Gordon BanksOBE (30 December 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time,[4] he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional career, and won 73caps forEngland, highlighted by starting every game of the nation's1966 World Cup victory.
Banks joinedChesterfield in March 1953 and played for theiryouth team in the 1956FA Youth Cup final. He made his first-team debut in November 1958 and was sold toLeicester City for£7,000 in July 1959. He played in four cup finals for the club, as they were beaten in the1961 and1963FA Cup finals before winning theLeague Cup in1964 and finishing as finalists in1965. Despite this success and his World Cup win in 1966, Banks was dropped by Leicester and sold on toStoke City for £50,000 in April 1967. In the1970 World Cup,[5][6][7] he made one of the game's greatestsaves to prevent aPelé goal, but was absent due to illness as England were beaten byWest Germany in the quarter-finals.
Banks was Stoke City's goalkeeper in the1972 League Cup win, the club's only major honour. He was still Stoke's and England's number one when a car crash in October 1972 cost him both the sight in his right eye and, eventually, his professional career. He played two last seasons in the United States for theFort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 and 1978, and despite only having the vision in one eye, wasNASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1977 after posting the best defensive record in the league. He briefly entered management withTelford United but left the game in December 1980.
Banks was namedFWA Footballer of the Year in 1972 and was namedFIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions. TheIFFHS named Banks the second-best goalkeeper of the 20th century, afterLev Yashin.[8]
Banks was born inAbbeydale, Sheffield, on 30 December 1937, and brought up in the working-class area ofTinsley.[9][10] The family later moved to the village ofCatcliffe after his father set up a (then-illegal)betting shop.[11] This brought greater prosperity but also misery; one day, Banks's disabled brother was mugged for the shop's daily takings and died of his injuries some weeks later.[12] Banks left school in December 1952, aged 15, and took up employment as a bagger with a local coal merchant, which helped to build up his upper body strength.[13] He spent a season playing for amateur side Millspaugh after their regular goalkeeper failed to turn up for a match; the club's trainer spotted Banks amongst the spectators and invited him to play in goal as he was aware that Banks had previously played for Sheffield Schoolboys.[13] His performances there earned him a game in theYorkshire League forRawmarsh Welfare. However, a 12–2 defeat toStocksbridge Works on his debut was followed by a 3–1 home defeat, and he was dropped by Rawmarsh and returned to Millspaugh.[14] Still aged 15, he then switched jobs to become ahod carrier.[14]
Banks was given his first-team debut by managerDoug Livingstone, at the expense of long-servingRon Powell, in aThird Division game againstColchester United atSaltergate in November 1958.[19] The game ended 2–2, and Banks kept his place againstNorwich City in the following match; by the end of the1958–59 season, he had missed only three games, those owing to injury.[20] With no goalkeepingcoach to guide him, Banks had to learn from his mistakes on thepitch, and he soon developed into a modern vocal goalkeeper who ordered the players in front of him into a more effective defence.[21] Having just 23 league and three cup appearances to his name, it came as a surprise to Banks whenMatt Gillies, manager ofFirst Division clubLeicester City, bought him from Chesterfield for £7,000 in July 1959; this also meant a wage increase to £15 a week.[22]
Banks faced competition from five other goalkeepers, including 30-year-oldScotland internationalJohnny Anderson and 25-year-oldDave MacLaren.[23] He started the1959–60 season as the reserve team's goalkeeper. This, in effect, made him the club's second-choice, ahead of four of his rivals but behind first-team choice MacLaren.[24] He had played four reserve team games when MacLaren picked up an injury, and manager Matt Gillies selected Banks for his Leicester debut againstBlackpool atFilbert Street on 9 September. The match finished 1–1, withJackie Mudie's strike cancelling outKen Leek's opener.[25] Banks retained his place for the 2–0 loss toNewcastle United atSt James' Park three days later.[26] With McLaren fit again, Banks was sent back to the reserves, but after the first team conceded 14 goals in the next five games, he was recalled and became the first-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season.[26] The defensive record did not improve at first, with Banks conceding six in a heavy defeat byEverton atGoodison Park. Still, he improved in each match, and the Foxes settled for a comfortable 12th-place finish.[26] In training, he worked extensively on improving his weaknesses, such as coming for crosses.[27] He put in extra hours during training and came up with practice sessions to improve his skills – this was largely unique in an era where there were no specialized goalkeeping coaches.[28] In the summer, both Anderson and MacLaren departed, leaving Banks as the club's undisputed number one ahead of a group of understudies.[29]
Leicester finished sixth in1960–61, and managed to beat championsTottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane.[30] Yet their greatest accomplishment was in reaching the final of theFA Cup, with Banks conceding only five goals in their nine gamesen route to the final, and keeping threeclean sheets in the semi-final and tworeplays againstSheffield United. Their opponents inthe final atWembley were Tottenham, who had already won the First Division title by an eight-point margin.[31] Right-backLen Chalmers picked up a severe injury early in the match, and with Ken Leek dropped for disciplinary reasons in favour of rookieHughie McIlmoyle, City were effectively playing with ten men and offered little threat going forward.[32]Bobby Smith andTerry Dyson gave Spurs a 2–0 win and the first "double" of the 20th century, with Banks unable to prevent either goal.[32]
The1961–62 season proved to be highly disappointing, as Leicester finished 14th in the league and exited the FA Cup at the hands ofStoke City.[33] The only highlight was the club's participation in theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, which put Banks in the difficult position of choosing to play for his club against Spanish clubAtlético Madrid or choosing to attend theEngland versusPortugal match as a non-playing squad member.[33] He elected to attend both games, leaving London at full-time to reach Leicester 30 minutes before thekick-off against Madrid.[34] Alast-minute goal earned the Spaniards a 1–1 draw at Filbert Street.[35] In the return leg, Bankssaved anEnrique Collarpenalty, but Atlético were awarded a second penalty which Collar converted, and Leicester lost the game 2–0 (losing the tie 3–1 on aggregate).[35]
Banksbroke his nose atCraven Cottage on the opening day of the1962–63 season, in a 2–1 defeat byFulham.[36] Leicester went to chase a possible double, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals whilst sitting on top of the table in April.[37] City beatLiverpool 1–0 atHillsborough to reach the final, with Banks keeping a clean sheet despite his goal being under a near-constant siege from the Merseyside club.[38] TheNews of the World reported that Liverpool had had 34 attempts on goal to Leicester's one, and Banks later stated that it was his finest performance at club level.[39] Unluckily, Banks thenbroke a finger in a 2–1 defeat byWest Bromwich Albion atThe Hawthorns, and was out injured as Leicester lost their final three league games, ending the season in a disappointing fourth place.[40] In the1963 FA Cup final Banks and the rest of the team underperformed, and lost the game 3–1 to Manchester United.[41][42]
Banks started the1964–65 season on wages of £40 a week, and the club only agreed to pay £60 a week in December.[45] These miserly wages made it difficult for the club to spend the £80,000 it received from the sale ofFrank McLintock – he had put in atransfer request over dissatisfaction with his pay and quality replacements were reluctant to join a club that paid full internationals like Banks and McLintock no more than the base rate that rival clubs paid to average players.[46] Leicester finished 18th in the league and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool atAnfield in the sixth round. In the League Cup, City struggled to get pastPeterborough United (in a replay),Grimsby Town andCrystal Palace (in a replay), before they recorded an 8–1 victory overCoventry City atHighfield Road. After easing pastPlymouth Argyle in the semi-finals, Banks found himself playing in anotherLeague Cup final. However,Chelsea won the final after successfully defending their 3–2 win atStamford Bridge with a goalless draw at Filbert Street.[47]
Despite being a World Cup winner in the summer of 1966, Banks was dropped towards the end of the1966–67 season in favour of highly promising teenage reservePeter Shilton.[50] Manager Matt Gillies was blunt, telling Banks "we [Gillies and the club's directors] think your best days are behind you, and you should move on".[51] TeammateRichie Norman told Banks that Gillies was pressured into the decision, Shilton having told the board he would leave the club unless he was given first-team football.[51] Banks was transfer listed at £50,000, the same price the club received forDerek Dougan in March 1967.[51] However, many of the big clubs were unwilling to spend such a sum on a goalkeeper.[52]Liverpool managerBill Shankly showed strong interest, but could not convince the club's board of directors to agree to such a large fee for a goalkeeper.[53] West Ham United managerRon Greenwood was prepared to match the fee, but instead signedKilmarnock'sBobby Ferguson for £65,000 because he had already agreed terms with Kilmarnock and did not want to go back on his word.[53] Terms were instead agreed with Stoke City, a mid-table First Division side.[54]
"I've not come here to retire you know. I've come to here to win something."
