Gordon Banks

For other people named Gordon Banks, see Gordon Banks (disambiguation).

Gordon Banks

Personal information
Full name	Gordon Banks
Date of birth	30 December 1937 (1937-12-30) (age 73)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Chesterfield
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1955–1959	Chesterfield	23	(0)
1959–1967	Leicester City	293	(0)
1967–1972	Stoke City	194	(0)
1967	→ Cleveland Stokers (loan)	12	(0)
1971	→ Hellenic (loan)	3	(0)
1977–1978	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	39	(0)
1977	→ St Patrick's Athletic (loan)	1	(0)
Total		565	(0)
National team
1963–1972	England	73	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gordon Banks, OBE (born 30 December 1937) is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin (1st) and ahead of Dino Zoff (3rd).^[1]

Banks was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup. In March 2004 Pelé listed Banks as one of the 125 greatest living footballers. His most famous moment occurred in the 1970 World Cup against Brazil, where he pulled off a stunning save from a goalbound header from Pelé, which is often regarded as arguably the greatest save ever.^[2][3][4] Banks' consistent performances in goal led to the re-wording of a common English idiom to "Safe as the Banks of England".^[5]

Early years

Banks, born in Sheffield,^[6] was a careful student of goalkeepers during childhood. Banks played in local colliery football as a boy and was offered an apprenticeship by Chesterfield after initially going to work as a coal bagger and then as a bricklayer on leaving school. After performances in the youth and A teams gained him promotion to the reserves, Banks was posted to Germany with the Royal Signals on National service, winning the Rhine Cup with his regimental team. On his return he was offered a full-time contract by the Chesterfield manager, Teddy Davison.

He reached the two-legged final of the FA Youth Cup with Chesterfield in 1956, losing 4–3 on aggregate to the Manchester United team of the famous Busby Babes. He made his debut for the first team at home in November 1958 against Colchester United in the newly formed Third Division. He played just 23 games for the club before First Division Leicester City offered Chesterfield £7,000 in the summer of 1959.

Cup finals with Leicester and becoming England's number one (1959–1966)

Banks' career started to rise rapidly from this point. After four games for the reserves, he replaced the injured Dave McLaren for his Leicester City debut in a 1–1 draw against Blackpool on 9 September 1959 and retained his place for the 2–0 defeat against Newcastle 3 days later. With McLaren fit again, Banks was sent back to the reserves but, after the first team conceded 14 goals in the next 5 games, he was recalled and became the first-choice goalie for the remainder of the season.

In 1961, Leicester City beat Sheffield United to reach the FA Cup final at Wembley, the first of three they would manage that decade. Their opponents were Tottenham Hotspur, who were a cut above everyone else having won the First Division title with ease and style. Banks played well, but with the right back Len Chalmers carrying an injury, was powerless to prevent second half goals from Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson giving Spurs a 2–0 win and the first "double" of the 20th century.

At the time, Ron Springett was the goalkeeper for England, but after the 1962 World Cup in Chile, a new coach was appointed in former England right back Alf Ramsey. Ramsey demanded sole control of team and began looking towards the next World Cup. He knew that he just needed to find a squad for the final stages as England were hosting the event and didn't need to undergo a qualifying campaign. In goal, Banks was checked out by Ramsey for the first time in April 1963 against Scotland at Wembley. Though England lost 2–1, Banks gained plaudits and Ramsey was pleased with his performance. He played in 13 of the next 15 internationals, including a 1–1 draw against Brazil.

