Gordon Banks, 1937-2019

Gordon Banks is one of a kind. He became the 1st England goalkeeper to win the World Cup. He held that distinction for the rest of his life, and, at least until December 2022, he will still hold it in death.

Gordon Banks (he had no middle name) was born on December 30, 1937 in the Abbeydale section of Sheffield, England's "Steel City" in South Yorkshire. As a teenager, he hauled coal, and kept goal for a pair of minor teams, Millspaugh and Rawmarsh Welfare. He also served in the British Army at this time, and it was during his "national service" that he married a woman named Ursula. They had daughters Julia and Wendy, and son Robert.

But both local major clubs, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, passed on him. It would be Chesterfield, a team in Derbyshire in the East Midlands, that would sign him to his first professional contract. He helped them reached the 1956 FA Youth Cup Final, losing to Manchester United.

In 1959, he was sold to another East Midlands side, Leicester City, and he helped them reach the 1961 FA Cup Final, losing to North London team Tottenham Hotspur. They reached the Final again in 1963, losing to Manchester United.

Making a save for Leicester

Reaching 2 FA Cup Finals caught attention of both the Football Association and the manager of the England national team, Alf Ramsey. Banks was selected to start for England in a match against "The Rest of the World" at the old Wembley Stadium on October 23, 1963, to celebrate the FA's 100th Anniversary.

It wasn't just that the opposing goalie was Lev Yashin of the Soviet Union and Dynamo Moscow, who was weeks away from becoming the 1st keeper (and remains the only one) to receive the Ballon d'Or as World Player of the Year.

It was that the opposing lineup included such attackers as Raymond Kopa of France and Stade de Reims, Denis Law of Scotland and Manchester United, Alfredo di Stéfano of Argentina and Real Madrid, and Eusébio of Portugal and Lisbon team Benfica. This team was so good, Uwe Seeler of West Germany and Hamburger SV and the already-legendary Ferenc Puskás were on the bench.

Through 81 minutes, he held them off, "keeping a clean sheet." In the 82nd, Law, who had scored on him in the calendar year's FA Cup Final, did so again. But Jimmy Greaves of Tottenham won it "at the death" for England, 2-1.

This win gave Ramsey and his players the realization that they could actually win the 1966 World Cup, which would be played on home soil. It also made Banks the "favourite" to be the starting goalie, "England's Number 1." Ironically, both goalies from England's 1962 World Cup team had played for teams in his hometown of Sheffield: Ron Springett for Wednesday, Alan Hodgkinson for United. (Springett would be one of Banks' backups in '66.)

In 1964, Leicester won The League Cup, winning the Final over Stoke City. (Their ageless wonder, Stanley Matthews, did not play.) Although the "Foxes" had won the 2nd division of England's Football League 4 times prior to this, this was their first major trophy.

England played all its 1966 World Cup matches at home, at Wembley. They opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Uruguay, and then beat Mexico and France, each by 2-0. England beat Argentina 1-0 in the Quarterfinal. In the Semifinal, it was 2-0 England before Portugal were awarded a penalty in the 82nd minute.

Banks had played every minute of every game, and had kept a clean sheet for 441 minutes. But Eusébio, who had scored 4 goals against North Korea in Portugal's Quarterfinal, stepped up, and scored. England's defense held, and it ended 2-1. England was in the Final against West Germany.

Helmut Haller, then with Italian team Bologna, scored in the 12th minute, ending 462 minutes of no one scoring on Banks from open play in the tournament. But Geoff Hurst of East London team West Ham United scored in the 18th, and fellow Hammer Martin Peters scored in the 78th. The World Cup was theirs, or so it seemed. In the 89th minute, Wolfgang Weber of FC Köln made it 2-2.

At some point in his career, Banks was quoted as saying, "At that level, every goal is like a knife in the ribs."

It was off to extra time. Hurst scored in the 101st minute, a goal which is still debated today. In the 120th and last minute -- there would be a minute of stoppage time -- Hurst drove toward the German goal again, and as he became the 1st person to score 3 goals in a World Cup Final, fans ran onto the field. This prompted the BBC's Kenneth Wolstenholme to deliver what's become the most famous line in the history of British sportscasting: "Some people are on the pitch! They think it's all over... It is now!"

(Hurst remains the only man to score a hat trick in a World Cup Final. In 2015, Carli Lloyd of the U.S. became the 1st woman to do it.)

England had won, 4-2. Gordon Banks had allowed 2 goals in 90 minutes, but it wasn't enough for Germany. Banks had given his teammates every chance to win the 1st 5 games, and they picked him up in the 6th. He was a World Champion, and a hero.

Handed the Jules Rimet Trophy

by England Captain Bobby Moore

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But toward the end of the next season, 1966-67, Leicester City's board of directors pressured manager Matt Gillies into dropping Banks in favor of Peter Shilton. Gillies said, "We think your best days are behind you, and you should move on." But defender Richie Norman told Banks it was the board's fault, not the manager's: Shilton had told them he would leave the team unless he became the starter.

