Gordon Banks Video Showcase

Gordon Banks, (born 30 December 1937 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) is a former English footballer, elected in a poll by the IFFHS as the second best goalkeeper of the 20th Century - after Lev Yashin.

Banks was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup. Banks was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Banks, born in Sheffield, was a careful student of goalkeepers during childhood. Banks played in local colliery football as a boy and was offered an apprenticeship by Chesterfield after initially going to work as a coal bagger and then as a bricklayer on leaving school. After performances in the youth and A teams gained him promotion to the reserves, Banks was posted to Germany with the Royal Signals on National Service, winning the Rhine Cup with his regimental team. On his return he was offered a full-time contract by the Chesterfield manager, Ted Davison. He reached the two-legged final of the FA Youth Cup with Chesterfield in 1956, losing 4-3 on aggregate to the Manchester United team of the famous Busby Babes.

He made his debut for the first team at home in November 1958 against Colchester United in the newly formed Third Division. He played just 23 games for the club before First Division Leicester City offered Chesterfield 7,000 pounds in the summer of 1959.

Banks' career started to rise rapidly from this point. After 4 games for the reserves, he replaced the injured Dave McLaren for his Leicester City debut in a 1-1 draw against Blackpool on 9 September 1959 and retained his place for the 2-0 defeat against Newcastle 3 days later. With McLaren fit again, Banks was sent back to the reserves but, after the first team conceded 14 goals in the next 5 games, he was recalled and became the first-choice goalie for the remainder of the season. In 1961, Leicester City beat Sheffield United to reach the FA Cup final at Wembley, the first of three they would manage that decade. Their opponents were Tottenham Hotspur, who were a cut above everyone else having won the First Division title with ease and style. Banks played well, but with the right back Len Chalmers carrying an injury, was powerless to prevent second half goals from Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson giving Spurs a 2-0 win and the first "double" of the 20th century.

At the time, Ron Springett was the goalkeeper for England, but after the 1962 World Cup in Chile, a new coach was appointed in former England right back Alf Ramsey. Ramsey demanded sole control of team and began looking towards the next World Cup. He knew that he just needed to find a squad for the final stages as England were hosting the event and didn't need to undergo a qualifying campaign.

In goal, Banks was checked out by Ramsey for the first time in April 1963 against Scotland at Wembley. Though England lost 2-1, Banks gained plaudits and Ramsey was pleased with his performance. He played in 13 of the next 15 internationals, including a 1-1 draw against Brazil. Meanwhile, a month after his international bow, Banks was back at Wembley with Leicester for another FA Cup final, this time against Manchester United. United were looking for their first trophy since the Munich air disaster of five years earlier which had claimed the lives of eight of the Busby Babes whom Banks had faced as an adolescent. Banks failed to hold a Bobby Charlton shot from distance which gave a chance to David Herd.

After that things got worse for England's newest keeper, when Denis Law wrongfooted Banks with a smart shot on the turn to put United 2-0 ahead. After Leicester had pulled one back through a diving header from Ken Keyworth, Banks leapt high in the air to claim a high cross from Johnny Giles, only to drop the ball at Herd's feet. Herd scored his second to conclude a 3-1 win.

In 1964, Banks had some domestic success when Leicester beat Stoke City 4-3 in the League Cup final over two legs, though they lost the trophy a year later after a 3-2 defeat by Chelsea on aggregate in the final. Source: Wikipedia - Gordon Banks

Photo author: lizjones112 from flickr.com