Interview with Peter Bonetti

Autor(en): [s.n.]

Objekttyp: Article

Zeitschrift: The Swiss observer : the journal of the Federation of Swiss Societies in the UK

Band (Jahr): - (1970)

Heft 1591

PDF erstellt am: 27.09.2021

Persistenter Link: http://doi.org/10.5169/seals-687176

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http://www.e-periodica.ch Che Swiss Obserixr Founded in 1919 by Paul F. Boehringer The Official Organ of the Swiss Colony in Great Britain Vol. 56 No. 1591 FRIDAY, 24th APRIL 1970 INTERVIEW WITH PETER BONETTI

Chelsea scarves, Chelsea lapel badges When I returned to Stamford and Chelsea caps, for a good ten min- Bridge, an everlasting crowd of idola- utes. The players were having their trious fans was standing outside the shower, wiping off the mud accumu- main gates. Two touts were there too lated in 90 minutes spent on a soggy and offered me Cup Final tickets for pitch. Autograph books at the ready, £7. After a bit of negotiation with the the kids were pushing on the players' wrinkly old man who kept the gate per- door. A highly-strung guardsman and sistently closed. I was allowed in. Most a burly policeman had trouble in keep- of the Chelsea stars were in and around ing them at bay. The door eventually the club office receiving, so it appeared half opened to let the Chelsea President to me, their uniform suits for the fes- get out. He was immediately stormed tivities after the Cup Final. An official by a pack of schoolboys hoping to went inside the office to call Bonetti. snatch an autograph. The football He came out and told me that he would squire scribbled a few of them grudg- be with me in a couple of minutes. ingly and jostled his way to his Rolls- Having accomplished his errands, Royce, which later drove off with Chel- he suggested that we should sit in his sea's manager, Dave Sexton. The play- car, a white Cortina, so that I could ers usually go to the club tea-room after conveniently ask whatever questions I wanted Peter Bonetti their shower, but I suspected they were to put to him. via the avoid the fans. With his rather long face and (picture received by courtesy o/ escaping pitch to deep the who Peter Bonetti has Mrs. 7. Ronel/iJ Tommy Baldwin, right forward eyes, an expression had scored the only goal of the game, which suggests sadness. He could be an appeared at last and walked resolutely El Greco character. He is rather re- to the tea-room, chased by dozens of served, even timid, but one guesses autograph hunters crying out "Tommy that there is plenty of will behind it all. Readers who watched the fabulous Tommy!" Chelsea's 18-year-old won- He is modest and appears totally un- first leg of the Cup Final at Wembley der boy, Alan Hudson, emerged on his impressed by his professional fame. He must surely have chosen Peter Bonetti, crutches. He was recovering from an has a gentle and friendly look which the Chelsea goalkeeper, as their man of ankle injury and was clearly not in a hides the grit and decision which he the match. In fact Peter Bonetti's happy mood. He was surrounded by displays in his game. superb game earned him a close second young fans clamouring vainly for an He told me that both his parents place next to Eddie Gray, the Leeds autograph. were from Ticino. His father was born left winger, in the appreciation of foot- I hopefully knocked at the tea- in England but has staunchly retained ball commentators. Peter Bonetti has room entrance. It was guarded by three his Swiss nationality. Peter has plenty Swiss blood flowing in his veins and wary wardens, but one of them sym- of relatives in Ticino and often goes his parents both come from Ticino. He pathetically slipped a ticket into my there for holidays. is a kind of national hero among Swiss hand. There were plenty of people in Surprisingly enough, he only football fans, who are eager to claim the tea-room, but no Bonetti. I had to speaks a few words of Italian. His sing- him as one of theirs to compensate for wait for some time until I saw him in ing accent in English is reminiscent of Switzerland's rather pale football the adjoining hall talking with friends. the north and one wonders where he record. With this in mind I thought I'd As soon as I saw him leave them, I picked it up. Peter went to school at favour the Swiss paper which receives gave him a tap on the shoulder—upon Brighton and Worthing, where he football articles from me and decided which he looked a little surprised, I played with the "Brighton Boys" and to meet Peter Bonetti. would