The Far Post Header ‘Hall of Fame’ No.5 – Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks was one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game. He was the England goalkeeper when they lifted the World Cup in 1966, going down in English footballing history in the process.
Four years later, England were defending their crown in Mexico. Banks made a world-class save from Brazil’s Pele in a group game on 7th June 1970. He had somehow managed to claw the ball over the bar from a strong downward header by the greatest player in the world at the time.
It was one of the great moments of that World Cup 50 years ago. I wrote about this save in the Iconic Moments in Football series. A link to the article can be found here.
Banks began his career at Chesterfield, making his debut in November 1958. He would only spend another eight months at Saltergate before joining Leicester City for £7,000 in 1959.
He would spend eight years at Leicester, playing in four Cup Finals. Leicester would lose the 1961 and 63 FA Cup Finals. They won the 1864 League Cup and then lost the Final the year after.
It was during Banks’s time at Filbert Street that he would become a World Cup winner. He was dropped and sold to Stoke City for £50,000 in April 1967, less than a year after winning the World Cup with England.
Banks was another piece of the puzzle as Stoke City started to build a successful side. They won the League Cup in 1972 with Banks playing in goal in a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley. It was the first major honour for Stoke City and their only one to date. Banks saved a penalty in the Semi-Final against West Ham United at Upton Park. The penalty was taken by Banks’s England colleague Geoff Hurst.
They would also go on and reach the FA Cup Semi Final in the 1970/71 and 71/72 season, losing on both occasions to Arsenal.
During his time in the Potteries, Banks went out on loan to play for the Cleveland Stokers in America and Hellenic of Cape Town in South Africa. In October 1972, Banks was involved in a car accident, requiring extensive work to his face. He lost sight in his right eye, which restricted his goalkeeping abilities.
After a spell in America for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, he also played in a game for St Patrick’s Athletic, keeping a clean sheet against Shamrock Rovers.
Banks was awarded the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1972 and was also named as the FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year award on six occasions.
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