Pele screamed ‘Gol!’ ‘Goal,’ thought Gordon Banks. ‘Save of the century,’ cried the many millions watching as the world’s finest keeper disentangled himself from the side-netting and stood to receive acclamation from the greatest footballer of all time.
‘Remember the date,’ remarked a sage in the Press box. June 7, 1970. Burned into the legend of the beautiful game under a blazing Mexican sun.
This Sunday marks 50 years since time stood still for a heart-stopping moment as Pele soared, Banks dived and the ball arced exquisitely above the angle of post and crossbar.
Gordon Banks’ save from Pele is regarded as one of the best saves ever made by a goalkeeper
Pele couldn’t believe he hadn’t scored, and Banks was similarly in disbelief he had saved it
The date of June 7, 1970 will always be remembered on the 50th anniversary of Banks’ save
The Miracle In Guadalajara stands in splendid isolation, its glory untrammelled by implications, consequences, recriminations even. It had no bearing on the outcome of a magnificent game between the World Cup holders and those who would soon displace them as champions. England still lost 1-0 to Brazil.
Both still advanced in the tournament, to differing fates.
It is The Save which lives for ever, though sadly no longer the hero who performed that astonishing feat of acrobatics.
This group match was played at high altitude as well as 98F heat but Banks of England defied altitude as impossibly as Edson Arantes Do Nascimento.
Pele, far right, got up high to thump a header down into the ground after a cross into the box
Banks somehow leapt up to meet the fast-travelling ball and claw it above the crossbar
England players and Banks himself looked on in astonishment in a moment that will live forever
Barely 10 minutes had elapsed when Carlos Alberto sent Jairzinho speeding down the right to launch the perfect cross. Pele rose to the occasion and the header.
Banks flew the full width of goal from his left-hand post and was still airborne as the ball pitched a yard from the line. That rearing thunderbolt was tipped away by the top edge of Banks’s outstretched hand.
As they turned to each other, Pele said: ‘I thought that was a goal.’ Banks replied: ‘Me too.’ Captain Bobby Moore grinned at his fellow survivor from England’s solitary World Cup triumph four years earlier and joked: ‘You’re getting old, Banksy. You used to catch those.’
The exchanges became the basis of countless speeches which would be given by Banks down the years before his time came. He used to say: ‘Everyone asks more about the save than the 1966 World Cup.’
Brazil legend Pele, right, says he is glad Banks made the save and they have become friends
Pele still says: ‘I couldn’t believe he made that save, but I’m happy he did. It was the greatest ever and it made us great friends for life. He was the perfect gentleman.’
Although, on the day, he insisted on exchanging shirts with Moore in a memorably photographed gesture of enormous mutual respect. Their epic duel had been central to a match won by Jairzinho’s lacerating goal on the hour from Pele’s perfect pass, but which ended with missed chances for an equaliser by Franny Lee and his substitute Jeff Astle.
Banks was recognised as FIFA’s World Goalkeeper of the Year for a sixth time, five of those honours coming in succession. But he could not save England from losing the World Cup exactly one week later.
Nor could Moore, whose arrival in Mexico had been sensationally delayed by a trumped-up charge of stealing a bracelet en route through Colombia, followed by house arrest in Bogota.
The ex-Stoke City star was recognised as FIFA World Goalkeeper of the Year five times in a row
Neither could prevent the stomach illness which afflicted Banks on the eve of the quarter-final against old foes West Germany in Leon. Banks was sick all night. Even paler than usual, he was deemed to have passed a fitness test on match-day morning but was stricken again at lunchtime.
‘Why him?’ growled manager Alf Ramsey.
Sinister rumours abounded that Banks had been poisoned as part of a conspiracy to bring the World Cup to Latin America, which had started with Moore’s incarceration. More likely Banks was the most important of one of hundreds of Englishmen laid low by Montezuma’s Revenge that Mexican summer of high temperatures and hot food.
Whatever the truth, in came the talented but on this occasion unprepared and unfocused Peter Bonetti. That flaw was not exposed until after England had taken a two-goal lead through Alan Mullery and Martin Peters either side of half-time.
Then, looking for vengeance for the 1966 final, West Germany took advantage of Bonetti’s distraction and Ramsey’s error in believing the match was won so he could safely rest Bobby Charlton for a semi-final which never came.
Banks fell ill before the quarter final against West Germany, so Peter Bonetti (L) stepped in
As Ramsey substituted Charlton, he removed the shackles from Franz Beckenbauer, who promptly pulled one goal back. As at Wembley four years earlier, West Germany equalised late, this time through Uwe Seeler.
This time Gerd Muller scored the extra-time winner.
Germany marched on to face Italy in the semi-finals but yet another last-gasp equaliser — Karl-Heinz Schnellinger in the 90th minute cancelling out Roberto Boninsegna’s eighth-minute starter — was not enough to save them again.
Pele lifts the trophy after a brilliant Brazil side thumped Italy 4-1 in the World Cup final
This proved to be an extra-time too far. Muller scored twice on his way to 10 goals in the tournament but goals from Tarcisio Burgnich, Gigi Riva and Gianni Rivera swept them aside.
Italy had won the most exciting match but Brazil awaited them in the final, primed for the most explosive, exhilarating exhibition of the global game.
Pele — who else — scored first in the cauldron of Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium.
Boninsegna hauled Italy gallantly level before half-time. Stage set for the command performance. Gerson and Jairzinho struck like lightning.
Pele helped Brazil to a third World Cup while Banks gave England The Save of Any Century
Then the crowning, matador flourish as captain Carlos Alberto raced from right back to meet Pele’s sublime, disguised pass with his scorching wonder goal.
To Brazil, the Jules Rimet Trophy in perpetuity as third-time World Cup winners. This time 4-1.
‘Ole, ole, ole, ole,’ from more than 107,000 worshippers of probably the greatest football team the world has ever seen. Greater even than Real Madrid’s European Cup maestros under the magical inspiration of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
To England, one glittering consolation: The Save Of Any Century, performed by Gordon Banks Esquire, the first gentleman of the lonely craft of the goalkeeper.
To Senhor Pele, just this once: ‘No gol.’