Pelé’s shirt on display at The Box 50 years after he played in Plymouth - The Box, Plymouth
Added: 09 March 2023
Pelé’s iconic number 10 football shirt, worn when he played at Home Park 50 years ago on 14 March 1973, is going on display at The Box from next Tuesday.
The date marks 50 years to the day when the man considered by many to be the world’s greatest footballer and his Santos FC team played a friendly against Plymouth Argyle – and lost 3-2!
Os Santásticos were in town as part of an international tour and it proved to be a night to remember for the 37,000 fans who saw the match. Argyle raced to a 3-0 lead at half-time with goals from Mike Dowling, Derek Rickard and Jimmy Hinch. Late goals from Pelé and Edu made it 3-2 in the end. The game was the chance of a lifetime for many to see some of the biggest footballing stars on the planet.
At the end of the match Pelé gave his shirt to Plymouth Argyle defender Johnny Hore, who has now kindly loaned it to The Box. Visitors can see it on display from 14 March until 23 April alongside a shirt worn by substitute Vicenté. Vicenté was brought down in the box late in the game, leading to the penalty Pelé scored.
Two match day programmes dating from 14 and 31 March 1973, will also feature in the case. The 31 March programme is a ‘Santos Souvenir Special’. It’s one item from 85 boxes of material that have just been transferred to The Box from the Plymouth Argyle Heritage Archive. The material, which is a brilliant addition to the city’s public archives and will be available for research, includes an almost complete run of home and away programmes spanning 1945-2022.
The Box will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Santos’ visit to the city with a new episode of its The Box on Screen series. The episode, which has been made with former Argyle players Derek Rickard, Johnny Hore and Steve Davey features clips from the match as well as some other brilliant archive footage of Plymouth Argyle over the years. You can watch it now on YouTube.
Latest news
-
Museum Opens for New Season!
Dawlish Museum
-
AGM 2025
Dawlish Museum
-
The David Clement Memorial Lecture: William S Lindsay, shipowner, politician and envoy
Topsham Museum
-
Secret Gardens Programmes on Sale now!
Topsham Museum
-
The Box wins second Muddy Stilettos award
The Box, Plymouth
-
Whiteway's Cyder in the 1920s
Whimple Heritage Centre
-
Groundbreaking art exhibition arrives at The Box
The Box, Plymouth
-
Open call for artists to work on Changing Stories: Connecting and Collecting with Exeter’s Communities
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
-
Summer season opening
Totnes Museum
-
Save the Date! Secret Gardens of Topsham, Sunday 8 June 2025
Topsham Museum
-
Full Ahead Lecture Season 2025: Jane Austen and her South West Connections
Topsham Museum
-
Art Exhibition: David Robinson, artist, accountant and sailor
Topsham Museum
-
Full Ahead Lecture Season 2025
Topsham Museum
-
Repairs to the Museum
Topsham Museum
-
New Artist Opportunity from Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery