Icons.com home page | Signed Football Memorabilia
Back to top

Gordon Banks: A Hero Who Could Fly

Pele, the world's greatest ever striker, leaps majestically to meet a cross from Jairzinho and power a seemingly unstoppable header towards the corner of the England net. Everyone in the stadium thinks the ball is in, apart from one man; Gordon Banks.

The England keeper twists his body with incredible speed and dives backwards to claw the ball over the crossbar. That save from Banks at the 1970 World Cup is still to be bettered and will forever stand as a testament to the best goalkeeper England has ever produced.

Four years before the 'Save of the Century', Banks was receiving his World Cup winner's medal at Wembley, something no England keeper has managed before or since. Imperious throughout the 1966 tournament, Banks went unbeaten right up until the dying minutes of the semi-final when the great Eusebio put a penalty past him for Portugal.

The final itself will always be remembered for Geoff Hurst's hat-trick and Kenneth Wolstenholme's immortal commentary but Banks had a big part to play too. A spectator for much of extra-time Banks had to call on his legendary powers of concentration to deny Siggy Held with just a minute remaining. England were 3-2 up at the time and an equaliser for the Germans could have changed the direction of the game entirely. Thanks to Banks they didn't get it. Hurst went up the pitch to complete his hat-trick and the rest is history.

Banks began his goalkeeping career in the army, playing for his regimental side while on National Service in Germany. He joined Chesterfield when he returned home but it was at Leicester City that his career really took off. He played nearly 300 games for the Foxes before moving to Stoke City. Banks won 73 England caps between 1963 and 1972 and is still considered by some to be the greatest goalkeeper ever to have played the game.

Gordon Banks, makes a brilliant effort to stop a penalty shot from West Germany's Gunter Netzer in the 1971 European Championship quarter-final (second leg) which Germany won 3-1.

Date: 30/04/1971
Gordon Banks, makes a brilliant effort to stop a penalty shot from West Germany's Gunter Netzer in the 1971 European Championship quarter-final (second leg) which Germany won 3-1.

Date: 30/04/1971
Soccer - World Cup England 1966 - England v West Germany - Wembley 
Gordon Banks saves with West Germany's Lothar Emmerich closing in during the World Cup Final in 1966.

Date: 30/07/1966
Leicester City goalkeeper Gordon Banks beats Frank Wignall of Nottingham Forest to the ball in the East Midlands league clash.

Date: 01/02/1967
The England 1970 World Cup squad: (back row, l-r) Trainer Les Cocker, Martin Peters, Alan Mullery, Alex Stepney, Bobby Moore, Colin Bell, Gordon Banks, Manager Alf Ramsay, Bobby Charlton, Norman Hunter, Jeff Astle, Brian Kidd, Peter Shilton, Keith Newton, Nobby Stiles; (front row, l-r) Peter Bonetti, Jack Charlton, Geoff Hurst, Tommy Wright, Emlyn Hughes, Terry Cooper, Peter Thompson, Alan Ball, Francis Lee, Ralph Coates.

Date: 22/04/1970
Gordon Banks, makes a brilliant effort to stop a penalty shot from West Germany's Gunter Netzer in the 1971 European Championship quarter-final (second leg) which Germany won 3-1.

Date: 30/04/1971
 
Hear about new signings and special offers first - sign up for the Icons newsletter
 

Select a player

| Icons Players A-Z
 
 
Powered by Worldpay MasterCard Visa Visa Debit Visa Electron American Express Maestro JCB Solo Acceptance Mark

Icons Shop Limited, registered in the United Kingdom, company number 06791294, registered office 65 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LS, United Kingdom, tel: +44 (0)20 7267 3934, fax: +44 (0)20 7267 5613, email: customersupport@icons.com, VAT number: 944 5520 19.