RIP Gordon Banks, England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper, who died yesterday. Arguably the greatest keeper this country has ever produced, he was one of those rare people for whom nobody had a bad word. Banks is best remembered for the “Save of the Century” against Brazil in 1970 (1:15 on this clip), when England had a great chance of winning the World Cup again. Then Banks was struck down by a very mysterious stomach bug. The team were allowed one beer the night before the quarter-final, and it’ll always be suspected that Banks’s drink was spiked. Too ill to play the following day against West Germany, he was replaced by Peter Bonetti. Bonetti was no Banks, England lost 3-2 and didn’t play another World Cup game for twelve years. But June 1970, Gordon Banks was indisputably England’s No.1. Not just as a goalkeeper but, with this at No.1 in the charts, as a pop star.
The original Banksy.

- So good, it's...7th Sep 2014
- My mate John ...5th Sep 2014
- Sad about Joa...4th Sep 2014
- To the lighth...2nd Sep 2014
- People sharin...1st Sep 2014
- Nicked for sp...30th Aug 2014
- "Yo' Bitch!!"27th Aug 2014
- I find myself...26th Aug 2014
- Lord Attenbor...25th Aug 2014
- Did your pare...24th Aug 2014
- How to buy a ...22nd Aug 2014
- Twelve A stars.21st Aug 2014
- To Mike Smith...20th Aug 2014
- Lunch with Ma...18th Aug 2014
- Back to the B...17th Aug 2014 prev next