Gordon Banks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gordon Banks
OBE

Banks in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth	(1937-12-30)30 December 1937
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Date of death	12 February 2019(2019-02-12) (aged 81)
Place of death	Stoke-on-Trent, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1953	Millspaugh
1953	Rawmarsh Welfare
1953	Millspaugh
1953–1958	Chesterfield
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1958–1959	Chesterfield	23	(0)
1959–1967	Leicester City	293	(0)
1967–1973	Stoke City	194	(0)
1967	→ Cleveland Stokers (loan)	7	(0)
1971	→ Hellenic (loan)	3	(0)
1977–1978	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	37	(0)
1977	→ St Patrick's Athletic (loan)	1	(0)
Total		558	(0)
National team
1961	England U23	2	(0)
1963–1972	England	73	(0)
Teams managed
1979–1980	Telford United
Honours Representing  England FIFA World Cup Winner 1966 England UEFA European Championship Third 1968 Italy
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gordon Banks (30 December 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Many people think he was one of the best goalkeepers ever. He played in 679 games during his 20-year career. He also played 73 games for England. His biggest achievement was helping England win the 1966 World Cup. He played in every game of that tournament.

Banks joined Chesterfield in 1953. He played for their youth team in the 1956 FA Youth Cup final. He made his first team debut in 1958. In 1959, he moved to Leicester City. He played in four cup finals for Leicester. They lost the FA Cup finals in 1961 and 1963. But they won the League Cup in 1964. They were also finalists in 1965.

Even after winning the World Cup in 1966, Leicester sold Banks. He moved to Stoke City in 1967. At the 1970 World Cup, he made a famous save against Pelé. This is often called one of the greatest saves in football history. Sadly, he was sick and could not play when England lost to West Germany in the quarter-finals.

Banks helped Stoke City win the 1972 League Cup. This was the club's only major trophy. In October 1972, a car crash caused him to lose sight in his right eye. This ended his professional career in England. He later played two seasons in the United States. He played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Even with only one eye, he was named NASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1977. He briefly managed Telford United before leaving football in 1980.

Banks was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972. He was also named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six times. The IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) said Banks was the second-best goalkeeper of the 20th century. Only Lev Yashin was rated higher.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Gordon Banks was born in Sheffield, England, in 1937. He grew up in a working-class area. He left school at 15 years old in 1952. He started working for a coal merchant. This job helped him build up his upper body strength.

He began playing football for an amateur team called Millspaugh. He played in goal when their regular goalkeeper didn't show up. People noticed his talent. Soon, he played for Rawmarsh Welfare in the Yorkshire League. After a tough start, he returned to Millspaugh. He then worked as a hod carrier, carrying bricks.

Club Career

Chesterfield

Gordon Banks was spotted by Chesterfield in 1953. He was offered a trial with their youth team. He did well and signed a part-time contract. He played for the youth team in the 1956 FA Youth Cup final. They lost to Manchester United's famous "Busby Babes".

Banks made his first team debut for Chesterfield in November 1958. He quickly became the main goalkeeper. He learned a lot by playing games. He became a strong, vocal goalkeeper. He would tell his defenders where to be. After only 26 games, Leicester City bought him for £7,000 in 1959. This was a big move for him.

Leicester City

At Leicester City, Banks had to compete with other goalkeepers. He started in the reserve team. But soon, he became the first-choice goalkeeper. He worked hard to improve his skills. He even created his own training drills. This was unusual because there were no special goalkeeping coaches back then.

In the 1960–61 season, Leicester reached the FA Cup final. Banks played very well, keeping many clean sheets. But they lost 2–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. In 1962–63, Leicester almost won the league and reached another FA Cup final. Banks had an amazing game against Liverpool in the semi-final. He kept a clean sheet despite many shots. However, Leicester lost the 1963 FA Cup final to Manchester United.

Success came in the League Cup in 1964. Leicester beat Stoke City 4–3 over two games in the final. Banks helped them win their first major trophy. They reached the League Cup final again in 1965 but lost to Chelsea.

In 1966, Banks won the World Cup with England. But back at Leicester, he was dropped from the team. A young goalkeeper named Peter Shilton took his place. Leicester decided to sell Banks. He moved to Stoke City in 1967 for £50,000.

Stoke City

Gordon Banks quickly became the number one goalkeeper at Stoke City. He fit in well with the team. Stoke had some older, experienced players. Banks was a very reliable player for them. In 1968, he also played a short time for the Cleveland Stokers in the USA.

Banks made some incredible saves while playing for Stoke. He saved a powerful header from Wyn Davies of Manchester City. He also stopped a close-range shot from Francis Lee. Another great save was from Alan Gilzean of Tottenham Hotspur.

In 1970–71, Stoke reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. They lost to Arsenal after a replay. In 1971–72, they reached the FA Cup semi-finals again. They faced Arsenal once more and lost in a replay. However, Stoke and Banks found success in the League Cup. They had a long journey to the final, playing 11 matches. In the final, they beat Chelsea 2–1. This was Stoke City's first major trophy. At the end of that season, Banks was named FWA Footballer of the Year. He was the first goalkeeper to win this award in many years.

On 22 October 1972, Banks was in a car crash. He lost sight in his right eye. This injury meant he could no longer play professional football in England. It was a sad end to his career at Stoke and for England.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

In 1977, Gordon Banks went to play in the United States. He joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the NASL. Even with only one eye, he was amazing. The Strikers won their division in 1977. Banks was named NASL Goalkeeper of the Year. He had the best defensive record in the league. He played for the Strikers for two seasons. He also played one game for St Patrick's Athletic in Ireland.

