Socrates

[MarkBRFC71]

Only heard today about his death at the weekend.

Fantastic player, oozed class and was the heartbeat of the greatest team never to win the World Cup, the Brazil side of 1982. Scored some fantastic goals linking up with another great of the era, Zico. Cracking beard and headband combo in his latter days as an international too!

RIP, a true legend.

http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/12/05/so-long-socrates-the-da-vinci-of-brazilian-soccer/

[Cheeky Sidders]

Great to watch on the field and clearly a character with a real heart off it. It shows you can be a sublinely gifted player and not be as thick as Gazza, Beckham, Best, etc. Incidentally, so impressed was the young Sidders by Socrates at the '82 world cup he named his cat after the Brazilian captain. Brazil 82 were easily the best footballing team I have ever seen - just a pity they had no interest in defending and a goalkeeper who was a poor second to Prof Stephen Hawking between the sticks.

[jim mk2]

Socrates actually turned out in English non-league football for Garforth Town at the age of 50.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/05/socrates-garforth-town-politics-courage?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+(Football)

Wonderful player, and very intelligent man: Socrates smoked like a chimney and knew it might eventually kill him but was always philosophical about it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeah great player, he made the game look ridiculously easy. Super photograph of him in his prime in yesterdays paper, he was wearing a proper kit with shorts which are short, none of these flapping baggy things players wear today. I'd hate to have to play in those.

[DE.]

Before my time but by all accounts a fantastic player and a good person. I regret not being born a decade or so earlier so that I could have watched the Brazil '82 team play at that world cup.

[MarkBRFC71]

Enjoy! Now that's football - the current Barca team are the only side I've seen come close since.

I'd forgotten how good the goals were they scored, and can't believe I'd forgotten players like Eder - goal number two is an outrageous chip. Magnificent stuff.

[jim mk2]

Brazil 1982 were very good but the best Brazil team of all time were the 1970 World Cup winners....Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Gerson etc all in their pomp.

And yes, England should have beatne them. Bloody Jeff Astle.

[Cheeky Sidders]

Brazil 82 had some amazing players - Zico, Junior, Eder, Falcao and Socrate. The latter's goal against USSR (that's Russia, Ukraine, etc to you young uns) was just sublime. They had grace and real power when attacking but defended with the mentality of "we'll score loads so why defend?". That gameplan worked brilliantly in the early games and they were the shining light in an otherwise moribund 1st and 2nd group stages. Yes kids, two group stages! Alas they got the Italians later on just as Paolo Rossi was getting into gear and their comedy goalkeeper did his worst. That 82 world cup classic was topped with murderous game between France and West Germany. Schumacher and Batiston! Ouch!

[roverandout]

jim dont forget carlos alberto

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Brazil 1982 were very good but the best Brazil team of all time were the 1970 World Cup winners....Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Gerson etc all in their pomp.

And yes, England should have beatne them. Bloody Jeff Astle.

Best team I've ever seen Jim, no contest.However England should have got a draw at least, we were the only team to give them a real game. I can't recall a braver England performance. Imagine playing the best team in the world at 12.00 midday in Mexico City in the middle of summer. Bobby Moore and Alan Mullery were absolutely outstanding that day, and who can forget that Gordon Banks save from Pele.

[Audax]

Rest in Peace Socrates, in '86, my friend would talk about him and I didn't know many of the stars too well. I think they called him the Professor because of that beard, you don't see too many, if any footballers with beards nowadays. Corinthians is a famous club team out of Brazil, I heard Socrates did a lot with them, I'm not sure if we would know who Corinthians were if not for Socrates. Really struck me because my friend was such a big fan of him, I think they said he had a 2 step penalty kick.

[Mattyblue]

Before my time but my dad had always said that the 1970 England team were better then the 66 side.

[DE.]

Rest in Peace Socrates, in '86, my friend would talk about him and I didn't know many of the stars too well. I think they called him the Professor because of that beard, you don't see too many, if any footballers with beards nowadays.

I believe he was actually a qualified doctor

[Audax]

DE4Life: Thanks, you may be correct. Also, there are a number of footballers with beards, I should have said a full beard like Socrates, that might change it a bit.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/21/seven-deadly-sins-socrates-brazil?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

And indeed, it says he studied medicine, well, that would be enough for me.

He smoked at times, there are a lot of articles on him. When I have some extra time, I will look up the wikipedia article on him. Seemed to be a decent sort, sorry to say, he had problems I guess with alcohol. Garrincha did as well, another famous Brazilian player.

Edited December 7, 2011 by Audax

[K-Hod]

I had the privelege of meeting him once, whilst I was at uni in Leeds he was doing a coaching school down the road while he played at Garforth town.

Really nice guy, R.I.P.

[bob fleming]

I think they said he had a 2 step penalty kick.

Class!

[LWX]

the greatest team never to win the World Cup, the Brazil side of 1982.

What about the Dutch side of 74?

[Audax]

Of course that Netherlands team was very good, a lot of it is subjective, I'm sure the Hungary '54 team was very good as well and then, there are other circumstances that have effected "some" World Cups, read history if one wants to learn about those, it kind of steps on ethnic toes to mention anything and that's not my purpose but the WC is not always perfect as really, the '74 Cup might show, there was that swimming pool deal with the Dutch team.