June 7, 1970: Can a save be the greatest in the history of soccer -- or "football," as most of the world says in one variation or another -- if the goalkeeper who made it ends up losing the game anyway? The experience of Gordon Banks suggests that it can.
In 1966, Banks, the goalie at Leicester City Football Club, was chosen by manager Alf Ramsey as the starting goalie for England in the World Cup, to be held on home soil. England won, and Banks and his teammates were national heroes, captained by Bobby Moore, centreback for East London team West Ham United.
England went into the 1970 World Cup in Mexico as defending champions, still with Ramsey in charge, and with many of the same players, including Banks and Moore. But they were placed in a group with Brazil, the 1958 and 1962 winners; Czechoslovakia, the 1962 runners-up; and Romania. All, including England themselves, were considered to be strong teams again, and England and Brazil were among the favorites.
Mexican journalists looked at these 4 teams, put together, and introduced a new phrase into the footballing lexicon: << Grupo de la Muerte. >> "Group of Death." (It took until the 1986 World Cup, also in Mexico, before the term really caught on.)
In addition to the tough competition, the unfamiliar heat and the unfamiliar altitude got to the English. They opened the Group Stage with a 1-0 win over Romania, and ended it with a win over Czechoslovakia. But it would be the middle game that would be remembered, at Estadio Jalisco, in Guadalajara, against Brazil, winners in 1958 and 1962.
Alan Mullery played for North London team Tottenham Hotspur. He had been too young to be selected for the 1966 team, but had been selected this time. He saw what has been called the greatest save ever, made on perhaps the best player ever:
Jairzinho was flying down the wing, and he clips the ball to the far post, and Pelé, who climbed to such a height better than anybody else, headed the ball and Gordon went from one post to another and he flicks the ball with his fingertips and it just goes over the crossbar.
Bobby Charlton, who was one of the stars of the 1966 team, would say, many years later, "Even though I was on the pitch and have seen it many times since, I still don't know how he saved that header from Pelé."
Pelé himself said, "When you are a footballer, you know straight away how well you have hit the ball. I hit that header exactly as I had hoped. Exactly where I wanted it to go. And I was ready to celebrate.
"But then, this man, Banks, appeared in my sight, like a kind of blue phantom, is how I described him. He came from nowhere and he did something I didn't feel was possible. He pushed my header, somehow, up and over. And I couldn't believe what I saw. Even now when I watch it, I can't believe it. I can't believe how he moved so far, so fast.
"I scored so many goals in my life, but many people, when they meet me, always ask me about that save. While it was indeed phenomenal, my memory of Gordon is not defined by that. It is defined by his friendship. He was a kind and warm man who gave so much to people.
"So I am glad he saved my header, because that act was the start of a friendship between us that I will always treasure."
Indeed, Pelé and Banks are forever linked, and often appeared at events together, like Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca, like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Perhaps England deserved to win the game because of that. But, like the New York Mets against the St. Louis Cardinals after the Endy Chavez catch in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, it was not to be. Jairzinho scored in the 59th minute, and Brazil won 1-0.
"So I am glad he saved my header, because that act was the start of a friendship between us that I will always treasure."
Indeed, Pelé and Banks are forever linked, and often appeared at events together, like Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca, like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Perhaps England deserved to win the game because of that. But, like the New York Mets against the St. Louis Cardinals after the Endy Chavez catch in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, it was not to be. Jairzinho scored in the 59th minute, and Brazil won 1-0.
The end of the game featured another iconic moment: Moore and Pelé exchanging shirts, a white man and a black man in a moment of great sportsmanship that the world will never forget.
England advanced to the Quarterfinal, to be held 7 days later, in León. Banks became violently ill the night before -- shades of Tottenham's "Lasagne-gate" incident in 2006. Ramsey decided he couldn't risk Banks in the heat and altitude, and started Peter Bonetti of West London team Chelsea instead. West Germany got its revenge for '66: Mullery and Peters scored to give England a 2-0 lead in the 2nd half, but Bonetti allowed 2 goals in a 14-minute stretch, and Germany won 3-2 in extra time.
