FA Cup Winners, 1872-2021

Leicester City wearing maroon because their usual blue

would have clashed with that of opposing Chelsea.

Congratulations to Leicester City, who won the 2021 Football Association Cup by beating Chelsea 1-0 at the new Wembley Stadium in North London today.

This makes the "Foxes" the 1st side from England's Midlands to win the FA Cup since Coventry City in 1987 -- 34 years.

Ties broken by most recent win: 

14: Arsenal, of North London: 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020.

13: Manchester United, a.k.a. Man United, a.k.a. Man U: 1909, 1948, 1963, 1975, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2016.

8: Chelsea, of West London: 1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019.

8: Tottenham Hotspur, a.k.a. Spurs, of North London: 1901, 1921, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1982, 1991.

7: Liverpool: 1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006.

7: Aston Villa, of Birmingham: 1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957.

6: Newcastle United, of Tyne and Wear: 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955.

6: Blackburn Rovers, of Lancashire: 1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891, 1928.

5: Manchester City, a.k.a. Man City: 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011, 2019.

5: Everton, of Liverpool: 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995.

5: West Bromwich Albion, a.k.a. West Brom, of the Birmingham area: 1888, 1892, 1931, 1954, 1968.

5: Wanderers, of South London: 1872, 1873, 1876, 1877, 1878.

4: Wolverhampton Wanderers, a.k.a. Wolves, of the Birmingham area: 1893, 1908, 1949, 1960.

4: Bolton Wanderers, of Greater Manchester: 1923, 1926, 1929, 1958.

4: Sheffield United, of Yorkshire: 1899, 1902, 1915 1925.

3: West Ham United, of East London: 1964, 1975, 1980.

3: Sheffield Wednesday, of Yorkshire: 1896, 1907, 1935.

2: Portsmouth, of Hampshire: 1939, 2008.

2: Sunderland, of Tyne and Wear: 1937, 1973.

2: Nottingham Forest, of Nottingham: 1898, 1959.

2: Preston North End, of Lancashire: 1889, 1938.

2: Bury, of Greater Manchester: 1900, 1903.

2: Old Etonians, of Eton, Berkshire: 1879, 1882.

1: Leicester City, of the Midlands: 2021.

1: Wigan Athletic, of Greater Manchester: 2013.

1: Wimbledon, of South London: 1988.

1: Coventry City, of the Midlands: 1987.

1: Ipswich Town, of Suffolk: 1978.

1: Southampton, of Hampshire: 1976.

1: Leeds United, of Yorkshire: 1972.

1: Blackpool, of Lancashire: 1953.

1: Charlton Athletic, of South London: 1947.

1: Derby County, of the Midlands: 1946.

1: Cardiff City, of Wales: 1927.

1: Huddersfield Town, of Yorkshire: 1922.

1: Burnley, of Lancashire: 1914.

1: Barnsley, of Yorkshire: 1912.

1: Bradford City, of Yorkshire: 1911.

1: Notts County, of Nottingham: 1894.

1: Blackburn Olympic, of Lancashire: 1883.

1: Old Carthusians, of Godalming, Surrey: 1881.

1: Clapham Rovers, of South London: 1880.

1: Royal Engineers, of Chatham, Kent: 1875.

1: Oxford University, of the Midlands: 1874.

Reached 2 Finals without winning: Watford, of Hertfordshire, in 1984 and 2019; Crystal Palace, of South London, in 1990 and 2016; Birmingham City in 1931 and 1956; and Queen's Park of Glasgow, Scotland in 1884 and 1885. Although teams from Wales are permitted to enter England's FA Cup, the Scottish Football Association denied their teams the right to enter it in 1887.

Reached 1 Final without winning: Hull City, of Yorkshire, in 2014; Stoke City, of Staffordshire, in the Midlands, in 2011; Millwall, of South London, in 2004; Middlesbrough, of Yorkshire, in 1997; Brighton & Hove Albion, of Sussex, in 1983; Queens Park Rangers, a.k.a. QPR, of West London, in 1982; Fulham, of West London, in 1975; Luton Town, of Bedfordshire, in 1959; and Bristol City, of Gloucestershire, in 1909.

