Gordon Banks OBE
Goalkeeper · Leicester City · England
About Gordon Banks OBE
Gordon Banks is England's greatest goalkeeper and the maker of what Pelé called 'the greatest save ever made' — a reflex stop from a Pelé header at the 1970 World Cup that defied physical possibility. He won the World Cup with England in 1966, made 73 international appearances, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six consecutive times (1966–1971). His career was ended by a car accident in 1972 that cost him sight in one eye.
Gordon Banks OBE's story
The Save
Guadalajara. June 7, 1970. World Cup group stage. England vs Brazil. Pelé received the ball on the right side, cut inside, and struck a downward header aimed at the bottom-left corner. Banks was on the wrong side of the goal. As the ball bounced toward the net, Banks somehow dove, reached the ball at ankle height, and scooped it over the crossbar. Pelé raised his hands to his head in disbelief. He later said: 'I thought that goal was going in. I was already shouting goal. Banks made a save that should not have been physically possible.' It remains the finest save ever made.
1966
Banks was England's goalkeeper for their 1966 World Cup win — conceding only 3 goals across the tournament, keeping clean sheets in the final against West Germany and in the semi-final against Portugal. Alf Ramsey built his defensive structure around Banks's authority. The England backline — Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Charlton (ENG), Moore — was the finest defensive unit in the tournament.
The Accident
In October 1972, Banks was involved in a car accident that left him blind in his right eye. His career was effectively over at 34 — when, based on his performances for Stoke (ENG), he was still among the finest goalkeepers in England. He later played in the North American Soccer League with diminished vision. He received an OBE in 1970 and died in February 2019, aged 81.
Did you know?
- 🧤 His reflex save from Pelé's downward header at the 1970 World Cup — scooping the ball over the bar from ankle height after diving across his goal — was called by Pelé 'the greatest save I ever saw' and is universally recognised as the finest in football history.
- 🏆 He won the World Cup with England in 1966, conceding 3 goals across the tournament, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six consecutive times (1966–1971) — an unbroken run of individual recognition that has never been equalled.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Ursula Roberts in 1962; they have three children and settled in Staffordshire. He is remembered as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history. He died in February 2019.
- 💔 A car accident in 1972 cost him sight in his right eye and ended his career at 34 — cutting short what would likely have been several more years of elite goalkeeping from the finest goalkeeper of his generation.
- 📊 He made 73 international appearances for England — keeping 35 clean sheets — and conceded an average of 0.67 goals per international match across a decade of first-choice selection under multiple managers.
- 🥇 He won FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year six consecutive times — 1966 through 1971 — the longest unbroken run in the award's history, spanning his World Cup win and the years that confirmed him as the world's finest goalkeeper.
- ⚽ He played for Chesterfield, Leicester City, and Stoke — clubs that could not compete financially with the elite — yet became England's first-choice for a decade, demonstrating that raw ability can transcend the quality of club environment.
- 🎖️ He received an OBE for services to football in 1970 — one of the first goalkeepers to receive the honour — and was later awarded the Freedom of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, reflecting the depth of local and national affection.
- 🤝 His defensive partnership with Bobby Moore in front of him — Moore reading the game, Banks covering what Moore couldn't reach — is considered the finest goalkeeper-centre-back combination in English football history.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: England (1966)
- FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year x6: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 — six consecutive awards
- Greatest Save in Football History: Pelé header at 1970 World Cup — Pelé called it 'the greatest save I ever saw'
- League Cup: Stoke City (1972)
- England's Goalkeeper of the Century: Voted by English fans as the greatest English goalkeeper in history
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