 1946, when he scored twice in a 4-3 defeat. Lofthouse would go on to play 33 games for England but his debut on November 22, 1950 made him 25 when he finally broke into the team. He perhaps justified a claim to an earlier call-up by scoring both goals in a 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia at Highbury on his debut.

On November 26 of the same year, Lofthouse made his final England appearance, against Wales, at the age of 33, and he officially retired from the game in January 1960 because of an ankle injury, although his final league game wasn't until December 17 of that year, when he suffered a knee injury against Birmingham.

After retiring from playing football, Lofthouse became the assistant trainer at Burnden Park on July 10, 1961 and was then appointed chief coach at the club in 1967. In 1968, he spent a brief time as caretaker manager of the club and took over the job full-time on December 18. Before becoming Bolton's chief scout, he became an administrative manager at Burnden. In 1978, he became the club's executive manager. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986.

Lofthouse has been the recipient of various honours since retiring from the game. On December 2, 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. On January 1, 1994, he received an OBE and on January 18, 1997, Bolton decided to name their East Stand after him.

LONG LIVE KING NAT :worshippy:

This post has been edited by Bolton_Wanderer: 20 April 2006 - 10:05 AM

[HaRvEy]

[Keely-DRFC]

[LFCMike]

[Gurd Muller]