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North London 22

West London 8

South London 8

East London 3

London Total 41

Hampshire 3

Berkshire 2

Surrey 1

Kent 1

East Anglia 1

Wales 1

South Outside London 9

South Total 50

Birmingham 16

Nottingham 2

Midlands Other 4

Midlands Total 22

Greater Manchester 25

Liverpool 12

Lancashire 11

Yorkshire 11

Tyne and Wear 8

North Total 67

North 67

South 50

Midlands 22

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Venues:

Wembley Stadium (old version), West London, 72: 1923-39, 1946-2000, plus 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990 and 1993 Replays.

Kennington Oval, South London, 22: 1872, 1874-92.

Crystal Palace Stadium, South London, 21: 1895-1914, plus 1902 Replay.

Wembley Stadium (new version), West London, 17: 2007-21.

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, 6: 2001-06.

Stamford Bridge, West London (home of Chelsea), 3: 1920-22.

Goodison Park, Liverpool (home of Everton), 2: 1894, plus 1910 Replay.

Old Trafford, Salford, Greater Manchester, 2: 1911 and 1970 Replays.

Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester, 1: 1893.

Lillie Bridge Grounds, West London, 1: 1873.

Bramall Lane, Sheffield, Yorkshire, 1: 1912 Replay.

Burnden Park, Bolton, Greater Manchester, 1: 1901 Replay.

Derby County Cricket Ground, Derby, Midlands, 1: 1886 Replay.

London: 136

Cardiff: 6

Manchester: 4

Liverpool: 2

Yorkshire: 1

Midlands: 1

Unai Emery, Master of Alienation

Yesterday, Arsenal held Leicester City to a 0-0 tie until late, falling 2-0. It was yet another game thrown away by the stupid managing of Unai Emery.

The team is now in 6th place in the Premier League, with 17 points, 17 behind League leaders Liverpool, 8 points out of 4th place and qualification for next season's Champions League, and only 9 points above the relegation zone.

It is, statistically, the worst 12-game start to a League season for Arsenal since 1982.

An Arsenal fan asked me, "How did it come to this?"

Here's how: A small, very stupid minority of the Arsenal fanbase abused manager Arsène Wenger, until even his great patience ran out, and he decided he should no longer have to take it, and he quit. The team's board of directors finally did what they'd been asked to do many times, and hired a flavor of the month.

Those idiot fans always wanted Wenger fired -- or "sacked," as they tend to say in England. They kept saying some "Flavor of the Month" would be a better manager than Wenger. Jurgen Klopp. Thomas Tuchel. Andre Villas-Boas. Martin O'Neill. David Moyes. Owen Coyle. Eddie Howe. Sean Dyche.

When Arsène quit, in April 2018, the Flavor of the Month was Unai Emery. Now, the month is over. Or, if you prefer, his 15 minutes of fame are up.

He has already alienated Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Danny Welbeck, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Iwobi to the point where they wanted to be transferred to other teams, and have been. He has already alienated Mesut Özil, normally a very patient man and the best player Emery has ever managed, to the point where, when subbed off during the disastrous loss to Chelsea in last season's Europa League Final, he yelled at Emery, "Wallahi, you are not a coach!" ("Wallahi" is an Arabic word, effectively meaning, "I swear to God!")

And Emery appears to be alienating his 2 world-class strikers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (whose goals have turned draws into wins and losses into draws, and have basically saved Emery's job so far) and Alexandre Lacazette. And alienating his 2 good central defensive midfielders, the veteran Granit Xhaka and the young Matteo Guendouzi.

Before even turning to her studio pundits after yesterday's game, NBC Sports' Rebecca Lowe said, "What progress since Arsène Wenger left? Any? One thing I can tell you: Arsenal have won 87 points in their 1st 50 Premier League games under Unai Emery, 1 fewer than they won in their last 50 under Arsène Wenger."

"Give him time," said the people who hated Wenger so much, and didn't want to look like idiots by not standing by his replacement.

