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.

- I'm hopeless ...14th Aug 2013
- The Strangler...13th Aug 2013
- I do love Lon...12th Aug 2013
- As we get old...11th Aug 2013
- There are man...10th Aug 2013
- There are man...10th Aug 2013
- Can you name ...9th Aug 2013
- Do you rememb...7th Aug 2013
- Ever heard of...6th Aug 2013
- Shouldn't wor...6th Aug 2013
- I'm sure Pete...5th Aug 2013
- I came out of...4th Aug 2013
- Having a barb...3rd Aug 2013
- Sometimes I j...2nd Aug 2013
- These people ...1st Aug 2013 prev next