1966 and all that....

Another week of reflection...

...our own footy fan Members (and there are a few who grace Carrow Road on match days brandishing their season tickets) will not fail to remember the 'Safest Hands in England' as tributes are paid to England's 1966 World Cup-winning Hero Gordon Banks.   Still unique in the history of the tournament that prized the Jules Rimet Trophy (and now the FIFA World Cup Trophy), England's Winners have their place at the pinnacle of achievement and, nowadays, of aspiration - although now very encouraged by Gareth Southgate's Team's performance last Summer.   It still remains remarkable that in the 1966 tournament, it took a penalty kick late in the Semi-Final from no less than the Portuguese 'Great' Eusebio to get anything 'between the sticks' past one of those who can truly be called the 'world's greatest goally'.   Three things come to mind...

...in remembering 'that' save in 1970, Gordon will forever be linked with the name 'Pele'.  Adversaries on the field, as a result of that wonder-save, the Brazilian maestro and the Safest Hands in England became friends off it.  In footballing terms, that was a legacy in life, but there will be no difficulty for others to highlight how else this England's No.1 made the mark that others would do well to aspire to;

...in coming days, many will wonder why we are not mourning 'Sir' Gordon Banks and in a corner of someone's quite forgettable desk is 'just another' forgettable buff folder with 'just another' name on it, which may be familiar to the user of the desk, or not.  Apparently, it is still there....    ...an administrative glitch...   ...if you are the user of that desk, you have helped to give 'administration' the worst of names and the 'system' has treated - albeit unintentionally - an English national sporting hero with disdain;

...in a forthcoming week, as many of us who can, will attend our singing colleague Chris's funeral and we expect to hear from his family and others about his gentleness and cheerfulness, the characteristics we remember him by.    With Gordon Banks, it is clear that he isn't to be just known as one of the great goalkeepers, but tribute after tribute talks of him as a great gentleman and a kind person.    Nationally and locally, we may be poorer for the passing of these gentlemen, but we are richer for the memories and examples they have given us.    May they both rest in peace.