A football shirt signed by Pele, the man named the greatest player of all time by FiFA, is the prize in a raffle being run by the Liskeard and Looe Rotary Club ahead of its Christmas 2021 charity concert.

John O’Driscoll, who is currently the Rotary Club’s Vice President and who will serve as President in the coming year, said that the signed shirt, which comes with a certificate of authentication, had been obtained by comedian and compere Tank Sherman, who is a Liskeard and Looe Rotary Club member and will be compering at the December concert.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the Brazilian Portuguese footballer now better known as Pele, was born on October 23, 1940, and his glorious career saw him being named in 2000 as World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and joint winner of the FIFA Player of the Century title. His total of 1,279 goals scored in 1,363 games is an achievement recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records, and only in

recent days he was reported to have sent a more recent footballing legend, Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi, a 34th birthday message on social media reading: “Happy birthday Lionel, continue to make the football world smile.”

John O’Driscoll said that he was encouraging clubs, societies and organisations to buy tickets to enter the raffle for the signed shirt with the offer that for every 100 tickets they manage to sell, then 50 per cent of the proceeds will go to that particular group or organisation. Each ticket is priced at £1.

The draw will take place at Liskeard and Looe Rotary Club’s Grand Charity Concert for Christmas due to take place at the Methodist Church in Barn Street, Liskeard, at 7pm on December 10, 2021. Travelling to South East Cornwall to pull the winning ticket out of the hat will be a record goal scorer in the South Gloucestershire League - scoring 66 goals in a season - Tony J Brady, who is now aged 86 and, says John, is delighted to have been invited. John himself

originally hails from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

As well as being compered by Tank Sherman,who describes himself as a comedian and “professional nutter” and has headlined shows at the Babbacombe Theatre in Torquay, has won ITV talent contests and performed alongside such stars as Westcountry comedian Jethro and in panto with Jimmy Osmond, the Liskeard Christmas concert - the 68th concert that John O’Driscoll has organised - will also feature Matt Monro tribute singer and comedian Steve Laister, talented local soprano Janine Wright, who hails from Torpoint, and the Looe-based Keltique choir, whose singers come from around South East Cornwall.

The concert and raffle for the Pele signed shirt is not the only event which John O’Driscoll and the Rotarians have organised. All being well, they also plan to hold a variety show in Liskeard Public Hall on March 27, 2022, to raise money for a defibrillator to be installed at Dobwalls Football Club.

John said that inspiration for this had come from the cardiac arrest suffered during the Euros by Danish footballer Christian Eriksen, and also by a recent article in the national press written by Manchester United consultant and sports cardiologist at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health Professor Guido Pieles calling for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training to be made mandatory in workplaces. Prof Pieles said in the article: "Defibrillators should be placed in every gym, school and sports venues in the country to save people dying from cardiac arrest.”