It was 7 June 1970, and Gordon Banks‘ reputation as one of England and football’s greatest had already been immortalised.
The impenetrable wall of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning campaign, who passed away overnight on Monday aged 81, with a long-sealed legacy as England’s finest goalkeeper.
But it was four-years after lifting the trophy at Wembley, when England’s heroes travelled to Mexico to defend their crown, that Banks pulled off a moment of rare brilliance that has too never been forgotten.
A leaping twist to divert away Pele‘s header that still, 49 years on, has so few contemporaries. The game’s greatest ever save.
It was in the group stage that England met Brazil. The match touted as the ‘true’ final, between holders and challengers. Alf Ramsey’s history-makers against Pele’s Selecao.
Midway through a frantic first half, with the scores still tied at 0-0, Brazil’s captain Carlos Alberto found Jairzinho on the right-wing, who skipped beyond Terry Cooper and arrowed a cross to the country’s talisman.
Pele rose the highest, he shouted ‘gol’ as he met the ball. But Banks answered with the save that ‘defied physics’.
Diving to his right at full-stretch, the ball bounced just short of the goal-line and rose as gravity took the goalkeeper down. Contorting as he fell, Banks trailed a right-arm in the air and somehow scooped the ball from behind him, flicking it over the bar as he hit the floor.
Bobby Moore gasped and applauded, the commentary team were but for a second lost for words. Even today, Pele is still unsure how the ball didn’t go in.
“I thought that was a goal,” Pele said.
“You and me both,” Banks replied.
“You’re getting old, Banksy, you used to hold on to them,” Moore quipped.
Speaking after the match, Banks dismissed the moment of genius as “lucky”.
“They won’t remember me for winning the World Cup,” he joked. “It will be for that save.”
Other saves have been compared to Banks’ in the years since. Peter Schmeichel’s courageous effort to deny Rene Wagner was as close as we have seen to an imitation. David Seaman’s scoop to deny Sheffield United in the FA Cup in 2003 too was hailed as a contender.
But in both instances, they were compared to Banks’ unrivalled moment, the one always drawn back to as a measurement. Football’s greatest ever save.