Four days after that, on June 18, the United Kingdom held a general election. The Conservative Party gained a net 76 seats, giving them a majority by 42. Harold Wilson was out as Prime Minister, and Edward Heath was in. It has been suggested that England's loss depressed voter turnout, and that, had Banks been well enough to play, Wilson's Labour Party would have stayed in power.
Honestly, I don't see an English victory over Germany in the Quarterfinals making a 42-seat difference. Besides, the Semifinal had been held the day before, and Germany lost to Italy, 4-3 after extra time, in a game that became known as "The Game of the Century." If England had beaten Germany, but lost to Italy, what would that have done to turnout? And if England had beaten Italy, and gotten into the Final, maybe a lot of voters would be hungover from celebrating the night before, and not gone to the polls, and the Tories would have won, anyway.
Just as the Germans won a rematch with the English in 1970, so, too, did Wilson and Labour win a rematch with Heath and the Tories 4 years later, in 1974. Wilson remains the last Prime Minister of Britain to lose the office, and then regain it.
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June 7, 1970 was a Sunday. Marcos Evangelista de Morais, the right back known as Cafu, Captain of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winners, was born on this day. So was hockey legend Mike Modano.
These other games were played in the World Cup that day:
* Host Mexico beat El Salvador, 4-0 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
* Israel, in its only World Cup through 2022, played Sweden to a 1-1 draw at Estadio Luis Dosal in Toluca.
* West Germany beat Bulgaria, 5-2 at Estadio Camp Nou in León.
And these Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox, 4-3 at Yankee Stadium. Fritz Peterson and future Yankee Tommy John started. The game went 12 innings, and the ChiSox won it on a double by Tommy McCraw and a single by Bobby Knoop. Horace Clarke hit a home run.
* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 10-2 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. In 17 days, the Reds would play their last game at Crosley Field; 6 days after that, they would play in their 1st at Riverfront Stadium.
The Mets got a home run from Ken Boswell. For the Reds, Pete Rose went 3-for-3 with 2 walks, Johnny Bench went 2-for-4 with a home run and 5 RBIs, and Lee May also homered.
* The Boston Red Sox swept a doubleheader from the the Kansas City Royals, 7-4 and 5-2 at Fenway Park in Boston. In the opener, relief pitcher Ken Brett hit a home run and got the save for the BoSox, 2 years before his brother George would make his debut for the Royals. Over the 2 games, Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-6... with 3 walks.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Senators, 10-9 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington. The Senators scored twice in the bottom of the 9th, to send the game to extra innings. The Twins scored 3 in the top of the 11th, the Senators only 2 in the bottom half. Harmon Killebrew went 2-for-5 with a walk and an RBI, but Rod Carew did not play.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Atlanta Braves, 10-1 at Atlanta Stadium (later renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). Hank Aaron went 1-for-4.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Three weeks later, the Pirates would close Forbes Field; 2 weeks after that, they would move into Three Rivers Stadium. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-4, and Willie Stargell went 0-for-3.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants, 8-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The wind was blowing out: The Cubs got home runs from Billy Williams, Johnny Callison, Jack Hiatt, Jim Hickman and Cleo James; while the Giants got them from Willie Mays (who went 4-for-5), Dick Dietz and Al Gallagher. Ernie Banks did not play.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6 at Milwaukee County Stadium. The O's got home runs from Frank Robinson, Boog Powell and Merv Rettenmund. Brooks Robinson went 3-for-5.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres, 10- 7 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Bob Gibson allowed 7 runs in 7 innings, but was still the winning pitcher.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros, 10-3 at the Astrodome in Houston. The Phils would close Connie Mack Stadium, formerly known as Shibe Park, at the end of the season; and move into Veterans Stadium the next season.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 6-4 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim).
* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 1-for-4. Al Kaline went 1-for-3 with 2 walks.
