My Greatest Sporting Moment

I was thinking only last week about creating an entry about this topic and the sudden and sad death of a great sportsman this week has triggered me to do it.

When I was considering "Great Sporting Moments" as opposed to "Performances" you think of  a single instance of brilliant skill that defines a period of time, defines an individual and captures the imagination of the world. As opposed to a performance over a period of time, such as Ian Botham's innings at Headingley in 1981, or Ali's incredible effort at The Rumble In the Jungle in 1974.

So, what were my contenders. Well, I ought to include Johnny Wilkinson's drop goal in 2003 against the Aussies in the Rugby Union World Cup final. But I just can't as I despise everything that Rugby Union stands for. I'd rather pick the lesser known try scored by Clive Sullivan in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup Final.

I could have gone for Gazza's goal against Scotland in Euro '96. I bloody love that goal.

I could have gone for Shane Warne bowling Mike Gatting with his first ball in an Ashes Test in 1993. But he's an Aussie so I just can't.

As a runner Roger Bannister's sub-4 mile could be considered a moment, at least the moment that he crossed the line, but that previous 3 minutes and just less than 60 seconds must have felt like a lung-burning lifetime.

Instead I've gone for something that didn't win a tournament, didn't even win a game but for me had everything that a great sporting moment needs.

My choice is a save in the 1970 World Cup qualifying game in Guadalajara between Brazil and England - England lost the game but this moment for me defined an era of football that we will never see again and pitted the greatest outfield player to play the game against the greatest goalkeeper; both of these descriptions in my own humble opinion. That goalkeeper was Gordon Banks, born in Sheffield and signed by my home town club Chesterfield in 1953. He eventually moved on to Leicester City (before I was born) and then to Stoke City as he became England's first choice between the sticks and a World Cup winner in 1966.

The outfield player was, of course, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pele as he is much better known. Pele had been a star of world football since helping Brazil lift the trophy in 1958 and 1962. When England won in 1966 it was partly because poor refereeing and cynical tactics had allowed teams to kick Pele into Row Z of the stands with no comeback.

In 1970 Brazil were on a mission to win again in conditions hostile to a pasty-faced set of England players not used to playing at altitude. Pasty-faced they may have been, but they were good. Banks was considered the world's best keeper, Bobby Moore was at the height of his powers in defence and Bobby Charlton would run his blood to water in midfield. Surrounding them were names we would kill to have in the modern England side - Cooper, Newton, Hunter, Ball, Peters, Hurst, Jack Charlton, Clarke, Astle.

Most of the games kicked off late in England which was the blistering mid-afternoon heat in Mexico. This particular game, if watched again, can be considered a classic of competing styles and would probably have been a preview of the final if England hadn't blown their quarter-final against Germany when 2-0 ahead. It would have been a great final as well, but I think Brazil would have won that one too.

The move that led to the save was perfection - a ball from midfield by Carlos Alberto released winger Jairzinho who beat the left back Terry Cooper and got his cross in just before it went over the goal line. Waiting at the far post was Pele - he rose perfectly to meet the ball with his head and direct it towards the far corner of the net. Banks had been covering his near post and had to re-position himself to cover the whole goal and then react to where Pele decided to put it. Whether it was instinct or reaction perhaps Banks doesn't even know; what we saw was a brilliant piece of athleticism and strength to push the ball over the bar.

Watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngE9RCAdWaE. Watch it and marvel.

This may not really be the best moment in sport - maybe it's just nostalgia for when England were genuinely good and football wasn't all about money. Maybe it's because it involves a player who is a local legend and another who is a world legend. There you go, I'm picking it anyway.

The sad event that triggered this is the death on 25th October 2016 of the Brazilian captain in 1970, Carlos Alberto Torres. He made the pass that started the move that led to the save; he also scored the fourth goal in the final with a powerful shot after a move that ripped the tiring Italians apart.