Scottish football to honour Pele ahead of SPFL new year fixtures

Scottish football clubs and supporters will pay tribute to Pele before the weekend’s games.

The Scottish Professional Football League has written to all members clubs to suggest a minute’s applause or other gesture as a mark of respect for the Brazilian icon, who died on Thursday.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said that it would be appropriate to pay tribute to one of the game’s greats.

“Scottish football fans appreciate skill, class and achievement, and no player in the game better typified those qualities than Pele,” Doncaster said.

“Arguments will rage forever about who is the greatest player but, for his sheer impact on the worldwide game and his achievements in winning three World Cups, it’s doubtful we will ever see his like again.

“To be able to look out over the national stadium and realise that this global icon graced the Hampden turf during a friendly with Scotland in 1966 is a humbling experience.

“Everyone who appreciates all that is good about football – from his incomparable goal-scoring prowess, his outrageous skill and his simple, overwhelming joy at playing the game – will recognise just what gap the great man’s passing has left.”

Pele and the Brazil team trained in Ayrshire around the friendly and were hosted by both Kilmarnock and Troon Juniors.

A breif statement from Kilmarnock read: “We are saddened to hear about the passing of Pelé: one of our sport’s all-time greats.

“Pelé graced the Rugby Park turf alongside the Brazil squad in 1966, in a visit that will always be treasured by the club.”

Troon tweeted: “Desperately saddened to hear of the passing of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, best known as Pele. Arguably the greatest player to have ever played the game, and certainly the greatest to ever have graced Portland Park. Quite simply, a legend.”