— Banks speaking upon signing with the club after critics questioned Waddington's policy of signing veteran players.[55]
On leaving Filbert Street, Banks requested a loyalty bonus from Leicester and was told by Matt Gillies, "We've decided not to pay you a penny. There's to be no compensation payment and that's final."[54] Banks then refused the move until Stoke bossTony Waddington seemingly negotiated a £2,000 payment out of Leicester.[56] It was only some years later that Banks was informed that Stoke had made the payment, not Leicester.[56] Waddington valued good goalkeepers highly, and the two built up a close relationship.[56] During this time, Banks moved toMadeley, Staffordshire.[57] He replacedJohn Farmer as the club's number one, and kept goal in the last four games of the1966–67 season, making his home debut at the Victoria Ground in a 3–1 win over his former club Leicester.[57]
Banks fitted in well at Stoke, as Waddington built a team of veteran players who were judged by some to be past their best.[58] The Potters struggled near the foot of the First Division table in the1967–68 and1968–69 campaigns, before rising to ninth place in the1969–70 season. Banks remained a reliable stopper for the club. However, on 1 March 1969, he was knocked unconscious atRoker Park bySunderland'sMalcolm Moore, and his replacementDavid Herd conceded four goals in a 4–1 defeat.[59] Banks also played a season for theCleveland Stokers of the AmericanUnited Soccer Association in the summer of 1968: he played seven of the short-lived club's 12 games inCleveland,Ohio.[60]
Banks made what he believed to be three of the best saves of his career in a Stoke shirt. In the first instance, he saved and caught a powerful and well-placed header from Manchester City'sWyn Davies from 8 yards (7.3 m) out; in the second case he saved aFrancis Lee header atMaine Road; and he made his third great save for the club by catching avolley from Tottenham Hotspur'sAlan Gilzean that had been hit from 6 yards (5.5 m) out at White Hart Lane.[61]
Stoke began to compete for honours in the1970–71 season, though despite impressive victories against the top two clubs—Arsenal andLeeds United—City ended the season in mid-table obscurity.[62] The club's great achievement was in reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup, beatingMillwall,Huddersfield Town,Ipswich Town andHull Cityen route.[63] Facing Arsenal at Hillsborough in the semi-finals, they lost a two-goal lead to draw 2–2, and were then beaten 2–0 in the replay atVilla Park.[64]
Despite another mid-table finish in1971–72, Stoke beat Chesterfield,Tranmere Rovers, Hull City and Manchester United to reach another FA Cup semi-final.[65] They again faced Arsenal, and once more, a draw at Villa Park meant a replay at Goodison Park.[66] The Gunners' goals in a 2–1 victory came from a disputed Frank McLintock penalty and aJohn Radford goal that television replays showed was clearlyoffside.[67] In a May 2011 interview, Banks said that he still felt "cheated" out of a chance to play for the club in an FA Cup final.[68] Stoke and Banks found solace in the League Cup, though it took them 11 matches to reach the final after overcomingSouthport, thenOxford United in a replay, Manchester United in a second replay,Bristol Rovers, and then West Ham United in a second replay following an aggregate draw after two legs.[69] Inextra time of the second leg with West Ham, BanksfouledHarry Redknapp, conceding a penalty, and then savedGeoff Hurst's powerful spot-kick to keep City in the competition.[70] They then faced Chelsea inthe final at Wembley.Peter Osgood beat Banks with a hooked shot just beforehalf-time, but goals fromTerry Conroy andGeorge Eastham won Stoke the game 2–1.[71] At the end of the season, Banks was named theFWA Footballer of the Year, becoming the first goalkeeper to receive the honour sinceBert Trautmann in 1956.[72]
On 22 October 1972, while driving home from a session of work on his injuredshoulder with the Stokephysiotherapist, Banks lost control of his newFord Consul (a re-badgedFord Granada Mk I) car, which ended up in a ditch.[73] He had attempted to overtake a car on a sharp bend and collided with an oncomingAustin A60 van.[72] He was taken to theNorth Staffordshire Hospital and, during an operation, received 200 stitches in his face and over 100 micro-stitches inside the socket of his right eye, and was told the chances of saving the sight in his eye were 50–50.[74] His sight never returned, and as the loss ofbinocular vision severely limited his abilities as a goalkeeper, he retired from professional football the following summer.[75]