even say guarded. I told him that the "Worthing Boys". His football vo- At the end of a splendid match I was writing for a Swiss paper, that my cation developed early. I suspect that between Chelsea and Tottenham Hot- readers were Bonetti fans and that I his mother sensed his wonderful possi- spurs on the week-end before the Cup hoped he could spare me a few min- bilities for it was she who took the Final (the same day as the Grand utes. He said that he had no time at that initiative of writing to Chelsea Foot- National) I left the main stream of the moment, having an immediate appoint- ball Club to consider him. He was en- 40,000 spectators nudging towards the ment. His team was off for pre-Cup gaged at 16 with the juniors and his gates of Stamford Bridge and joined a Final training outside London and performance was sufficiently encourag- spawn of young fans pressing against Bonetti told me that the only time I ing for him to be signed on the follow- the players' entrance. I waited with this could see him was on Friday noon at ing year. He played with the first team young crowd of Chelsea fans, wearing the stadium. from the age of 18. He is now 28 and doubtless enjoyed the co-operation of slimy, and today few people like to his illustrious cousin, the head of the bathe there. A bathing spot without a Cbe Swiss Obserocr Federal Department of Transport and shower can be considered as unhygienic Published Twice Monthly at Communications. on any major lake in Switzerland. 63/67 TABERNACLE STREET be said in Another personal experience on the E.C.2 Mr. Bonvin, it should LONDON Lake of Neuchatel was a brave swim Tel.: 01-253 2321 passing, is a fervent Chelsea supporter. He caters for the players before every from the beach at Saint Blaise to a Telegrams: Paperwyse Stock London home match. I'm sure that the excellent dredger that was anchored some four Keller HON. PRESIDENT: Robert cooking and the warm atmosphere of hundred yards away. I had less courage EDITOR: Pierre-Michel Beguin the "Montana" must have contributed for the return journey and chose the Advisory Council: to their remarkable success this season. shortest route to the shore, and this led Gottfried Keller (Chairman) The team comes at noon in order to me through a dense cloud of flies and O. F. Boehringer, J.P., (Hon. Sec.) have accomplished both their meal and a spawn of dead fish with their silvery F. Burri, Eusebio, Dr. C. Jagmetti bellies facing the sky. As it turned out, (Press Attache Swiss Emb.) their digestion well before week-end 1 ashore the A. Kunz, C. Nater, R. M. Suess matches, which start at 3 p.m. They came next to mouth of a PREPAID SUBSCRIPTION RATES may only take a light meal. The healthi- sewer. Lake Geneva is even worse. The (POST FREE) est combination is a choice steak ac- stench that was wafted from the water UNITED KINGDOM companied with fresh toasts and capped in summer always defeated my attempts 24 issues £2. 8.0 to study on the waterfront near to 12 issues £1. 5.0 with rice pudding for sweet. Unctuous 6 issues £ 13.0 foods such as whipped cream with Geneva's famous fountain. These com- SWITZERLAND & Elsewhere pastry are strictly forbidden! Bonetti mon experiences show how easily new 24 issues Frs. 25 —• or £2.10.0 prefers roast chicken to steak and he buildings, new estates and the refuse of 12 issues Frs. 13 or £1. 6.0 — says he's the only member of the team our industrial society can spoil the en- Swiss subscriptions may be paid into joyment of nature for anybody. Postcheck-Konto Basle 40—5718 to do so. Editor's telephone: 01-602 1378 Need we say it, Mr. Bonvin Environmental neurosis assumes a big responsibility in feeding As we all know, the problem of such an important team. Just suppose has become a has been with Chelsea for 11 years. He the butter used for the steak served to pollution major preoccu- pation throughout the industrial world. has twelve under-23 and six inter- one of the players hadn't been fresh on The salvation of environment has been national to his credit. that lunch before the Final. The caps Cup national the At 5ft. lO^in., Bonetti is con- labours in his stomach have ab- placed as a priority by might president of the United States and this sidered to be fairly small for a goal- sorbed that extra ounce of energy and year has been christened as The Euro- keeper by football writers. He contests caused him to make a fatal mistake! pean Conservation Year. this judgment. Whatever he may or Preparing food for Chelsea must be as may not lack in height he