‘It was probably worth fortunes’ - When Stevie Chalmers’ son wore Pele’s Brazil shirt for kickabout

Partick Thistle chief executive Gerry Britton has recalled Stevie Chalmers’ son heading to a Bishopbriggs park for a kickabout in Brazil legend Pele’s shirt.
Pele gave his shirt to Stevie Chalmers after Scotland's 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in 1966.Pele gave his shirt to Stevie Chalmers after Scotland's 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in 1966.
Pele gave his shirt to Stevie Chalmers after Scotland's 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in 1966.

Chalmers’ most illustrious moment was his winning goal in the 1967 European Cup final that gave Celtic their most iconic result, but accepting World Cup winner Pele’s shirt in June 1966 after a 1-1 draw at Hampden was a significant honour after the Brazilian had sought him out following the friendly.

Billy Bremner was refused the famous yellow shirt after Pele was aggrieved at his more robust methods of trying to stop him in the game, and the striker handed it over to the unassuming Chalmers.

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But the mild-mannered European Cup winner was irked to discover his son, Martin, donning it for game with his mates in the local park.

“Martin was down the pitch with us one day wearing Pele’s strip,” said Britton, a classmate of Chalmers’ younger son.

“Obviously, we didn’t know that at the time, none of us had any idea. We just looked at him and said: ‘That’s a nice strip, Martin’.

“That was all fine until Stevie came down to the pitch and took it straight back off him. It was probably worth fortunes.”

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