One-off Pelé bronze sculpture by Andy Edwards of iconic 1970 World Cup goal to kick off Lichfield auction

Renowned artist also created statue of Gordon Banks at Stoke City FC

A UNIQUE sculpture of football icon Pelé scoring the first goal of the 1970 World Cup Final goes to auction in Staffordshire this July.

The 38cm-tall one-off bronze was created by renowned Blurton-born sculptor Andy Edwards to commemorate the legendary Brazilian’s 2008 visit to Stoke City to unveil Edwards’ life-size statue of Gordon Banks, which now stands on Gordon Banks Drive.

There is even a photo of the celebrated forward admiring the statuette of him with its creator.

Edwards is the artist behind a roster of high-profile works including last year’s statue of Motörhead rocker Lemmy in Burslem, The Beatles statue on the Pier Head in Liverpool (2015), and All Together Now marking 100 years since the 1914 WW1 Christmas truce.

Other football-related subjects include Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Derby County FC and Sir Alex Ferguson at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen.

Now the Pelé statuette kicks off as Lot 1 with Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre on Monday, July 13.

Lot 2 on auction day is a framed Seleção Brasileira de Futebol number 10 shirt signed by Pelé and given to Andy Edwards during his visit to The Celebration of Sport for Peace at the then Britannia Stadium in Stoke in July 2008.

It was later signed by Gordon Banks in October 2018 and has subsequently been framed to include:

• The photo of Pelé with Andy Edwards and the bronze statuette, signed by them both

• A photo of Pelé with Gordon Banks and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who acted as assistant manager for Pelé's team in the celebrity charity football match which followed The Celebration of Sport for Peace, also signed by Banks

• A photo of the Greatest Save Of All Time, Brazil v England June 7 1970, signed by Pelé and Banks.

Both lots are accompanied by certificates of authenticity signed by Edwards and are expected to total in excess of £10,000.

All commissions from the sale will be donated to the Stoke City Foundation charity by Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

The sculpture and framed shirt come to auction via vendor Ian Dyer, aka The Stoke Poet, who was given them personally in 2018 by Andy Edwards, an old school friend, as a nest egg.

“Andy is a very, very good friend and we go back decades – we were in the same class right through to the end of school,” said Mr Dyer, 62, a father-of-four and grandfather-of-10.

“He’s also an amazing sculptor, deservedly world-renowned, and this bronze brilliantly captures one of football’s most enduring images.

“Just amazing gifts to receive.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Pelé (1940-2022; real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento) was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.

His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.

He visited Stoke City for The Celebration of Sport for Peace at what was then The Britannia Stadium on July 12 2008 to unveil the 6ft tall bronze statue of his former rival, England goalkeeper Gordon Banks.

The pair met in the 1970 World Cup when Banks made what is widely regarded as one of the greatest saves ever from a Pelé header.

Pele previously came to Stoke-on-Trent in 1969 when his side Santos won 3-2 in a friendly against Stoke City, with the Brazilian scoring twice past Banks.

Andy Edwards’ life-size statue depicted Banks in 1966 hoisting aloft the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy and was officially unveiled at the 2008 event by Pelé and Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The ceremony was followed by a star-studded charity match between a Pelé XI and a Gordon Banks XI, with Archbishop Tutu acting as assistant manager for Pelé's team and other former footballing greats such as Ian Rush and John Barnes taking part alongside celebrities and musicians.

Brazil won 5-1.

After the unveiling, the goalkeeper’s statue was relocated to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery before being permanently placed on Gordon Banks Drive just outside the stadium in 2015.

At a celebration evening on July 13 following The Celebration of Sport for Peace, Pelé autographed and presented a football shirt he brought from Brazil to sculptor Andy Edwards, who turned up with his Pelé bronze as a surprise.

But the work was somehow forgotten behind – it may have just been too heavy to transport some 5,500 miles home to Brazil – and it remained in the artist’s possession.

Fast forward a decade, and the bronze and accompanying shirt made generous presents to Edwards’ old school friend.

