Gordon Banks

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Gordon Banks Tribute | Everton Football Club

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Gordon Banks Tribute

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Everton Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of England World Cup winning great Gordon Banks.

Banks, who played 73 times for his country and is widely recognised as one of English football's finest goalkeepers, has died aged 81.

He had a stellar 19-year club career, most notably with Leicester City and Stoke City, after starting with Chesterfield in 1958.

Born in Sheffield on December 30, 1937, Banks was twice a League Cup winner, with Leicester in 1964 and eight years later at Stoke.
The pinnacle of his career came on July 30 1966 when England beat West Germany at Wembley to win the World Cup. He is responsible for one of the most iconic World Cup moments, too, a spectacular save from Brazilian Pele during a match at the 1970 tournament in Mexico.

Banks was FIFA's Goalkeeper of the Year for six straight years from 1966 and in 1972 was named Football Writer's Association [FWA] Footballer of the Year.

Everton's most decorated goalkeeper Neville Southall, the last number one to claim the FWA prize when he was honoured in 1985, called Banks "a true legend... the perfect goalkeeper".

He said: "Gordon was easy going and a perfectionist. He had a fantastic temperament for big games.

"He wasn’t a shouter or screamer, he just did his job with incredible efficiency.

"For me he was the perfect goalkeeper."

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Southall worked with Banks for a period in the late 1980s and added: "To get to train with him, the first couple of weeks I was going home and saying, ‘I can’t believe he is training me’.

"It was fantastic and I was thinking, 'What an opportunity to sit and talk about football with him'.

"Then to train with him was an education you could not buy.

"It was a pleasure to go to work on the days he was there."

Current Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also paid tribute to Banks and described the Yorkshireman's breathtaking stop from Pele as "one of the greatest saves of all time".

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Loving the top picture in the Everton tribute.:).
Saw him play for England on a snowy December night at the old Wembley in 1967.2-2 v USSR.
Also saw him concede a bizarre goal at Selhurst in Sept 1969 when Per Bartram ran over a John Sewell free kick which left him rooted to the spot in the centre of the goal as the ball nestled in the corner. We were all a bit embarrassed ( but went bonkers all the same!)
 
Random question, why did footballers back in the day all look so old ? Saw some pics of banks when he was apparantly 30 something and he looks about 50. Same goes for loads of old school players like charlton etc.
 
Remember in the mid 80s in an interview, that he had gone to bellfield to watch Southall train. When asked if he’d passed on any guidance or tips he replied along the lines that Neville didn’t need any, as he was so good.
Great goalkeeper but more importantly a great man who overcame such an horrific injury.
RIP Gordon
 
So privileged to have seen him play and proud of the fantastic reception he got from the Street End when he came to Goodison.
A truly exceptional player but, more importantly, a great man.
 
longers said:
Random question, why did footballers back in the day all look so old ? Saw some pics of banks when he was apparantly 30 something and he looks about 50. Same goes for loads of old school players like charlton etc.
Click to expand...
No nivea gift sets back then.

Men were real men and didn't spend hours trying to look like something they've seen in a magazine.
 
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