Steve's Football Page!

Born:    20 December 1937 (Sheffield)

Clubs:    1955-59 Chesterfield 
             1959-67 Leicester City 
             1967-72 Stoke City 
             1977-78 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 

International debut: 1963 v Scotland 

Honours:    1961: FA Cup runner-up (Leicester City) 
                 1963:  FA Cup runner-up (Leicester City) 
                 1964:  League Cup (Leicester City) 
                 1965:  League Cup runner-up (Leicester City) 
                 1966:  World Cup (England) 
                 1972:  League Cup (Stoke City) 
                              Footballer of the Year

 
• "Banks of England" made 73 appearances for England and kept a clean sheet in 35 of those matches.  He is England's second most capped goalkeeper following Shilton and up until he was beaten by a Eusebio penalty he had kept seven clean sheets in a row (another England record)
• Banks was awarded the OBE in 1972, two years before his English career was ended when he lost the sight in one eye after a car crash.
• Other England goalkeepers had nothing but praise for Banks.  Peter Bonetti called him his 'model goalkeeper' while Ray Clemence claimed that Banks had always been his Idol. Peter Shilton's tribute came ironically just before the accident when he said:"He's the best in the world and could go on playing for England for years."
• Jimmy Greaves, England's leading striker at the time, summing up goalkeepers, said: "With Gordon, I used to ask myself:: "How can I beat this man?""
• Between 1966 and 1970, when Banks was acknowledged as the best goalkeeper in the world, he was transfered from Leicester City to Stoke city for a bargain £52,000.  The reason?  Banks' understudy was a 17 year old called Peter Shilton!
• Pele said of Banks: "For me,Banks was the leading goalkeeper of the 1970 games, and quite possibly the leading defender in any position.
• Banks also made what is generally regarded as The Greatest Save Ever!