Ah man - I met him when I was 10 or 11! Mountain of a man to me back then. Proper legend and produced the second best save history has ever seen! RIP big man
Not comparing keepers but out of the two saves (Banks v Brazil and Monty v Leeds) which do you reckon was the best?
I’ll always answer Monty’s- whilst accepting that of course bias will be an influence. That said , think they were different in that Montys was more spectacular with the pure instinct ( and was combined with an initial good save) , whilst the Banks one was more technical and anticipated by a great goalkeeping mind . (hope my choice of words explains what I’m trying to say!)
Montys first save was pretty standard, though he did well to push the ball out. Still dont know how he saved the second. Cant argue with your reasoning though cos as far as comparing montys second save and banks save there is nothing between them. Banks and Montys saves needed and deserved the element of luck for them to have stopped out.
Pele recounts Gordon Banks' 1970 World Cup save in moving tribute "I'm glad he saved my header - because that act was the start of a friendship between us that I will always treasure," said Pele Last Updated: 12/02/19 4:41pm please log in to view this image Pele has paid tribute to the late England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, recounting his experience of "one of the best saves" he has ever seen. Banks, a World Cup winner with England in 1966, "passed away peacefully overnight" aged 81, his family said in a statement on Tuesday morning. please log in to view this image The former England, Stoke and Leicester 'keeper is widely-known for his remarkable save to deny Brazil legend Pele at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Pele, however, says he and Banks share a bond far deeper than just the memory of that save, which came in Brazil's 1-0 group-stage win in Guadalajara. In a Facebook post, Pele said: "For many people, their memory of Gordon Banks is defined by the save he made against me in 1970. I understand why. please log in to view this image Gordon Banks' famous save to deny Pele at the 1970 World Cup "The save was one of the best I have ever seen - in real life, and in all the thousands of games I have watched since. "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 l, 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. Whenever we met, it was always like we had never been apart. "I have great sadness in my heart today and I send condolences to the family he was so proud of. "Rest in peace, my friend. Yes, you were a goalkeeper with magic. But you were also so much more. You were a fine human being."
When I grew up I didn't like him because looking through my red and white tinted glasses I just wanted Monty to play for England. As you get older and more sensible you can see what a 'hell' of a goalkeeper the lad was. Ultimately, though he seemed not only an immense player but he was an immense human being as well. I think that is the greatest tribute you can give him.....RIP......and know you will be forever a legend in the true meaning of the word.
I can't remember if I saw him play or not, other than on the telly. I saw Man U v Stoke in (I think) 1972 at Old Trafford (Denis Smith's team ), but whether he was playing or not I'm not sure. I was only ten and it was getting towards the final days of the "Holy Trinity" side, so I wasn't really looking TBH. Great keeper, though. RIP Gordon...
Very sad..came across as a top bloke. I'm just old enough to remember the 1966 cup final and all those players are true hero's for me...Sad to see one pass away. RIP