On the one hand, Shilton would become England's top goalie in the 1970s and '80s. On the other hand, this was not the 1st contractual cock-up by Leicester: They had already sold the Captain of their League Cup winners, midfielder Frank McLintock, to North London team Arsenal (where he was converted to a centreback and captained their 1971 League and FA Cup "Double" winners), and were already seriously underpaying him and Banks.

And now, Banks was being pushed out, too. Sic transit gloria trophaeum mundi. (Thus goes the glory of the World Cup.)

For a price of £50,000 -- and this was before "decimalisation," the restructuring of British currency -- it was off to Stoke City, in Staffordshire, where he joined one of his '66 England teammates, George Eastham, who had starred for Newcastle United and Arsenal, and had challenged the maximum wage (making him English soccer's Curt Flood) and won (making him their Andy Messersmith). With some irony, Banks' 1st home game for Stoke was against Leicester, and the "Potters" beat the Foxes 3-1.

In 1968, Banks was again England's Number 1, as they finished 3rd in the European Championships. In England's off-season, some of their teams contributed players to America's new North American Soccer League, and so Banks played 7 games for the Cleveland Stokers.

The following season, on September 14, he played for Stoke against McLintock and Arsenal at Highbury. Novelist Nick Hornby later wrote that this was the 1st Arsenal match he attended, at age 11. Banks deflected a penalty taken by Terry Neill, later to manage Arsenal to the 1979 FA Cup, but the ball came back to Neill, and he scored. The game ended 1-0 to The Arsenal.

England went into the 1970 World Cup in Mexico as defending champions, but the heat and altitude got to them. They opened the Group Stage with a 1-0 win over Romania, and ended it with a win over Czechoslovakia. But it would be the middle game that would be remembered, at Estadio Jalisco, in Guadalajara, against Brazil, winners in 1958 and 1962.

Alan Mullery, a Tottenham player who was not on the 1966 team, saw what has been called the greatest save ever:

Jairzinho was flying down the wing, and he clips the ball to the far post, and Pelé, who climbed to such a height better than anybody else, headed the ball and Gordon went from one post to another and he flicks the ball with his fingertips and it just goes over the crossbar.

Bobby Charlton, who was one of the stars of the 1966 team, would say, many years later, "Even though I was on the pitch and have seen it many times since, I still don't know how he saved that header from Pelé."

Pelé himself said, "When you are a footballer, you know straight away how well you have hit the ball. I hit that header exactly as I had hoped. Exactly where I wanted it to go. And I was ready to celebrate.

"But then, this man, Banks, appeared in my sight, like a kind of blue phantom, is how I described him. He came from nowhere and he did something I didn't feel was possible. He pushed my header, somehow, up and over. And I couldn't believe what I saw. Even now when I watch it, I can't believe it. I can't believe how he moved so far, so fast.

"I scored so many goals in my life, but many people, when they meet me, always ask me about that save. While it was indeed phenomenal, my memory of Gordon is not defined by that. It is defined by his friendship. He was a kind and warm man who gave so much to people.

"So I am glad he saved my header, because that act was the start of a friendship between us that I will always treasure."

Indeed, Pelé and Banks are forever linked, and often appeared at events together, like Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca, like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. 

Perhaps England deserved to win the game because of that. But, like the Mets after the Endy Chavez catch in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, it was not to be. Jairzinho scored in the 59th minute, and Brazil won 1-0. The end of the game featured another iconic moment: Pelé and Bobby Moore, England's Captain, exchanging shirts, a white man and a black man in a moment of great sportsmanship that the world will never forget.

England advanced to the Quarterfinal, in León, but Banks became violently ill the night before -- shades of Tottenham's "Lasagne-gate" incident in 2006. Ramsey decided he couldn't risk Banks in the heat and altitude, and started Peter Bonetti of West London team Chelsea instead. West Germany got its revenge for '66: Mullery and Peters scored to give England a 2-0 lead in the 2nd half, but Bonetti allowed 2 goals in a 14-minute stretch, and Germany won 3-2 in extra time.

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In 1972, Stoke City defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley Stadium, and won the League Cup Final. Banks allowed a goal to Peter Osgood, one of the heroes of Chelsea's 1970 FA Cup win, but got goals from Eastham and Terry Conroy, past Bonetti.

In the 156 seasons of Stoke City Football Club, this is their only major trophy -- if, that is, you consider the League Cup a major trophy. With Banks in goal and Eastham up from, they reached the Semifinal of the FA Cup in 1971 and 1972, but lost to Arsenal both times. (They've won the 2nd division in 1933 and 1963, and the Football League Trophy for 3rd and 4th division teams in 1992 and 2000, and got to the FA Cup Final in 2011.)

Lifting the League Cup with John Marsh

But on October 22, he lost control of his Ford Consul (the British version of the Ford Granada), crashed into an Austin A60 van, and ended up in a ditch. He got 200 stitches on his face, and lost the sight in his right eye. He retired following the end of the 1972-73 season.

In 1977, at age 39 and only able to see out of 1 eye, Banks was able to come out of retirement, and lead the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to their division's title. They lost in the Quarterfinals -- to Pelé and the New York Cosmos. In 26 games, he conceded only 29 goals, and was named NASL Goalkeeper of the Year. That should show you the difference between England's Football League and the NASL in the 1970s.

