THE CAT RUNS OUT OF LIVES
Peter “The Cat” Bonetti has died after a long period of ill health. Nicknamed The Cat for his stunning reflexes, Bonetti was a stand out goalkeeper for Chelsea in the 1960s, winning the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Cup Winners Cup with them in a period before they became a big club. He had seven caps for England, as he was backup to the great Gordon Banks. Unfortunately, he is best remembered for the 1970 World Cup Quarterfinal, when he was called into play at the last minute after Gordon Banks was poisoned, allegedly by the CIA. The England team had not attempted to acclimatize to the Mexican weather and underused Bonetti struggled in the harsh sun, but the bobble on the pitch which deflected Beckenbauers shot into the goal – the moment Bonetti was crucified for – was an unfair slice of bad luck. It also wasn’t Bonetti’s fault that Alf Ramsay for some reason substituted Bobby Charlton, England’s finest player, at 2-1, nor that the midfield conceded ball play to Franz Beckenbauer and allowed one of the finest footballers of that generation to dictate play. Still, goalies are easier to blame. He also played for Dundee United and became a postman on the Isle of Mull. He was picked by 3 teams, including Exu’s Exiteers and long standing regulars I’m Sorry for your Trouble, who moved into the top 25 and have a number of good cards still on the table, including a joker we can surely all celebrate.
Peter “The Cat” Bonetti
27 September 1941 – 12 April 2020
3 teams