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Poems tagged ‘Gordon Banks’

Only One Banksy( R.I.P. Gordon)

John J O’Connor

Friday, February 22nd, 2019

When millennials hear of Banksy
they think of the bloke who scrawls on walls
But when oldies think of Banksy
they remember the great goalie saving balls.
Of his heroic days at Wembley
especially in July of Sixty- Six
But it’s four year later we’ll remember more
the star between the sticks

It was a hot and humid afternoon
beneath the scorching Jalisco sun
when Banksy made the greatest save
that’s been bettered since by none

The great Jairzinho got the ball
He was on the right wing for Brazil
and he took on Terry Cooper
with the score line still nil- nil
He went ‘round Cooper skillfully
with confidence and ease
then heard a cry, “on me ‘ead son”
yelled in guttural Portuguese
He sent the cross in powerfully
and Pele’s head it met
and everybody watching thought
the ball was in the net.
GOL !!! screamed Pele excitedly
As he raised his arms with glee
“ Pele puts Brazil ahead”
said the man on I.T.V.

But Banksy on his near post still
was having none of that
and he hurled himself across
his goal like a circus acrobat.
He got his hand under the ball
after allowing for the bounce
“the greatest save I’ve ever seen”
the commentator now announced.

Jairzinho eventually broke the deadlock
and Brazil won – one to nil
but that save by Banks from Pele
Is shown and talked of still.
Now Gordon passed away last week
He’s moved to heaven from his grave
And the first question that God asked him was
“How the Hell did you make that save?”

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Gordon Banks – England’s number one

Emdad Rahman

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Pele screamed “Gol”
Alberto and Jairzinho tricky
Banks saves heart and soul
Modestly terming it “lucky”

Brilliance from the World Cup winner
In the heat of Guadalajara
Chesterfield, Leicester, Stoke, FIFA
Named six times keeper of the year

Once the Kop lauded merrily
“Nice work, Gordon,” sang the ranks
Lap of honour with Bill Shankly
You’ll never walk alone Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks 1937-2019

12 02 19

number7
© emdad rahman

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Gordon Banks R.I.P.

Clik The Mouse

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Of all the saves
In all the games
It had to be Pelé

Of all the discussions
In all the bars
GOAT, is normally the great divider

Greatest player, greatest manager
Greatest team, greatest final
Greatest ….
keeper (you’re up there)
defender
midfielder
No 10
striker
finisher
winger
dribbler
Ref
Tournament….

Every tagging will engender…
debate upon debate
but all the pondering and deliberation
is immediately set aside
when it comes to the Greatest Save…

for none can touch it

Except you did
not just touch it, reach it, block it
but divert it
alter it’s trajectory – as if the sun had exploded

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……..!!!!!!”

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”

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Banks of England

Sharon Jones

Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

Banks of England
What athletic dignity
Poured through each finger
And ripped through the sky
The Arc of Triumph
The athletic body pushed through
Impossible angles
And as the man wheeled away
Body flexed in celebration
Even Moses shouted “GOAL”
And echoed a million breathless hearts
And yet the ball fell harmlessly away
The script unheeded and hastily rewritten
Touched by the hand of God surely
As the hands of the grateful emperor applauded
A moment of exquisite genius
A lifetime of modesty.

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A Hero That Could Fly

Mike Bartram

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Gordon Banks was one of the greatest goalkeepers
that the world had ever seen.
Remember that save against Pele in the World Cup,
an impossible feat it did seem.
The Kop always appreciated opposition goalkeepers,
but Banks always got the loudest cheer.
He played at Anfield in Oct 1972
and left the pitch to the Kop’s applause loud and clear.
But the next day Banks was involved in a car accident,
which cruelly cost him the sight of his right eye.
As brave as Banks was he realised he’d have to retire,
they called him a ‘hero that could fly’
When Banks came to Anfield as a spectator,
Shankly took him before the Kop and together they stood.
The reception Banks received from the Spion Kop was incredible,
just like you knew it would.

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Source: https://footballpoets.org/news/poem-tags/gordon-banks/