Ron Springett was the goalkeeper for England as Banks rose to prominence. Still, after the1962 World Cup inChile, a new coach was appointed in former England right-backAlf Ramsey.[81] Ramsey demanded sole control of the team and began looking towards the nextWorld Cup.[81] Banks won his firstcap on 6 April 1963 against Scotland at Wembley, after Springett was dropped following a poor performance.[82] England lost 2–1, though Banks was blameless as Scotland's goals came firstly from an error byJimmy Armfield and then secondly from the penalty spot.[83] He was picked for the next match againstBrazil, which ended in a creditable 1–1 draw afterBryan Douglas cancelled outPepe's opener.[84] Banks continued to play consistently to become established as England's first-choice goalkeeper. In 1963, he was picked to play against theRest of the World, in a celebration match to mark 100 years ofThe Football Association.[85]
Banks also played in two of England's three games at the "Little World Cup" in Brazil in the summer of 1964, a 1–1 draw with Portugal and a 1–0 defeat toArgentina.[86] Blackpool'sTony Waiters won five caps in the England goal in 1964 but found that his challenge to Banks's first-team place came to an end after he conceded five goals to Brazil.[87] During England's summer of 1965 tour he built up a solid understanding with his defenders—George Cohen,Jack Charlton,Bobby Moore, andRay Wilson—as he only conceded two goals in four matches againstHungary,Yugoslavia,West Germany, andSweden.[88] They then played sevenfriendlies in 1966 in the build-up to the World Cup, though the team passed their biggest test of character in theBritish Home Championship, beating Scotland 4–3 in front of a crowd of over 130,000 atHampden Park.[89] Going into the competition, the only defeat in 21 matches since the "Little World Cup" came againstAustria, in a game that Banks missed due to injury.[90]
Banks entered the1966 FIFA World Cup as England's first-choice goalkeeper, and his understudies Ron Springett andPeter Bonetti never took to the field during the tournament. England opened the tournament with a goalless draw againstUruguay, with Banks a virtual spectator as the highly defensive Uruguayans rarely ventured out of their half.[91] They then defeatedMexico 2–0, with Banks again rarely troubled throughout.[92] A 2–0 win overFrance then took England through the group stage without Banks conceding a goal.[93]
England beat Argentina 1–0 in the last eight, with Geoff Hurst scoring with a header; the match was sullied by the first-halfsending off of Argentinian midfielderAntonio Rattín, who refused to leave the pitch after being dismissed for dissent.[94] In contrast to the previous games, the semi-final against Portugal proved to be a fair contest between two sides of talented players eager to attack from the start of the match.[95] Yet there was panic in the buildup to the game as trainerHarold Shepherdson forgot to buychewing gum, which Banks used to make his hands stickier and better able to handle the ball, and so Shepherdson had to run to a nearbynewsagents to purchase gum as the teams were in the tunnel.[96] Bobby Charlton scored two goals, but Portugal made a strong finish and won a penalty on 82 minutes after Jack Charlton handled the ball in the penalty area.[97]Eusébio converted the penalty after sending Banks the wrong way, and the game finished 2–1 in England's favour.[98] This was the first goal Banks had conceded for England in 721 minutes of regular play since giving up Scotland's last goal after 81 minutes of the Home International clash in April. This remained a record for an England goalkeeper until 2021 when it was broken byJordan Pickford.[99]
England's opponents in thefinal were West Germany. It was England who dominated the final, but it was Banks who was beaten first. A weak header from Ray Wilson handed a chance toHelmut Haller, who sent an accurate but relatively weak shot into the corner of the net; Banks had been unsighted by Jack Charlton, and he failed to adjust his position in time to reach the ball.[100] England equalised through a Geoff Hurst header within six minutes and went ahead late in the second half throughMartin Peters.[101] With seconds left in the game,Lothar Emmerich sent afree kick into the England penalty area, and the ball fell toWolfgang Weber, who guided the ball over a lunging Ray Wilson and an outstretched Banks into the net to take the game into extra-time.[102] In extra time, the Germans sent shots in at the England goal, which Banks managed to catch and control without any great danger.[103] Hurst scored two goals to complete hishat-trick, and though many claimed his second goal nevercrossed the line Banks always maintained his belief that the officials called the decision correctly.[104] Between these goals, Banks had to deal with a fiery shot fromSigfried Held and was later exposed only forUwe Seeler to come just centimetres away from connecting with the ball.[105]