They were especially fitting gifts for Stoke City FC devotee and lifelong football fanatic Mr Dyer, who has even written and released his own footie anthem, Think About England.

Surprisingly, the wordsmith only wrote his first poem on the day Stanley Matthews died in 2000 – but the words haven’t stopped flowing since.

“I was never interested in poetry at school – Shakespeare wasn’t for me,” he laughed.

“I don’t know where they keep coming from.”

A special moment was being asked by the BBC to write a poem about the late Gordon Banks OBE which was introduced by presenter Nick Owen to conclude the Banksy Special on the day of his funeral.

Copies of Mr Dyer’s poems have helped raise more than £2,000 for the Stanley Matthews foundation and poetry evenings have also generated funds for other causes.

Stoke City Foundation is the official charitable arm of Stoke City Football Club and has the vision of active communities and healthier lives, united by football.

The foundation aims to positively impact physical health and mental wellbeing, create spaces and opportunities for communities in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to come together, and to educate on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

A spokesperson for Stoke City FC said: “These are two iconic lots celebrating some of football’s biggest legends and one of the most important days in the Potter’s club history.

“We are very grateful to Richard and his team for handling the sale and generously donating the commissions in support of our Foundation.”

Auctioneer Richard Winterton said: “Pelé and Gordon Banks – two of the greatest players of all time who also created one of the iconic moments in football with the miraculous ‘Save Of The Century’ during the 1970 Brazil v England World Cup match.

“But it was the aftermath and how sporting rivalry turned into a lifelong bond treasured by both which shows how beautiful the beautiful game can be.

“A one-off bronze by the renowned Andy Edwards, the shirt with its multitude of autographs, and the story behind both make these incredible pieces of memorabilia which will be highly sought after by not just Stoke City fans but devotees of football worldwide.”

The catalogue for the July 13 auction will go online a week before the sale via our Auction Calendar.

Viewing in person at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, WS13 8NF takes place between 10am and 4pm on Friday, July 10. The auction starts at 9am.

For more information, to arrange a free valuation of all types of collectables and antiques, or to enquire about a home visit for large collections or house clearances, email office@richardwinterton.co.uk or call 01543 251081.

Andy Edwards

Born in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, Andy Edwards has created numerous high profile works across the UK.

These include:

• A 2010 statue of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at the ground of Derby County FC

• All Together Now commemorating 100 years since the 1914 WW1 Christmas truce

• The Beatles statue on the Pier Head in Liverpool (2015)

• Bob Marley in Liverpool (2021)

• Sir Alex Ferguson at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen (2022)

• Last year’s statue of Lemmy on Market Place in Burslem.

Mr Edwards also, alongside fellow artists Carl Payne and Julian Jeffrey, created the prominent bronze memorial dedicated to legendary footballer Sir Stanley Matthews at near the Boothen End of the Bet365 Stadium.

The Celebration of Sport for Peace

Fittingly taking place at the home of the Potters at what was then The Britannia Stadium on July 12 2008, the entire event was the brainchild of Irish author and humanitarian Don Mullan.

Mullan’s 2006 boyhood memoir ‘Gordon Banks – A Hero Who Could Fly’ explored how the legendary English goalkeeper deeply inspired his life.

He decided to organize a massive tribute called The Celebration of Sport for Peace and set out to raise funds to commission local sculptor Andy Edwards to create a permanent monument.

When Mullan reached out to Pelé to unveil the statue, the Brazilian icon accepted immediately out of profound respect for Banks.

Though the two men will forever be linked by ‘That Save’ during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico – where Banks miraculously stopped a seemingly certain, powerful downward Pelé header – the Brazilian famously noted that their relationship was defined by friendship, not rivalry.

At the event, Pelé joked that while he thought the ball was in and had already started celebrating, he was ultimately ‘glad Gordon saved it’ because it sparked a lifelong, treasured bond.

After the unveiling, the statue was relocated to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery for a period before being permanently placed on Gordon Banks Drive just outside the stadium in 2015.