Emery has been given time. He needs to be given his walking papers. There is an international break now. Now is the time to do it (if the day after the Europa League Final was too soon), and let assistant manager Freddie Ljungberg, a former Arsenal star, manage until a more experienced manager can be hired. If Freddie does well, keep him. If not, someone else should be available soon.

But the decision has to be made now. Never mind the £6 million that firing Emery would cost the organization. Failing to qualify for the Champions League will cost £40 million.

Fire him, Josh Kroenke. Do it now. Before the Master of Alienation finishes the job.

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Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 5, on Friday night at 7:00, against Canada, in CONCACAF Nations League play, at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, home of MLS' Orlando City SC, hoping to avenge their 1st loss to Canada since 1985. Four days later, they play away to Cuba.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 6, on Saturday, at noon, home to... oy vey... The... Ohio State University. Oh well, at least they beat Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.

Days until Arsenal play again: 13, on Saturday, November 23, home to Hampshire team Southampton.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 20, on Saturday, November 30, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Under 3 weeks.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 20, on Saturday afternoon, November 30 at 1:00, against the New York Rangers, a.k.a. The Scum, at the Prudential Center. The next game against the New York Islanders will be on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at the Barclays Center. The next game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. The Philth, will be on Thursday, February 6, at the Wells Fargo Center.

Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 38, on December 18, 2019. Under 6 weeks.

Days until the premiere of the final Star Wars film, Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: 40, on December 20, 2019.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 72, on January 21, 2020. A little over 10 weeks.

Days until the 1st Presidential voting of 2020, the Iowa Caucuses: 85, on Monday, February 3. A little over 12 weeks. The New Hampshire Primary will be 8 days later.

Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: Unknown. They washed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs, blowing a lead and losing to the Philadelphia Union. Going by recent history, the 2020 MLS season would probably begin on the 1st Saturday in March, and the Red Bulls would play the next day, which would be March 8, which would be in 119 days. A little under 4 months.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. It is unlikely that their opener will be against one of their regional rivals: The Union, New York City FC, D.C. United and the New England Revolution.

Days until the Yankees' 2020 Opening Day: 137, on Thursday, March 26, away to the Baltimore Orioles. Under 5 months. And it's going to be a very long, hard, cold 5 months.

Days until the Yankees' 2020 home opener: 144, on Thursday, April 2, against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Days until the next North London Derby: 167, on Saturday, April 25, Arsenal's 1st visit to the new Tottenham Stadium, adjacent to the site of the previous White Hart Lane. A little under 6 months. It is currently scheduled to be on the 16th Anniversary of the 2nd time that Arsenal won the League at White Hart Lane -- but also the last time Arsenal won the League anywhere. Of course, for TV reasons, the game could be moved to another date, probably the next day.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 180, on May 8, 2020, at Yankee Stadium II. Under 6 months. 

Days until Euro 2020 begins, a tournament being held all over Europe instead of in a single host nation: 215, on Friday, June 12, 2020. A little over 7 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 257, on July 24, 2020. Under 9 months.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown, as the 2019 season is over, with a 4-5 record, and the 2020 schedule has not been released yet. Most likely, the season opener will be against arch-rival Old Bridge, on Friday night, September 11, away at the purple shit pit on Route 9. That's 306 days, or 11 months.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge football game: See the previous answer.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 359, on November 3, 2020. Under 1 year, or under 12 months.

Days until a fully-Democratic-controlled Congress can convene, and the Republicans can do nothing about it: 420, on January 3, 2021. A little over a year, or under 14 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 437, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over a year, or under 15 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, China: 817, on February 4, 2022. A little over 2 years, or under 27 months.

Days until the next World Cup is scheduled to kick off: 1,107, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. A little over 3 years, or just over 36 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.

Days until the next Women's World Cup is scheduled to kick off: As yet unknown, but probably on the 2nd Friday in June 2023, which would be June 9. That would be 1,307 days, a little over 3 1/2 years, or under 43 months. A host nation is expected to be chosen on March 20, 2020. Since 2 of the last 3 host nations have been in Europe, North America (Canada) hosted in 2015, and Asia (China) hosted in 2007, my guess is that it will be in either Asia (Japan, possibly Korea, but not China) or Oceania (Australia, possibly a joint bid with New Zealand).

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.