68 Facts About Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Gordon Banks played in four cup finals for the club, as they were beaten in the 1961 and 1963 FA Cup finals, before winning the League Cup in 1964 and finishing as finalists in 1965.

Gordon Banks was Stoke City's goalkeeper in the 1972 League Cup win, the club's only major honour.

Gordon Banks was still Stoke's and England's number one when a car crash in October 1972 cost him both the sight in his right eye and, eventually, his professional career.

Gordon Banks played two last seasons in the United States for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 and 1978, and despite only having vision in one eye, was NASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1977 after posting the best defensive record in the league.

Gordon Banks briefly entered management with Telford United, but left the game in December 1980.

Gordon Banks was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions.

Gordon Banks was born in Abbeydale, Sheffield, and brought up in the working-class area of Tinsley.

Gordon Banks left school in December 1952, aged 15, and took up employment as a bagger with a local coal merchant, which helped to build up his upper body strength.

Gordon Banks spent a season playing for amateur side Millspaugh after their regular goalkeeper failed to turn up for a match; the club's trainer spotted Banks amongst the spectators and invited him to play in goal as he was aware that Banks had previously played for Sheffield Schoolboys.

Gordon Banks was scouted by Chesterfield whilst playing for Millspaugh, and offered a six-game trial in the youth team in March 1953.

Gordon Banks was posted to Germany with the Royal Signals on national service, and won the Rhine Cup with his regimental team.

Gordon Banks recovered from a fractured elbow to help the Chesterfield youth team to the 1956 final of the FA Youth Cup.

Gordon Banks was given his first team debut by manager Doug Livingstone, at the expense of long-serving Ron Powell, in a Third Division game against Colchester United at Saltergate in November 1958.

Gordon Banks faced competition from five other goalkeepers, including 30-year-old Scotland international Johnny Anderson and 25-year-old Dave MacLaren.

The defensive record did not improve at first, with Gordon Banks conceding six in a heavy defeat by Everton at Goodison Park, but he improved in each match and the Foxes settled for a comfortable 12th-place finish.

Yet their greatest accomplishment was in reaching the final of the FA Cup, with Gordon Banks conceding only five goals in their nine games en route to the final, and keeping three clean sheets in the semi-final and two replays against Sheffield United.

Gordon Banks elected to attend both games, leaving London at full-time to reach Leicester 30 minutes before the kick-off against Madrid.

The News of the World reported that Liverpool had had 34 attempts on goal to Leicester's one, and Gordon Banks later stated that it was his finest performance at club level.

Gordon Banks fitted in well at Stoke, as Waddington built a team of veteran players who were judged by some to be past their best.

Gordon Banks played a season for the Cleveland Stokers of the American United Soccer Association in the summer of 1968: he played seven of the short-lived club's 12 games in Cleveland, Ohio.

Gordon Banks made what he believed to be three of the best saves of his career in a Stoke shirt.

In extra-time of the second leg with West Ham, Gordon Banks fouled Harry Redknapp, conceding a penalty, and then saved Geoff Hurst's powerful spot-kick to keep City in the competition.

On 22 October 1972, while driving home from a session of work on his injured shoulder with the Stoke physiotherapist, Gordon Banks lost control of his new Ford Consul car, which ended up in a ditch.

Gordon Banks had attempted to overtake a car on a sharp bend and collided with an oncoming Austin A60 van.

Gordon Banks returned to Fort Lauderdale and played 11 games in the 1978 season.

Gordon Banks was capped twice for the England under-23 side, in matches against Wales and Scotland in 1961.

Ron Springett was the goalkeeper for England as Gordon Banks rose to prominence, but after the 1962 World Cup in Chile, a new coach was appointed in former England right-back Alf Ramsey.

Gordon Banks won his first cap on 6 April 1963 against Scotland at Wembley, after Springett was dropped following a poor performance.

Gordon Banks continued to play consistently to become established as England's first-choice goalkeeper.

Gordon Banks entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup as England's first choice goalkeeper, and his understudies Ron Springett and Peter Bonetti never took to the field during the tournament.

Yet there was panic in the buildup to the game as trainer Harold Shepherdson forgot to buy chewing gum, which Gordon Banks used to make his hands stickier and better able to handle the ball, and so Shepherdson had to run to a nearby newsagents to purchase gum as the teams were in the tunnel.