Meanwhile, at club level, Banks was chasing the double. On 16 April 1963, an astonishing game at Filbert Street against Manchester United, which saw both Ken Keyworth and Denis Law score a hat-trick each, ended in a 4–3 victory for Leicester, which meant Leicester sat top of the First Division and 11 days later Banks put in one of the performances of his career to keep out Liverpool as Leicester beat them 1–0 in the FA Cup semi-final despite being completely outplayed all game. However, Leicester became injury struck and nervous and gained only one point from their last 5 games, with Banks himself missing the final 3 games of the season through injury^[7] and eventually fell to a disappointing 4th place in the league. While in the FA Cup final against Manchester United, United were looking for their first trophy since the Munich air disaster of five years earlier which had claimed the lives of eight of the Busby Babes whom Banks had faced as an adolescent. Banks failed to hold a Bobby Charlton shot from distance which gave a chance to David Herd. After that things got worse for England's newest keeper, when Denis Law wrong-footed Banks with a smart shot on the turn to put United 2–0 ahead. After Leicester had pulled one back through a diving header from Ken Keyworth, Banks leapt high in the air to claim a high cross from Johnny Giles, only to drop the ball at Herd's feet. Herd scored his second to conclude Leicester's 3–1 defeat at the hands of the team they had beaten just a month earlier. The 1962–63 season would be the closest Banks would ever get to winning either the league or the FA Cup in his career.^[7]

In 1964, Banks finally won his first major trophy though when Leicester beat Stoke City 4–3 in the League Cup final over two legs, though they lost the trophy a year later after a 3–2 defeat by Chelsea on aggregate in the final.

The 1966 World Cup

By 1965, Banks was indisputably the first-choice England goalkeeper. He was settling into the form of his life which would last for the next seven years; agile and alert, he was frequently seen making amazing reflex saves and possessed flawless positional sense and reading of attackers' movements and instincts.

When the World Cup began, Banks was in goal as England got through their group containing Uruguay, Mexico and France, drawing 0–0 with the former and clinching 2–0 victories over the latter. Banks was not greatly tested, but it was hugely encouraging that he emerged from the group with three clean sheets from three games, a trend that continued when England beat a physical Argentina side 1–0 in the last eight, with Geoff Hurst scoring with a header.

Bobby Charlton scored twice in the semi final against Portugal before a late penalty was conceded by Jack Charlton handling the ball. Banks was finally beaten after 43 minutes when Eusébio put away the spot kick to his right. That said, England had won 2–1 and were in the final, where West Germany awaited.

It was England who dominated the final but it was Banks who was beaten first. A weak header from Ray Wilson handed a chance to Helmut Haller whose shot was not fierce but was on target and needed dealing with. Banks thought Jack Charlton was going to clear; Charlton in turn thought Banks had it covered. Neither went for it as a result, and the ball crept in the corner. England equalised through a Geoff Hurst header within six minutes and went ahead late in the second half through Martin Peters.

Banks had little to do during the second half but his known powers of concentration were required when Jack Charlton gave away a dubious free kick 30 yards from goal. Banks duly organised a defensive wall and got into position. Lothar Emmerich slammed the ball into the wall, the ball ricocheted across goal and Banks struggled to follow it across his six yard box, such was the speed and unpredictability of its movement as it took deflections and swipes. Ultimately German defender Wolfgang Weber reached it at the far post and swept it into the net with Banks diving in vain to get his palms to the ball. The final whistle went seconds later to send the game into extra time.

England took the lead in extra time with that hotly debated second goal from Hurst. Banks was not troubled again until the final minute, when he saved a shot from Siggy Held and moments later could only watch as Uwe Seeler lunged for the ball and missed. Hurst then scored his hat-trick goal and the game was over. Banks had 33 England caps and was a world champion. But his career at club level was shortly to take an interesting and unexpected turn.

1966–1970

Coming through the ranks at Leicester City was a young local goalkeeper called Peter Shilton, who was given his debut as a 17-year-old in 1966. It was clear that Shilton was something special, yet the man he had to displace was now regarded as the world's number one goalkeeper. When Shilton told Leicester he would not sign a professional contract unless he was guaranteed first team football, Banks found himself available for transfer, just a year after winning the World Cup.