Scotland were the first team to beat the world champions, as goals fromDenis Law,Bobby Lennox andJim McCalliog secured a 3–2 victory at Wembley on 15 April 1967.[106] Despite this set-back, England qualified forUEFA Euro 1968, which consisted of just four teams: England,Italy (hosts), theSoviet Union, and Yugoslavia. England played just two games at the tournament, losing 1–0 to Yugoslavia,[107] and then beating the Soviets 2–0 in the third-place play-off.[108]
Trading cards of Banks with England by ItalianPanini (left) andChapitas in Argentina (right), both issued in 1970
Banks went into the1970 World Cup as England's number one with 59 caps to his name, and had Peter Bonetti (six caps) andAlex Stepney (one cap) as his understudies. He found the heat and altitude atGuadalajara, Mexico difficult to cope with.[109] The team's efforts at acclimatisation were not helped when Bobby Moore was falsely accused of stealing the infamous "Bogotá Bracelet".[110] Despite this, a Geoff Hurst goal was enough to beat their first opponents,Romania.[111] A far tougher test awaited on 7 June, when England faced Brazil. The day before the match, Banks was informed that he had been awarded anOBE.[111]
Image describing Banks's save v Pelé in the 1970 World Cup, Mexico
Playing at pace, Brazil were putting England under enormous pressure and an attack was begun bycaptainCarlos Alberto who sent a low ball down the right flank for the speedyJairzinho to latch on to.[112] The Brazilian winger sped past left-backTerry Cooper and crossed the ball into the six-yard box, wherePelé connected with a powerful header to send the ball low towards the right-hand corner of the goal.[112] In the knowledge that his header was placed to perfection, Pelé immediately shouted "Gol!" (Brazilian Portuguese for goal).[113][114]
The split-second incident only allowed Banks time for one conscious thought – that the shot was impossible to catch, and the only way to prevent Pelé from following up on the rebound would be to parry the ball over the bar.[113] The ball bounced 2 yards (1.8 m) in front of the goal-line, and Banks managed to make contact with the ball with the fingers of his right hand and rolled his hand slightly to angle the ball over the crossbar.[113] He landed in the inner netting of the goal and knew he had saved the ball after seeing Pelé's reaction.[113] Banks then rose to his feet to defend the corner and broke into laughter after the following exchange:[115]
"I thought that was a goal." (Pelé)
"You and me both." (Banks)
"You're getting old, Banksy, you used to hold on to them." (Bobby Moore)
Pelé and numerous journalists and pundits would later describe the save as the greatest in the game's history.[5][6][7] Banks later said "They won't remember me for winning the World Cup, it'll be for that save. That's how big a thing it is. People just want to talk about that save."[116] In 2002 the UK public voted the save No. 41 in the list of the100 Greatest Sporting Moments.[117]
Brazil won 1–0 after Jairzinho beat Banks in the second half.[118] England ultimately joined Brazil in the last eight after a win in the final group game againstCzechoslovakia. The reward was a rematch of the 1966 final against West Germany.[119]
The day before the West Germany game, England's hopes of making further inroads into the World Cup were dented when Banks complained of an upset stomach. He became affected by violent stomach cramps and aching limbs and spent his time in the bathroom sweating, shivering and vomiting.[120] He passed an extremely undemanding fitness test but suffered a relapse shortly before the game, and Ramsey was forced to rest him and play Peter Bonetti in his place.[121] Ramsey remarked that "of all the players to lose, we had to lose him."[7] Banks watched the game on television at the hotel as England lost a two-goal lead to be eliminated 3–2 after extra time. Due to a delay in the broadcast, he switched the television off, with England 2–0 in the lead, as Bobby Moore returned to the hotel to break the news of the defeat.[122] Suspicions later surfaced that Banks had been poisoned to take him out of the game, but with no evidence to support them, Banks never believed in them.[123]
Only four teams competed inUEFA Euro 1972:Belgium (hosts), Hungary, the Soviet Union, and West Germany. England came close to qualifying but lost 3–1 to West Germany in the final round ofqualifying.[124]
