Meet the electrician who played against Pele twice and didn't lose

(Follow link for full article.) 

http://stv.tv/news/features/1366893-meet-the-electrician-who-played-against-pele-twice-and-didn-t-lose/

Meet the electrician who played against Pele twice and didn't lose

Douglas Barrie 14 September 2016

Jim Lemon starred for Chicago Sting in the 70s and recalled his experience as Pele comes to Glasgow.

One is a man who played football across a variety of countries during the 1970s and relishes telling stories of his time in the game. The other is Pele.

Jim Lemon is an electrician by trade. You may have walked past him in a shopping centre where he was working, or wondered who maintains the lights on warships built along the River Clyde.

But the 67-year-old has the perfect anecdote to spark any conversation into life. He lays claim to having played against the great Brazilian footballer Pele - and never having been on the losing side.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Lemon had played for Dundela, Larne, Linfield and Glenavon in his homeland before visiting the States to see his brother in 1975.

While he was there he had a week-long trial with Philadelphia Atoms in the North American Soccer League (NASL). It did not go to plan, Lemon admits he was "useless", and nothing came of the experience until about a week later.

His brother read in the newspaper that another side in the league, Chicago Sting, had a player who broke his leg and they needed a replacement. In the second trial the Belfast-born midfielder could not put a foot wrong. The Sting got in touch with Linfield and paid a "nominal fee" for his contract.

At the same time, Pele was making his move to the New York Cosmos.