Banks joined Stoke City and maintained his England place, while Shilton lost in Leicester's third FA Cup final of the 1960s (the 1969 game against Manchester City) and began to make his name. Ramsey gave the odd chance to Chelsea keeper Peter Bonetti, Everton's Gordon West and Manchester United's Alex Stepney, but when the big games came along, it was only Banks. During this time, Banks moved to Madeley, Staffordshire. Iin 1967 Banks played a season for the Cleveland Stokers of the American United Soccer Association; this was a short lived attempt to build a first division U.S. league by importing clubs from around the world to play as U.S. teams. Stoke City, with Banks, came to the U.S. where it played in Cleveland, Ohio. England reached the last four of the 1968 European Championships where they lost to Yugoslavia in Florence. A year later, Banks picked up his 50th cap as England defeated Scotland 4–1 at Wembley. He played in nine more internationals prior to the start of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, for which England once again had not needed to qualify, this time owing to their status as holders.

Banks, who discovered just after arriving in Mexico that he had been awarded the OBE, played his 60th England game in the opening group victory over Romania before taking to the field for the keenly-awaited clash with Brazil. After just ten minutes, Banks wrote himself into football folklore.

The 1970 save against Pelé

Image describing Banks' save v Pelé in the 1970 World Cup, Mexico

Playing at pace, Brazil were putting England under enormous pressure and an attack was begun by captain Carlos Alberto who sent a fizzing low ball down the right flank for the speedy Jairzinho to latch on to. The Brazilian winger sped past left back Terry Cooper and reached the byline. Stretching slightly, he managed to get his toes underneath the fast ball and deliver a high but dipping cross towards the far post. Banks, like all goalkeepers reliant on positional sensibility, had been at the near post and suddenly had to turn on his heels and follow the ball to its back post destination.

Waiting for the ball was Pelé, who had arrived at speed and with perfect timing. He leapt hard at the ball above England right back Tommy Wright and thundered a harsh, pacy downward header towards Banks' near post corner. The striker shouted "Goal!" as he connected with the ball.^[8] Banks was still making his way across the line from Jairzinho's cross and in the split-second of assessment the incident allowed, it seemed impossible for him to get to the ball. He also had to dive slightly backwards and down at the same time which is almost physically impossible. Yet he hurled himself downwards and backwards and got the base of his thumb to the ball, with the momentum sending him cascading to the ground. It was only when he heard the applause and praise of captain Bobby Moore and then looked up and saw the ball trundling towards the advertising hoardings at the far corner, that he realised he'd managed to divert the ball over the bar – he'd known he got a touch but still assumed the ball had gone in. England were not being well received by the locals after cutting comments made about Mexico prior to the tournament by Ramsey, but spontaneous applause rang around the Guadalajara, Jalisco stadium as Banks got back into position to defend the resulting corner. Pelé, who'd begun to celebrate a goal when he headed the ball, would later describe the save as the greatest he'd ever seen.^[6] He commented; "I score more than 1,000 goals in my life, but the goal I don't score they remember."^[3]

Banks would later describe the save as the thing he would remain best known for. “It's something that people will always remember me for,” he said in 2005. "They won’t remember me for winning the World Cup, it’ll be for that save. That’s how big a thing it is. People just want to talk about that save.”^[9]

Brazil still won the game 1–0 – Jairzinho guided a shot past Banks in the second half – but England missed chances to get something, with Jeff Astle putting the ball wide of an open goal and Alan Ball striking the crossbar. England ultimately joined Brazil in the last eight after a win in the final group game against Czechoslovakia. The reward was a rematch of the 1966 final against West Germany.

England vs West Germany 1970

The day before the game Banks and England's hopes of making further inroads into the World Cup were dented when he started to complain of an upset stomach. He subsequently spent long periods in the bathroom and despite rest and medication, he did not seem to be recovering in time. But on the day of the game, he offered a glimmer of hope to Ramsey when he said he felt better and asked for a fitness test. He caught a few balls and did some short sprints but something was not right and Ramsey decided he couldn't risk him. Peter Bonetti was summoned to take his place. The overheard remark by Ramsey after Banks' absence from the game was confirmed as: "Of all the players to lose, we had to lose him."^[10]

Bonetti played fine for an hour and England went into a commanding 2–0 lead, with Peters scoring against the Germans again after Alan Mullery had put the defending champions ahead. Franz Beckenbauer then hit a low shot under the body of Bonetti, who had been slow to react. Beckenbauer would later claim that he would not have scored had Banks been the goalkeeper.