On 15 May 1971, Banks was involved in a notorious incident withGeorge Best who, while playing against England forNorthern Ireland, flicked the ball out of Banks's hands andheaded it into the net.[125] The move was audacious, but was disallowed by thereferee, who judged it to be dangerous play.[125][126] Banks played his 73rd and final game for England on 27 May 1972, in a 1–0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park.[127] During his 73 international games, he kept 35 clean sheets and lost just nine games.[128]
In December 1977, he was appointed as a coach atPort Vale by managerDennis Butler, being demoted to reserve coach in October 1978 by new bossAlan Bloor.[129] Banks enjoyed coaching but soon resigned his position, feeling that players such asBernie Wright refused to take his advice on board.[130] He applied for the vacant management positions atLincoln City andRotherham United, but was rejected.[130] He instead accepted the role as manager ofAlliance Premier League part-time clubTelford United.[130] He signed a goalkeeper, centre-half and centre-forward fromBangor City for £1,500, as well as former Stoke strikerJohn Ruggiero.[131] The "Bucks" finished in 13th place in1979–80.[132]
In November 1980, he leftJackie Mudie in temporary charge of team affairs whilst he underwent surgery and led the club to defeat in theFA Trophy at the hands of a lower league club.[133] On his return to the club Banks was sacked.[133] He was offered the position of raffle ticket seller and accepted the post in the belief that it would entitle him to the money owed to him in the terms of his management contract; he eventually had to settle for 50% of his contract.[133] He later stated that "It broke my heart ... I did not want to stay in the game."[132]
An excellent, consistent, and instinctive goalkeeper who possessed significant physical strength, athleticism, and excellent shot-stopping abilities, Banks is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time in his position. He possessed an excellent positional sense, which he felt to be one of his best assets, and was also known for his handling, awareness, composure, and mental strength, as well as his agility, speed, and quick reflexes, which enabled him to produce acrobatic saves, such as his famous stop from Pelé's header against Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.[7][134][135][136]
Banks first met his wife, Ursula, during his national service in Germany in 1955.[17] They married in 1957 and had three children: Robert, Julia and Wendy.[137][138] He separated from Ursula during his time in America. Still, the couple reunited when Banks returned to England.[139]
In October 1972, Banks was involved in a car crash in hisFord Consul while driving on the wrong side of the road, close to his home inMadeley Heath. Fragments of glass had perforated his right eye and damaged the retina, requiring 100 micro stitches to the eye and a further 200 to his face.[140]
Shortly after his retirement, Banks was surprised byEamonn Andrews for an episode ofThis Is Your Life.[142] He later fronted aLeicester-based hospitality company.[143] He lost a significant sum of money when the business failed but was helped out by Leicester City, who offered him a belatedtestimonial match.[144] He was appointed as Stoke City's president following the death ofStanley Matthews.[145] From the 1980s he was a member of the three-manpools panel.[146]
In 2001, he sold his World Cup winners medal atChristie's for £124,750, and his international cap from the final was also sold for £27,025.[147]
Sheffield Walk of Fame
Banks was an Inaugural Inductee to theEnglish Football Hall of Fame in 2002.[148] In March 2004, he was named by Pelé as one of the world's125 greatest living footballers.[149] He was awarded an honorary doctorate fromKeele University in February 2006.[150] In May 2006, Banks was the first 'legend' to be inducted into a new Walk of Fame, by having a plaque installed in the pavement in front ofSheffield Town Hall.[151] In July 2008, Pelé unveiled a statue of Banks making his famous 1970 World Cup save outside theBritannia Stadium.[152][153] In March 2011, he was also inducted into the City ofStoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame, along withRoy Sproson.[154] Pelé became a good friend of Banks and following his death the Brazilian described Banks as a "goalkeeper with magic".[155]
In 1980, Banks published his first autobiography,Banks of England. He published a more comprehensive autobiography in 2002:Banksy: My Autobiography. Irish investigative author,Don Mullan, published a boyhood memoir in 2006 calledGordon Banks – A Hero Who Could Fly[156] in which he wrote about the influence of the England goalkeeper on his life.[157]
