|

Gordon Banks R.I.P.

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Of all the saves
In all the games
It had to be Pelé

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Of all the discussions
In all the bars
GOAT, is normally the great divider

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Greatest player, greatest manager
Greatest team, greatest final
Greatest ….
keeper (you’re up there)
defender
midfielder
No 10
striker
finisher
winger
dribbler
Ref
Tournament….

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Every tagging will engender…
debate upon debate
but all the pondering and deliberation
is immediately set aside
when it comes to the Greatest Save…

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 for none can touch it

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Except you did
not just touch it, reach it, block it
but divert it
alter it’s trajectory – as if the sun had exploded

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Pelé, was discommoded
but even he
saw the beauty
of how your paw
managed to draw
the very breath away from our lungs
and yet utter in many varied tongues…
“How the……..!!!!!!”

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Gordon, we now lay you to rest
in that great goalmouth in the sky
but with a shared saddened sigh
we’ll all acknowledge
that your memory will be as treasured, and….
as safe as the “Banks of England”

Notes

GOAT = Greatest of all Time

Not only one of the greatest, but apparently one of the nicest.

His courage was summed up by him continuing his playing career even after losing one eye.

My favourite quote from the Obitz:

“I scored more than 1,000 goals in my life and people don’t remember that, but the goal I didn’t score they remember,” Pele said of Banks’ save in the 1970 World Cup.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/gordon-banks-r-i-p/?shared=email&msg=fail