Listen Now: Foul Play
6/15/20268 min
Ed is the grandson of footballing legend Gordon Banks. He was a national icon, the only goalkeeper ever to win the soccer World Cup for England. But Ed’s heard a rumour: that in 1970, while defending the title, his granddad, his hero, was poisoned… by the CIA. All part of a Cold War plot to bolster a military dictatorship in Latin America, supposedly. Could this possibly be true? Banks did get ill in Mexico in 1970 with food poisoning. And England crashed out, marking the start of decades of hurt. Ed enlists the help of investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse. Together they embark on a journey into the bewildering world of Cold War espionage, a journey that threatens to unravel 60 years of sporting history; or possibly… to knock Ed’s granddad off his pedestal.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMatt Forde· Host0:00
Alice, have you ever wondered why England haven't won the World Cup in 60 years?
Alice Levine· Host0:04
Matt, too soon. Too soon.
Matt Forde· Host0:07
Now, you might think it's because of superstar players, or WAGs, or bad managers, but actually no. It might have all begun with the CIA sabotaging the England team, and in the process laying a curse on English football.
Alice Levine· Host0:20
That was actually gonna be my first guess.
Matt Forde· Host0:21
Well, it would've been a good one, because that is an actual theory, and it's a story Audible have investigated in their new podcast, Foul Play.
Alice Levine· Host0:29
Would you please tell me some more about that?
Matt Forde· Host0:31
Well, Alice, 60 years ago, England were the best, and obviously we won the World Cup in 1966. Our star player was a goalkeeper, some say the best goalkeeper ever, Gordon Banks. And we were on track to win again at the following World Cup in Mexico, 1970. But then, mysteriously, Gordon Banks fell ill before a crucial match, and England crashed out, and thus began the 60 years of hurt.
Alice Levine· Host0:53
Right, mysteriously fell ill. It's also called a really bad hangover.
Matt Forde· Host0:58
And that is what many thought, including Gabriel Gatehouse, an investigative journalist, when he was told that the CIA might have been behind Gordon Banks' sudden illness. But then he began looking, and three years later, here he is with his new podcast, Foul Play. Here's an extract from episode one.
Speaker 3· Soundbite1:15
[door creaking] [paper rustling] We hear the name of your grandfather, please.
Ed· Soundbite1:26
My name's Ed, and I feel