The Germans had hope now, especially when Beckenbauer became more liberated in the game with Ramsey's decision to substitute Bobby Charlton. In the last ten minutes, veteran striker Uwe Seeler looped a back header over Bonetti to take the game into extra time; then Gerd Müller smashed home the winner in the added period.

Conspiracies began to surface that Banks had been "nobbled" by someone in England's hotel and that his food had been somehow spiked. This was dismissed by Banks, who watched the game on his hotel TV and saw England go 2–0 ahead. After another visit to the bathroom, he returned to his bed and, feeling rough and sleepy, switched off his TV set to take a nap, assuming the match was won. He was woken by his second understudy, Stepney, who came to his room to signal the devastating final score with his fingers. West Germany had beaten England 3–2.

England's No.1 (1970–1972)

Banks did not play in England's first game after the World Cup, with Ramsey electing to give his old understudy Shilton a debut against East Germany at Wembley. This would be a sign of things to come, but not for a little while. Banks would play in ten of the next 12 internationals as England tried to qualify for the 1972 European Championships but lost yet again to West Germany prior to the finals stage. During this period, Banks was also involved in a notorious incident with Manchester United's George Best who, while playing against England for Northern Ireland, flicked the ball out of Banks' hands and headed it into the net as the protesting goalkeeper chased him. The goal was disallowed for ungentlemanly conduct and England won 1–0, but Banks was left feeling rather embarrassed.

At club level, Banks came up with his second most famous save when spectacularly palming a vicious penalty from his England team-mate Hurst over the crossbar as Stoke defeated West Ham United in the semi final of the 1972 League Cup. Banks duly reached his third League Cup final and won it for the second time, when Stoke beat Chelsea 2–1 at Wembley. Having lost two FA Cup finals, Banks' attempts to be luckier with Stoke in the competition fell agonisingly short as Arsenal beat them in the semi finals of both the 1971 and 1972 competitions.

Banks played his 73rd England game in a 1–0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park on 27 May 1972 and was awarded the Football Writers' Association Footballer Of The Year honour. He was 34-years-old and at the peak of his abilities and powers. He began the next season with Stoke in his usual unflappable manner, but then his top-flight career would be suddenly and violently brought to an end.

Injury and retirement

On 22 October 1972, while driving home from a session with the Stoke physiotherapist, Banks lost control of his car which ended up in a ditch.^[11] He lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital. When he came round, he was informed that though he had not suffered any life-threatening injury, he had lost the sight in his right eye. He considered trying to resume his career as a goalkeeper but even he had to accept that the loss of binocular vision was an obvious barrier to maintaining his goalkeeping livelihood, and announced his retirement from playing on 8 August 1973.^[12]

Shilton became England's number one and was also signed by Stoke City shortly afterwards from Leicester City (ironically the same club Stoke had bought Banks from) to take over from Banks in goal at the Victoria Ground.

Banks went into scouting, managed non-league side Telford United and did some work on the commercial side of football. In April 1977 he went to play as a named superstar in the NASL for Fort Lauderdale Strikers alongside his old nemesis Best. After that 1977 season, the ever-present Banks was voted Best Goalkeeper in the NASL. He then had a short stint with League of Ireland side St. Patrick's Athletic F.C.; he played just the once – a home game at Richmond Park on 2 October 1977 against Shamrock Rovers, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win – before returning to the Strikers for the North American 1978 season.^[13] That season would prove to be his last. He played 11 league games before hanging up his gloves. His final appearance was a 2–3 defeat away to local rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies on 17 June 1978, in which Rodney Marsh scored all three for the home team.^[14] Banks later began a business which distributed tickets for big events to corporate clients, but this fell into a mini-scandal when he received a restricted ban on getting tickets for the FA Cup final after some attributed to his company fell into the wrong hands. In December 1978 he was appointed as a coach at Port Vale, being demoted to reserve coach in October 1978 as the team struggled, before being dismissed in 1979.^[15]

