Pele dies at 82: The Doncaster photographer behind iconic Bobby Moore shirt swap pic

Following the death of arguably the greatest footballer of all time yesterday at the age of 82, the photo has been shown on news reports and in newspapers across the globe to mark the star’s passing.

But a lesser-known fact is that one of the world’s most famous pictures was taken by a Doncaster photographer.

John Varley, who died in 2010 at the age of 76, was the man behind the lens who captured the bare-chested Brazil legend and England skipper in the picture which has become a worldwide symbol of sportsmanship and respect.

Born in Doncaster in August 1934, Varley spent the majority of his career working for The Daily Mirror as a press photographer assigned to some of the biggest news stories of the time.

After leaving school at 14, Varley worked for a local newspaper, the Doncaster Gazette, before moving to the Yorkshire Evening News, also in Doncaster.

He was inspired to become a photographer at a young age when a neighbour took a photo of him with his dog. The neighbour went away and developed the photo before presenting it to Varley the next day.

Working in photography from 1948 onwards, he spent the early years of his career working in Yorkshire and in 1958, he achieved his first career milestone when one of his photos featured on the front page of numerous national newspapers. The photo was a policeman carrying a small child through flood water during flooding in South Yorkshire.

His skills landed him a role at the Daily Mirror, becoming the newspaper’s northern correspondent, based in Leeds.

He famously took coloured photos at the 1966 FIFA World Cup final between England and West Germany – which at the time was seen as a novelty.

Only a handful of photographers took colour photos of the game and Varley was one of them.

He famously took photos from the stands during the first half, before approaching a messenger during halftime and asking if he could use his credentials.

He then approached a steward and in broken German, explained that he had gone to the toilet and lost his pass. The steward allowed Varley onto the side of the pitch, where he took numerous memorable photos of England winning their first World Cup.

He also took photos of war zones, including Nigeria and Northern Ireland.

But he was also a huge football fan, who every four years took a sabbatical from work to attend the World Cup.

And it was in Mexico in 1970 that he took the image that would define his career.

The photo of Pelé and Bobby Moore embracing after Brazil had beaten England instantly became iconic and he later won a World Press Photo Award for a photo of the acclaimed sculptor, Henry Moore.

Varley was also a Leeds United fan and took numerous photos which are still used by the club today. His personal works of Leeds United games during the Don Revie era have featured in numerous sports books.

In a New York Times article, his peers commented that Varley had "what other photographers described as an instinct for being where things might develop, and a patience to wait for the crucial moment."

And Pele himself had kind words for the photo.

The two legends had just battled it out in the ‘Clash of the Champions’ in Guadalajara, with 1958 and 1962 winners Brazil edging holders England 1-0 in one of the all-time World Cup classics.

In a BBC documentary, he commented: "That photo has gone around the world. I think it was very important for football."

He continued: "We demonstrate that it's a sport. Win or lose, the example, the friendship, you must pass these on to other players to the next generation."

Following his death, John left a widow, June, and two sons, Andrew who has a thriving Leeds picture agency, and David, a TV cameraman and producer.

You can see a gallery of John Varley’s work HERE