Editing Gordon Banks (section)

=== 1970 World Cup ===
{{multiple image
|align= left
|total_width = 300
|image1 = Gordon Banks en 1970.jpg
|image2 = Gordon banks figurita.jpg
|footer = [[association football trading card|Trading card]]s of Banks with England by Italian [[Panini Group|Panini]] (left) and ''Chapitas'' in Argentina (right), both issued in 1970
}}
Banks went into the [[1970 FIFA World Cup|1970 World Cup]] as England's number one with 59 caps to his name, and had Peter Bonetti (six caps) and [[Alex Stepney]] (one cap) as his understudies. He found the heat and altitude at [[Guadalajara]], Mexico difficult to cope with.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=160}}</ref> The team's efforts at acclimatisation were not helped when Bobby Moore was falsely accused of stealing the infamous "[[Bogotá Bracelet]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=167}}</ref> Despite this, a Geoff Hurst goal was enough to beat their first opponents, [[Romania national football team|Romania]].<ref name="page 169">{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=169}}</ref> A far tougher test awaited on 7 June, when England faced Brazil. The day before the match, Banks was informed that he had been awarded an [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]].<ref name="page 169" />

[[File:banksvspele4.jpg|thumb|right|Image describing Banks's save v Pelé in the 1970 World Cup, Mexico]]
Playing at pace, Brazil were putting England under enormous pressure and an attack was begun by [[Captain (association football)|captain]] [[Carlos Alberto Torres|Carlos Alberto]] who sent a low ball down the right flank for the speedy [[Jairzinho]] to latch on to.<ref name="page 2">{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=2}}</ref> The Brazilian winger sped past left-back [[Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1944)|Terry Cooper]] and crossed the ball into the six-yard box, where [[Pelé]] connected with a powerful header to send the ball low towards the right-hand corner of the goal.<ref name="page 2" /> In the knowledge that his header was placed to perfection, Pelé immediately shouted "Gol!" (Brazilian Portuguese for goal).<ref name="page 3">{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rice|first=Simon|title=The 100 greatest World Cup moments|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-100-greatest-world-cup-moments-1915569.html?action=Gallery&ino=18|access-date=18 May 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=10 June 2010}}</ref>

The split-second incident only allowed Banks time for one conscious thought – that the shot was impossible to catch, and the only way to prevent Pelé from following up on the rebound would be to parry the ball over the bar.<ref name="page 3" /> The ball bounced {{convert|2|yd}} in front of the goal-line, and Banks managed to make contact with the ball with the fingers of his right hand and rolled his hand slightly to angle the ball over the crossbar.<ref name="page 3" /> He landed in the inner netting of the goal and knew he had saved the ball after seeing Pelé's reaction.<ref name="page 3" /> Banks then rose to his feet to defend the corner and broke into laughter after the following exchange:<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=4}}</ref>

:"I thought that was a goal." (Pelé)
:"You and me both." (Banks)
:"You're getting old, Banksy, you used to hold on to them." (Bobby Moore)

Pelé and numerous journalists and pundits would later describe the save as the greatest in the game's history.<ref name="ifhof">[http://www.ifhof.com/hof/banks.asp Gordon Banks: International Football Hall of Fame] Retrieved 10 May 2011</ref><ref name="pelgod">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/jun/30/sport.comment|title=And God created Pelé|access-date=11 May 2011|work=The Guardian|location=UK|first=Simon|last=Hattenstone|date=30 June 2003}}</ref><ref name="keepstun">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110122063954/http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=174372/index.html Gordon BANKS: The keeper who stunned the King] ''FIFA''. Retrieved 10 May 2011</ref> Banks later said "They won't remember me for winning the World Cup, it'll be for that save. That's how big a thing it is. People just want to talk about that save."<ref>[http://www.chrishunt.biz/features04.html ''Reunited: Gordon Banks & Jairzinho''], published in ''FourFourTwo''. 2002</ref> In 2002 the UK public voted the save No. 41 in the list of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)|100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|title=100 Greatest Sporting Moments – Results|year=2002|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020204090913/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|archive-date=4 February 2002|url-status=dead|access-date=9 August 2019}}</ref>

Brazil won 1–0 after Jairzinho beat Banks in the second half.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=175}}</ref> England ultimately joined Brazil in the last eight after a win in the final group game against [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]]. The reward was a rematch of the 1966 final against West Germany.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-england-at-the-world-cup-1970-mexico-banks-illness-undermines-englands-title-defence-1162828.html | work = The Independent | title = Football: England at the World Cup: 1970 Mexico – Banks illness undermines England's title defence | first = Ken | last= Jones | date = 4 June 1998 | access-date = 12 February 2019}}</ref>

The day before the West Germany game, England's hopes of making further inroads into the World Cup were dented when Banks complained of an upset stomach. He became affected by violent stomach cramps and aching limbs and spent his time in the bathroom sweating, shivering and vomiting.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=182}}</ref> He passed an extremely undemanding fitness test but suffered a relapse shortly before the game, and Ramsey was forced to rest him and play Peter Bonetti in his place.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=184}}</ref> Ramsey remarked that "of all the players to lose, we had to lose him."<ref name="keepstun" /> Banks watched the game on television at the hotel as England lost a two-goal lead to be eliminated 3–2 after extra time. Due to a delay in the broadcast, he switched the television off, with England 2–0 in the lead, as Bobby Moore returned to the hotel to break the news of the defeat.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=185}}</ref> Suspicions later surfaced that Banks had been poisoned to take him out of the game, but with no evidence to support them, Banks never believed in them.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=186}}</ref>