Banks met his wife Ursula while on national service in Germany during the mid 1950s and they married after he returned to England. They have three children; Robert (born 1958), Wendy (born 1963) and Julia (born 1969).^[16]

He now lives in quiet retirement in Staffordshire but is still regarded, as a Channel 4 poll to find England's greatest XI showed recently, as the best goalkeeper England has ever produced. Banks was an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.^[17] He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Keele University in February 2006.

In 2001 Banks sold his World Cup Winners medal at Christie's auction house in London. The medal sold for £124,750, exceeding the initial estimate of £90,000. Banks said the decision to sell was difficult – the 4–2 cup final victory over West Germany at Wembley was the greatest day of his career. But the former Leicester and Stoke City keeper wanted to save his children the burden of deciding what to do with the medal after his death. The proceeds of the medal were divided between them. Banks's international cap from the same match was also sold in the same aution. It sold for £27,025.

In 2002 Banks published his autobiography, Banksy: My Autobiography (Michael Joseph Ltd).^[18] In the book, he describes the shots he failed to save as well as those he did.

Sheffield Walk of Fame

On Tuesday 9 May 2006, Banks was the first "legend" to be inducted into a new Walk of Fame, by having a plaque installed in the pavement in front of the Town Hall. Banks made a speech to an attendant crowd as to how thrilled he was to be given this honour. The plaque is made of bronze, and is a star set in a circle with a blue background, and the words "SHEFFIELD LEGEND" GORDON BANKS OBE. FOOTBALLER.

In March 2011, he was also inducted into the City of Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame, along with Roy Sproson.^[19]

Gordon Banks: A Hero Who Could Fly

Best-selling Irish investigative author, Don Mullan, published a boyhood memoir in 2006 called GORDON BANKS: A Hero Who Could Fly^[20] in which he wrote about the influence of the England goalkeeper on his life. Mullan discovered at the age of 8 that he was dyslexic, but he had learned to read and write through a giant 500-page scrapbook which he began compiling shortly after seeing Banks play in the 1966 World Cup Final. The Irish author grew up in the famous Republican stronghold of the Creggan Estate, Derry, Northern Ireland, at the height of the troubles and was a schoolboy witness to the tragic events of Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972. In his moving tribute to Banks he claims that his English hero was one of the reasons why he never choose the path of violence. Banks launched Mullan's book in Dublin, Derry and at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke in the Summer of 2006 and has described Mullan as 'my greatest fan'. GORDON BANKS: A Hero Who Could Fly was optioned by BBC Drama.^[21][22]

Mullan was actively involved in the scheme to create the first monument to a goalkeeper in the Western World with the assistance of Banks' legendary teammate Terry Conroy and emerging local sculptor Andrew Edwards. Inspired by Mullan's book, Edwards named the monument A Hero Who Could Fly and used the following quote from the Irish author on the monument:

... we lived in an era when sporting heroes were ordinary and unassuming men whose very modesty was the oxygen of dreams. And across the water, on a neighbouring island with whom we Irish had been at war for centuries I had a hero who could fly. His name is GORDON BANKS. From being a timid, fearful young boy he taught me that impossible doesn't exist. Unknown to him he helped save a young fan from making choices that had brought too much sorrow and sadness to Irish and British alike. Who knows? Perhaps it was his best save ever.

The 1st phase of the monument was unveiled by Pelé and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on 12 July 2008.^[3] Since then Mullan and Edwards have travelled to Flanders and the site of the World War One Christmas Truce and the legendary football game between British and German soldiers. The visit inspired Edwards, with Mullan's support, to modify his original design. Originally the second phase was to feature two diving figures of Banks. Now, however, it will feature both Banks and the great German goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann (Manchester City), who was Banks' boyhood hero. The monument will also feature a young boy holding a scrapbook as he looks at the two giant figures. At once it is an Irish boy and his English hero, and an English boy and his German hero. It is Edwards' and Mullan's hope that the monument will be a demonstration of how sport can reach across great political chasms and help heal the hurts of history. The 2nd Phase of the monument project will be completed at Madeley High School, Staffordshire, in the community where Banks now resides.