Banks helped the Strikers reach the Playoffs again in 1978, getting to the Semifinals, where they were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He played 11 games that season, and retired for good.

He went on to coach at Port Vale, the other team in Stoke-on-Trent, and managed Telford United in 1980. He continued to live in Stoke, but ran a hospitality company based in Leicester. When it went under, he basically spent the rest of his life as a professional sports hero, invited to hundreds of events, including award shows and anniversary dinners.

When Stanley Matthews died in 2000, Banks was named to Sir Stan's post as president of Stoke City Football Club. A statue of him was dedicated outside what's now named the bet365 Stadium, unveiled by Pelé. He was also named to the English Football Hall of Fame and the City of Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame, and was the 1st inductee into the Sheffield Walk of Fame. A 2002 poll named him the 2nd-greatest goalkeeper of all time, behind Lev Yashin.

With his statue at Stoke's bet365 Stadium

In 2015, he began receiving treatment for kidney cancer. In 2017, he joined Geoff Hurst to launch the Alzheimer's Society's "United Against Dementia" campaign, in honor of his brother David, and his England teammates Martin Peters (also a West Ham teammate of Hurst's), Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson.

Jack Charlton, also of the 1966 team, has been diagnosed with memory loss, although from a different cause. Jeff Astle, star of the West Bromwich Albion side that beat Everton for the 1968 FA Cup and a member of the 1970 England World Cup team, had previously been affected by brain injury and died too soon. It is suspected that the constant headings of the heavier ball of the time contributed to these men's afflictions.

Gordon Banks died today, February 12, 2018, in Stoke-on-Trent. He was 81 years old. The tributes have come in from all over the world.

Bobby Charlton: "Gordon was a fantastic goalkeeper, without doubt, one of the best England has ever had. I was proud to call him a teammate. Obviously, we shared that great day in 1966, but it was more than that."

Geoff Hurst: "Very sad to hear the news that Gordon has died. One of the very greatest. Thinking especially of Ursula, Julia, Wendy and Robert. Sad for football, Stoke City and for England fans. Will be very sadly missed."

Pelé: "I have great sadness in my heart today, and I send condolences to the family he was so proud of. Rest in peace, my friend. Yes, you were a goalkeeper with magic. But you were also so much more. You were a fine human being."

Bob Wilson, who opposed him in goal many times for Arsenal: "Thanks for the memories, friendship and inspiration."

Gianluigi Buffon, legend of Italy and Juventus: "I am one of the many who built their dreams on your perfect save! Once more, with all my heart: thank you, dear Gordon Banks."

Kasper Schmeichel, current Leicester goalie, backbone of their 2016 Premier League title, and son of Denmark and Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel: "No photos or videos of that save versus Pelé will ever do it justice. A legend for all goalkeepers and a Leicester City great."

Thibaut Coutrois, goalkeeper for Belgium and Real Madrid, who won 2 League titles and an FA Cup with Chelsea: "Iconic saves, legendary goalkeeper. Today, football has lost a great example. My thoughts are with his family!"

Whoever writes the English branch of the Twitter feed for the German national team wrote, "A fierce opponent and a good man. Rest in peace, Gordon Banks."

The Football League has announced that a minute's applause will be held in his memory, before all fixtures from today until Sunday. This should also be done before the domestic cup finals (the League Cup Final on February 24, and the FA Cup Final on May 18), both at the new Wembley Stadium.

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Banks' death leaves the following players still alive from the 1963 FA Centennial Game, over 55 years later:

For England, 9 players: Gordon Milne of Liverpool, Maurice Norman and Jimmy Breaves of Tottenham, Terry Paine of Southampton, George Eastham of Arsenal, Bobby Charlton of Manchester United, Tony Waiters of Blackpool, Ron Flowers of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Tony Kay of Everton.

For The Rest of the World, 5 players: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger of Germany and FC Köln, Denis Law of Scotland and Manchester United, Francisco Gento of Spain and Real Madrid, Milutin Šoškić of Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and Partizan Belgrade, and Luis Eyzaguirre of Chile and Universidad de Chile.

And from England's 1966 World Cup winners: Into death, Banks follows Bobby Moore in 1993. Manager Alf Ramsey in 1999, Alan Ball in 2007, John Connelly in 2012, Ron Springett and Gerry Byrne in 2015, and Jimmy Armfield and Ray Wilson in 2018.

Still alive, 14 out of 22: George Cohen, Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton (Jack's brother), Geoff Hurst, Peter Bonetti, Martin Peters, Ron Flowers, Norman Hunter, Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt and George Eastham. But, as I said, Stiles, Peters and Jack Charlton are dealing with dementia; while Greaves is wheelchair-bound following a stroke.

As I wrote upon Wilson's death last year, now updated: Eight of the 22 have had the One Great Referee blow for full-time. The rest are in stoppage time. May what remains of their lives be as comfortable as possible.

UPDATE: Gordon Banks' final resting place is not publicly known.