In extra-time, the Germans sent shots in at the England goal which Gordon Banks managed to catch and control without any great danger.

Hurst scored two goals to complete his hat-trick, and though many claimed his second goal never crossed the line Gordon Banks always maintained his belief that the officials called the decision correctly.

Between these goals Gordon Banks had to deal with a fiery shot from Sigfried Held, and was later exposed only for Uwe Seeler to come just centimetres away from connecting with the ball.

Gordon Banks went into the 1970 World Cup as England's number one with 59 caps to his name, and had Peter Bonetti and Alex Stepney as his understudies.

Gordon Banks found the heat and altitude at Guadalajara, Mexico difficult to cope with.

The day before the match Gordon Banks was informed that he had been awarded an OBE.

The ball bounced two yards in front of the goal-line, and Gordon Banks managed to make contact with the ball with the fingers of his right hand, and rolled his hand slightly to angle the ball over the crossbar.

Gordon Banks landed in the inner netting of the goal, and knew he had saved the ball after seeing Pele's reaction.

Gordon Banks then rose to his feet to defend the corner, and broke into laughter after the following exchange:.

The day before the West Germany game England's hopes of making further inroads into the World Cup were dented when Gordon Banks started to complain of an upset stomach.

Gordon Banks became affected by violent stomach cramps and aching limbs, and spent his time in the bathroom sweating, shivering and vomiting.

Gordon Banks passed an extremely undemanding fitness test but suffered a relapse shortly before the game and Ramsey was forced to rest him and play Peter Bonetti in his place.

Suspicions later surfaced that Gordon Banks had been poisoned to take him out of the game, but with no evidence to support them Gordon Banks never believed in them.

On 15 May 1971, Gordon Banks was involved in a notorious incident with George Best who, while playing against England for Northern Ireland, flicked the ball out of Gordon Banks's hands and headed it into the net.

Gordon Banks enjoyed coaching but soon resigned his position, feeling that players such as Bernie Wright refused to take his advice on board.

Gordon Banks applied for the vacant management positions at Lincoln City and Rotherham United, but was rejected.

Gordon Banks instead accepted the role as manager of Alliance Premier League part-time club Telford United.

An excellent, consistent, and instinctive goalkeeper, who possessed significant physical strength, athleticism, and excellent shot-stopping abilities, Gordon Banks is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time in his position.

Gordon Banks possessed an excellent positional sense, which he felt to be one of his best assets, and was known for his handling, awareness, composure, and mental strength, as well as his agility, speed, and quick reflexes, which enabled him to produce acrobatic saves, such as his famous stop from Pele's header against Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

Gordon Banks first met his wife Ursula during his national service in Germany in 1955.

Gordon Banks separated from Ursula during his time in America, but the couple reunited when Banks returned to England.

In October 1972 Gordon Banks was involved in a car crash in his Ford Consul while driving on the wrong side of the road, close to his home in Madeley Heath.

Gordon Banks's nephew is Nick Gordon Banks, drummer of the band Pulp.

Shortly after his retirement, Gordon Banks was surprised by Eamonn Andrews for an episode of This Is Your Life.

Gordon Banks lost a significant sum of money when the business failed, but was helped out by Leicester City, who offered him a belated testimonial match.

Gordon Banks was appointed as Stoke City's president following the death of Stanley Matthews.

Gordon Banks was an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Gordon Banks was awarded an honorary doctorate from Keele University in February 2006.

In May 2006, Gordon 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 Sheffield Town Hall.

In July 2008, Pele unveiled a statue of Gordon Banks making his famous 1970 World Cup save outside the Britannia Stadium.

Pele became a good friend of Gordon Banks and following his death the Brazilian described Gordon Banks as a "goalkeeper with magic".

In 1980 Gordon Banks published his first autobiography, Gordon Banks of England.

Gordon Banks published a more comprehensive autobiography in 2002: Banksy: My Autobiography.

Gordon Banks died in his sleep on 12 February 2019 at the age of 81.

Gordon Banks's funeral took place on 4 March 2019 at Stoke Minster.

Gordon Banks's pallbearers were goalkeepers representing his former teams; Joe Anyon, Jack Butland, Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel.