Comments on: What If…Gordon Banks had stuck to Captain Birdseye’s finest? http://england.worldcupblog.org/what-if/what-ifgordon-banks-had-stuck-to-captain-birdseyes-finest.html World Cup 2010 - South Africa Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:06:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Michael Oliver http://england.worldcupblog.org/what-if/what-ifgordon-banks-had-stuck-to-captain-birdseyes-finest.html/comment-page-1#comment-117455 Michael Oliver Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:55:05 +0000 http://england.worldcupblog.org/what-if/what-ifgordon-banks-had-stuck-to-captain-birdseyes-finest.html#comment-117455 Interesting thoughts about Bonetti. I remember reading somewhere else that his marriage was on the rocks during this period, and his wife was actually in Mexico at the time with some of the other players' wives. This was possibly a factor in his lack of usual sharpness and concentration which led to West Germany's goals. It's all his wife's fault! :) Interesting thoughts about Bonetti. I remember reading somewhere else that his marriage was on the rocks during this period, and his wife was actually in Mexico at the time with some of the other players’ wives. This was possibly a factor in his lack of usual sharpness and concentration which led to West Germany’s goals. It’s all his wife’s fault! :)

]]> By: Daryl http://england.worldcupblog.org/what-if/what-ifgordon-banks-had-stuck-to-captain-birdseyes-finest.html/comment-page-1#comment-117431 Daryl Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:51:37 +0000 http://england.worldcupblog.org/what-if/what-ifgordon-banks-had-stuck-to-captain-birdseyes-finest.html#comment-117431 I also remember (and by remember I mean read somewhere) that Ramsay subbed Bobby Chartlon off while we were winning, to rest him before the semi-final. The knock-on effect from losing this game was big. We didn't qualify for the '74 or '78 World Cups, so it was 12 years before we made it back. And when we did, we were no longer a team to fear, at least not to the extent we were in 1970. I also remember (and by remember I mean read somewhere) that Ramsay subbed Bobby Chartlon off while we were winning, to rest him before the semi-final.

The knock-on effect from losing this game was big. We didn’t qualify for the ‘74 or ‘78 World Cups, so it was 12 years before we made it back. And when we did, we were no longer a team to fear, at least not to the extent we were in 1970.

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