Ex-Strike Squad coach Gally Cummings: Pele was the best ever

FORMER TT footballer and Strike Squad coach Gally Cummings remembered legendary footballer Pele as the greatest of all time. Cummings said despite being a superstar on the field, he will most remember Pele for his humility.

Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died on Thursday in a Sau Paulo hospital in Brazil where he was warded for the last month battling cancer. He was 82.

“As far as I am concerned he is the best player I have ever seen and he will remain the best player I have ever seen,” Cummings said.

Cummings, who played with the Atlanta Chiefs in the US, was scared to meet such a prominent figure when Pele’s Brazilian club Santos visited the US in 1968. After encouragement from his friend Allan “Skill” Cole, Cummings realised how kind Pele was.

“He (Cole) said to me before the game, ‘Gally, let’s go and meet the king in the hotel where he is staying.’”

Cummings said he was reluctant.

“That is what I admired about the man…his contribution to humanity. He saw us as some young fellas and he took us in with open arms, signed some balls for us…took a picture with us.”

Cummings said he could not help but admire Pele even while playing against him.

“When it came to Santos, Pele brought what you call the samba, the Brazilian style of football. He just practically walked through us. I was on the field like a kid in a candy store. I playing in the game but I am ball watching at the same time.”

In 1972, Pele came to Trinidad with Santos to play against TT, which included Cummings. By 1972, Pele was revered by millions around the world as two years before his visit to Trinidad he won his third FIFA World Cup title. Pele was also part of the Brazil team which won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962. In the 1958 World Cup, Pele was only 17 years old.

Pele played the game with skill and flair and in Trinidad thousands were in awe of him.

Looking back at the 1972 match, Cummings said, “It was marred with a lot of problems because people were by the Queen’s Park Oval from about 9 am the morning for a match 4 o’clock in the evening. Santos beat us 1-0 and Pele scored a header.”

Cummings said TT had a strong team in the early seventies with Leroy De Leon and Warren Archibald.

After the match the TT players were invited to Hilton Hotel to meet Pele.

“I think the game only played about 45, 50 minutes but he scored a very good goal and it’s history.”

Fans surrounded the field just to get a closer view of Pele. Cummings said, “People were encroaching on the field and wanted to touch Pele. He could not go for the ball on the sidelines because everybody hugging him up. Plenty love.”

Cummings said Pele showed his caring nature even during the match. “One of his players stamped on my shinbone and dig up pieces of the flesh, and my foot was bleeding so I was on the ground. He (Pele) called the player (who fouled me) on the field and chastised him…and (Pele) helped me get up.

“That man was concerned about other people while he was playing. Even though he wanted to win the game his character was way past expectations.”

Before meeting Pele, Cummings said he tried to emulate the Brazilian legend when he was growing up.

“He used to do some kind of things I could not understand at a young age…I saw somebody to emulate. I use to practise some of the things that I saw him do…until I made one of those moves my signature move.”