Honours

International

• 1966 FIFA World Cup
• British Home Championship (8, 2 shared): 1964 (shared), 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970 (shared), 1971 and 1972

Leicester City

• FA Cup
  • Runner-up 1961, 1963
• Football League Cup
  • Winner 1964
  • Runner-up 1965

Stoke City

• Football League Cup
  • Winner 1972

Other

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire: 1970

Statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
England			League		FA Cup		Total
1955–56	Chesterfield	Third Division North	0	0
1956–57			0	0
1957–58			0	0
1958–59			23	0
1959–60	Leicester City	First Division	32	0
1960–61			40	0
1961–62			41	0
1962–63			38	0
1963–64			36	0
1964–65			38	0
1965–66			32	0
1966–67			36	0
1966–67	Stoke City	First Division	4	0
1967–68			39	0
1968–69			30	0
1969–70			38	0
1970–71			40	0
1971–72			36	0
1972–73			8	0
USA			League		Open Cup		Total
1977	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	NASL	26	0
1978			11	0
Total	England		511	0
	USA		37	0
Career total			548	0

References

1. ^ IFFHS' Century Elections – rsssf.com – by Karel Stokkermans, RSSSF.
2. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (2003-06-30). "And God created Pelé". The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/jun/30/sport.comment. Retrieved 11 May 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Save Recalled As Statue Unveiled" BBC News, 13 July 2008
4. ^ Gordon BANKS: The keeper who stunned the King FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2011
5. ^ Football Hall of Fame: Gordon Banks National Football Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2011
6. ^ ^{a b} Gordon Banks: International Football Hall of Fame Retrieved 10 May 2011
7. ^ ^{a b} Dave Smith & Paul Taylor (2010). Of Fossils and Foxes. ISBN 1905411944. 
8. ^ The 100 greatest World Cup moments: 18. Gordon Banks' save The Independent Retrieved 10 May 2011
9. ^ Reunited: Gordon Banks & Jairzinho, published in FourFourTwo. 2002
10. ^ http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/Inductees/gordonbanks.htm
11. ^ http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/banks.html
12. ^ [1]
13. ^ "THEY PLAYED HERE TOO!". stigonline.com. http://www.stigonline.com/misc/art0507051.htm. 
14. ^ NASL a Complete Record (by Colin Jose) Breedon Books 1989
15. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 16. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200. 
16. ^ [2]
17. ^ "Hall of Fame". http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/Hall%20of%20Fame/gordonbanks.html. 
18. ^ Gordon Banks. "Banksy: My Autobiography". http://www.amazon.co.uk/Banksy-My-Autobiography-Gordon-Banks/dp/0718145828/. 
19. ^ "Gordon Banks inducted into Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame". BBC Sport. 2 March 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/9411597.stm. Retrieved 2 March 2011. 
20. ^ Don Mullan. "Gordon Banks – A Hero Who Could Fly". http://www.alittlebookcompany.com/books/gbanks.htm. 
21. ^ "Banks Final". http://www.tomrburke.com/banksfinal.mov. 
22. ^ Mullan, Don (3 August 2005). "Times Online". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-7-1718276,00.html. Retrieved 3 May 2010. 

External links

• The Official Website of England's greatest ever goalkeeper
• Banks @ Goalkeeping Greats
• Reunited: Gordon Banks & Jairzinho by Chris Hunt, FourFourTwo, 2002
• BBC radio interview with Gordon Banks, 1999
• Gordon Banks at awards ceremony 2010

Persondata
Name	Banks, Gordon
Alternative names
Short description	English footballer
Date of birth	30 December 1937
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Date of death
Place of death