amply com- delicate as preparing a moon launch! The Swiss, who are blessed with a pensâtes by his prodigious ability to Bonetti waited patiently while I beautiful country, are naturally most fervent the leap for the ball. This is why he is nick- tried to decipher the crumpled piece of campaigners for protection of natural environment. Judging from named "the cat". paper on which I had jotted my ques- he the number of societies devoted to the I asked him if could express tions. I eventually found a final ques- his way of football in a motto. He told tion, which was to ask him which other protection of nature (these societies me that his only motto was to give goalkeeper he most admired. He didn't claim a membership of 250,000) one deduce Swiss absolutely all he'd got in a game. He hesitate to name Gordon Banks, the may that people are be- humbly admits that some basic apti- Stoke and England 'keeper. coming increasingly aware of the im- tudes in the of a portance of the problem. This are necessary making The next day, Bonetti fought like aware- but that ness is not only dictated from higher good goalkeeper, says experi- a lion. He strained his shoulder during is vital the of a circles but is finding its seat in the con- ence for development the game and was unavailable for Chel- Bonetti finds that he's still sciousness and the behaviour of sure instinct. sea's match against Stoke the following every match and that citizen. Schoolchildren, for example, learning at every says Monday. Fortunately, Chelsea won. he's better than he does are taken out on spring afternoons never played The team will meet Leeds for the Cup by of his their teachers to comb out and now. Millions admirers, I know, Final replay at Old Trafïord on Wed- pastures that thous- woods from the of would support statement a nesday 29th. With Bonetti in goal, droppings pic- I nickers. school and per cent. Many don't hesitate to feel that Chelsea's is A complete recruit was victory almost needed clean name him the best goalkeeper in the assured to the Vinges forest in world. has take the Valais and enough dredged A goalkeeper to more (TALB) was out physical risk than any other player on to fill eleven lorries. Such cases are well the field. Bonetti told me that the guts publicised and legislation already to jump at the feet of an attacker had covers the offence of littering and pol- to be part of the 'keeper's constitution. uting the environment. Nature advo- As he speaks none of our federal COMMENT cates are presently pressing for a stiffer languages, Bonetti cannot keep in touch legislation, strengthened with prison SWISS with Swiss football by reading the THE AND sentences for the worst offences. Some- CONSERVATION Swiss press. Also, Swiss football is not times, the scare of environmental pollu- reported in the British press, which Between Saint Aubin and Vaumar- tion assumes the proportion of a means that he isn't in touch with what eus, there used to be a delightful spot, generalised neurosis. A chemical com- is happening on Swiss grounds. He a small creek, dry rocks where one pany wanted to build a factory near a missed his club's trip to Switzerland in could bask in the sun, calm and limpid village in Schaffhausen, but the Com- 1966, when it beat Lugano 3—2 and waters where I spent many happy mune would have none of it because Chaux-de-Fonds 1—0 because he was hours as a child. Later, the spot was the plant would have produced fifteen held in the English 28 for the World sold and became private property. At tons of fumes a day, a comparatively Cup. His only contact with Swiss foot- the same time, the main road between small quantity. Schaffhausen appears to ball, if it may be termed thus, was in Yverdon and Neuchatel which skirts be particularly concerned with its own August 1968, when he had the honour the lake was being rebuilt and the engi- environment and the electricity indus- of inaugurating Sion's new stadium neers designed steps reaching down to try's decision to build dams on the after descending onto the pitch in a heli- the water and a lay-by for motorists. Rhine at Rheinau and Neuhausen was copter. Mr. Edgar Bonvin, a prominent This became a favoured spot for a dip, steadfastly opposed by local nature figure in our London Swiss Colony, was but, gradually, the water became less lovers. They were not only concerned the chief promoter of this trip, and he transparent, the beach stones more with the uglification of the sites where

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