THE GREATEST FOOTBALLERS IN HISTORY

So the team we've put together in the picture above is the greatest ever. Or is it? It's a debate which has raged for as long as the game itself - but now YOU can have your say and win pounds 10,000.

Sir Alf Ramsey, the man who guided England to World Cup glory in 1966, picked an eleven of quite sensational ability - but he had no room for the great Sir Stanley Matthews. On page 42, our own Mike Langley, a veteran of umpteen World Cup finals, picks his own all- time line-up - and prefers Pat Jennings to Gordon Banks in goal. The debate will go on, and on...

Because England, the home of the world's greatest sport, is about to become the permanent venue for the International Football Hall Of Fame, backed by the Mirror and the Professional Footballers' Association, we need YOU, our readers, to decide just which of the game's heroes should be first to have their achievements recognised.

Pele, Best, Cruyff, Moore, Di Stefano, Beckenbauer, Law, Edwards, Charlton, Matthews ... who was the best?

Over the weeks, with your help, we'll pick the best 25 of all time to be inaugurated in November in the official Hall Of Fame.

Next year, another 25 will be chosen and after that just five players a year will join the hallowed ranks of the Hall Of Famers. To qualify, your favourite must have played for his country at least once and have retired for three years - which means that, unlike Sir Alf, you won't be able to pick Maradona and Andreas Brehme.

But those are the names which may spring to mind when you vote for your favourite current players to win the Future Hall Of Famers accolade. So get voting NOW - we'll tell you how inside this special pull-out. The Hall of Fame will be the centrepiece of an exciting new leisure complex for supporters from all over the world.

Celebrating the spirit and enjoyment of the game itself, this magnificent state of the art building in Manchester will also

feature a Hall of History, film theatres, a football skills and training area, football rides and a 360 degree dome.

But first, the votes. What we need you to do is nominate up to FOUR players for election to the Hall Of Fame, plus up to FOUR current stars as Future Hall Of Famers. To do this, simply call the special numbers on the right and on the back page of this pull-out. Details of voting and winners will appear in The Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Sunday People and Sporting Life.

You can also cast your vote on the Internet at www.sporting- life.com.

Fans from other countries will also be voting as newspapers from all over Europe and around the world will be carrying voting forms.

This is how it all works.

A player of any nationality can be elected to the Hall Of Fame. He must have been retired from the game for three years by June 30 in the year of election - that is, June 30, 1997 for this year's voting - and must have played at full international level, gaining at least one cap.

Anyone in the world can make up to four nominations for players in each Election Year, so if you cannot decide whether Bobby Moore was better than George Best because they played in different positions, you can vote for both. But the choice is yours. If you want to, you can vote for four goalkeepers!

A nomination must be sent directly to the International Football Hall Of Fame on an Official Voting Form, by telephone to a registered number, or via the website at www.sporting-life.com or www.int-foot- fame.com.

Voting for the first Hall Of Famers goes on until Sunday November 9, 1997. The five players who receive most nominations will automatically be elected to the International Football Hall Of Fame.

This year, the remaining 20 places will be decided as follows. A Selection Committee will be appointed, made up of seven retired players from different football countries, with a Chairman from the Professional Footballers Association.

They will meet in the third week of November and draw up a short- list of 60 players from those who receive most votes. This list is given to a panel of selected football journalists from the countries taking part. The Chairman in the first year will be The Mirror's Harry Harris.

Each journalist will choose his or her top 20. The 20 players who receive the most votes will be elected to the International Football Hall Of Fame.

So every vote counts. But don't worry if you lose today's paper before you make that call - we'll be giving you more chances to vote in the weeks ahead - see the back page of this pull-out for details.

Copyright 1997 MGN LTD
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