International Career

Banks played two games for the England under-23 team in 1961.

Becoming England's Number One

After the 1962 World Cup, Alf Ramsey became England's new coach. Ramsey was looking for a new goalkeeper. Banks won his first cap for England on 6 April 1963. It was against Scotland at Wembley. England lost 2–1, but Banks played well. He then played against Brazil and drew 1–1. Banks continued to play well and became England's first-choice goalkeeper. In 1963, he played in a special match for The Football Association's 100th birthday.

Before the 1966 World Cup, Banks and England's defenders worked very well together. They conceded very few goals. England went into the World Cup in great form. They had only lost one game in 21 matches.

1966 World Cup

Gordon Banks was England's main goalkeeper for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. England started the tournament with a 0–0 draw against Uruguay. Banks had little to do in that game. They then beat Mexico 2–0 and France 2–0. Banks did not concede any goals in the group stage.

England beat Argentina 1–0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, they played Portugal. Bobby Charlton scored two goals. Portugal scored a penalty, but England won 2–1. This was the first goal Banks had let in for England in 721 minutes of play. This was a record for an England goalkeeper for many years.

In the final, England played West Germany. West Germany scored first, but England equalized quickly. Martin Peters then put England ahead. But in the last seconds, West Germany scored to make it 2–2. The game went into extra-time. Geoff Hurst scored two more goals to complete his hat-trick. England won the World Cup 4–2! Banks made some good saves in extra-time to keep England in the lead.

Euro 1968

After the World Cup, Scotland beat England 3–2 in 1967. But England still qualified for UEFA Euro 1968. Only four teams played in this tournament. England lost 1–0 to Yugoslavia. They then beat the Soviet Union 2–0 to finish in third place.

1970 World Cup

Banks was still England's number one goalkeeper for the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He had played 59 games for England by then. The heat and high altitude in Mexico were difficult for the team. England won their first game against Romania 1–0.

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

On 7 June, England played Brazil. Brazil was attacking strongly. Jairzinho crossed the ball into the box. Pelé headed the ball powerfully towards the goal. Pelé even shouted "Gol!" because he was sure it was a goal.

Banks had only a split second to react. He knew he couldn't catch the ball. He decided to try and push it over the bar. The ball bounced just in front of the goal line. Banks managed to touch the ball with his right hand. He angled his hand slightly to push the ball over the crossbar. He landed in the net. He knew he had saved it when he saw Pelé's reaction. Pelé and many others later called it the greatest save in football history. Banks himself said, "They won't remember me for winning the World Cup, it'll be for that save."

Brazil won the game 1–0. England still made it to the quarter-finals. They would play West Germany again. But the day before the game, Banks became very ill with stomach problems. He was too sick to play. Peter Bonetti played in his place. England lost 3–2 after extra time. Banks watched the game from his hotel room.

Final Years

England almost qualified for UEFA Euro 1972. But they lost to West Germany in the final qualifying round.

On 15 May 1971, Banks was involved in a famous moment with George Best. Best, playing for Northern Ireland, flicked the ball out of Banks's hands and headed it into the net. The referee disallowed the goal, calling it dangerous play. Banks played his 73rd and final game for England on 27 May 1972. It was a 1–0 win over Scotland. In his 73 international games, he kept 35 clean sheets. He only lost nine games.

Coaching Career

In December 1977, Gordon Banks became a coach at Port Vale. He enjoyed coaching. But he felt some players didn't listen to his advice. He later tried to become a manager at other clubs but wasn't chosen.

He then became manager of Telford United. This was a part-time club. He signed some new players. The team finished in 13th place in 1979–80. In November 1980, Banks had surgery. While he was away, the team lost a cup game. When he returned, he was sacked. He later said this made him not want to stay in football.

Style of Play

Gordon Banks was an amazing and consistent goalkeeper. He was very strong and athletic. He had excellent reflexes and could stop shots incredibly well. He was known for his great positioning, which he thought was one of his best skills. He was also calm and mentally strong. His agility and speed allowed him to make acrobatic saves. His famous save from Pelé in the 1970 World Cup is a perfect example of his skills.

Personal Life

Gordon Banks met his wife Ursula in Germany in 1955. They had three children: Robert, Julia, and Wendy.

In October 1972, Banks was in a car crash. He lost the sight in his right eye. This injury ended his playing career.

Banks's nephew is Nick Banks, who is the drummer for the band Pulp.

After he retired, Banks became the president of Stoke City. This happened after the death of Stanley Matthews. He was also part of the Football Pools panel for many years.

Gordon Banks's plaque on the Sheffield Walk of Fame

In 2002, Banks was one of the first players to be put into the English Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, Pelé named him one of the world's 125 greatest living footballers. He received an honorary degree from Keele University in 2006. In 2006, he was the first "legend" to have a plaque on the Sheffield Walk of Fame. In 2008, Pelé unveiled a statue of Banks making his famous 1970 save. The statue is outside the Britannia Stadium, Stoke City's home ground. Pelé and Banks became good friends. Pelé called Banks a "goalkeeper with magic" after he passed away.

Banks wrote two autobiographies. The first was called Banks of England in 1980. A more complete one was published in 2002, called Banksy: My Autobiography.

In December 2015, it was announced that he was being treated for kidney cancer.

Gordon Banks died peacefully in his sleep on 12 February 2019. He was 81 years old. His funeral was held on 4 March 2019. Goalkeepers from his former teams were his pallbearers. These included Joe Anyon (Chesterfield), Jack Butland (Stoke City), Joe Hart (England), and Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City).

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours