Ex-West Ham star calls on The Repair Shop to restore incredible Pele programme

13 September 2023 , 18:00

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Peter Grotier with Angelina Bakalarou, Jay Blades, and his programme (Image: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' Digital Picture Service (BBC Pictures) as set out at www.bbcpictures.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/. In particular, this image may only be published by a registered User of BBC Pictures for editorial use for the purpose of publicising the relevant BBC programme, personnel or activity during the Publicity Period which ends three review week

A match programme signed by football legend Pele is restored to mint condition on The Repair Shop.

The programme is the prized possession of ex-West Ham player Peter Grotier, who got the Brazilian to sign it after playing in a match against him. It was 1970 and goalkeeper Peter had flown to the US with teammates including Bobby Moore to play an exhibition match against Pele’s side Santos.

Brazil had just won the World Cup. Peter recalled fondly: “I’m 19 years of age and I’m flying out in a jumbo jet out to New York, and I’m going to play against the greatest goal-scorer that’s ever been.” Peter, who played all the first half and the first minute of the second, added: “Pele scored twice against me, and I didn’t mind at all.”

After the match ended in a 2-2 draw, the players chatted and Peter took the chance to get his hero’s autograph. He said: “In his broken English, he just said, ‘My pleasure’. The reason why it got in such a bad condition was because my family, we moved around to eight different houses, so it was packed away and folded, something I should never have done.”

Peter Grotier in the 1970s (Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)

Bobby Moore and Pele at the game (Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

After Pele died last year aged 82, Peter’s son Dean’s fiancee recommended he take it to The Repair Shop. The programme was meticulously mended and cleaned by The Repair Shop’s newest expert, Angelina Bakalarou. Seeing it restored for the first time, in scenes aired on Wednesday on the show hosted by Jay Blades, Peter was surprised at how emotional he got.

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He said: “I got quite choked really, to look at it and see it as it was 53 years ago. It took me right back to that time when we were lining up, and I’m looking along the line at our team and I’m looking at Pelé standing in the line. I’m thinking that I’m going to have to play against him in a minute, so I hope he doesn’t play too well.”

Peter, 72, plans to leave the programme to his grandson Joseph – and to tell him never to sell it. The 17-year-old captains Essex side Wivenhoe Town FC Under-18s.

* The Repair Shop, Wednesday, 8pm, BBC1.

Lydia Veljanovski