STOKE-ON-TRENT (REUTERS) - Crowds of mourning fans joined luminaries of English football for a final farewell on Monday (March 4) to Gordon Banks, a steelworker's son who became one of the world's greatest goalkeepers and will be remembered for his miraculous save against Pele.
Teammates from England's 1966 World Cup win and members of former clubs Stoke and Leicester came to join a cortege from the Stoke stadium to the funeral for Banks, who died aged 81 last month.
"He was so humble, honest to God, he didn't really understand what he had achieved in life and why people made such a fuss of him," friend Terry Conroy, who starred with Banks and scored in Stoke's 1972 League Cup win, told Reuters.
Banks was best known for the stunning one-handed save from a Pele bullet header that bounced awkwardly in front of him during England's group-stage game against Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
"With the luck of the gods, the angle at which I'd managed to lift that ball was perfect, and it ballooned in the air and over the bar," the genial Banks said in one of the many recountings begged by fans and the media.
Footage shows Banks chuckling afterwards, as England's Bobby Moore jokingly chides him for not catching the ball.
His achievements went far further than stopping Pele.
Â
Â
Â
Banks won 73 international caps, played nearly 500 times for Leicester and Stoke and won two League Cups, before a car crash blinded him in one eye.
He remained in Stoke, a former mining and pottery city, where he would watch games, attend charity events and take a weekly walk round Trentham Gardens.
"He donated his tie to a charity event I was involved in and we raised £200 (S$358.44). Such a gentleman," reminisced Phillip Steele, 76, next to a statue of Banks at the hilltop stadium decked in flags, scarves and flowers.
Favourite saves
Some 2,000 fans were at the stadium to watch proceedings on a big screen. Others lined the route of the funeral procession, which was to stop outside the old Victoria Ground where Banks plied his trade before ending at Stoke Minster for a religious service.
Goalkeepers Jack Butland, Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel were to be pall-bearers. Fellow World Cup winners Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst were also expected.
In a largely working-class city obsessed with football, Banks was viewed as a reminder of simpler days before the Premier League's mega-millions.
Everyone had their favourite save.
"Mine was a penalty he stopped against Geoff Hurst at Stoke's 1972 League Cup semi-final at West Ham," Conroy said. "If he hadn't saved that, we wouldn't have been in the final and won our first trophy in more than 100 years."
Banks used to pick out a 1963 FA Cup semi-final when Leicester scored with their only shot on goal while he single-handedly thwarted chance after chance for Liverpool.
Born in the northern city of Sheffield, Banks worked as a coal packer and apprentice bricklayer as a teenager before an inauspicious start at Chesterfield's reserves: he let in 122 goals in the 1954-55 season. After military service, he got a first-team contract at Chesterfield - for £7 a week.
Anecdotes from Banks' life tell of a different era to that of today's cosseted players. Before kick-off at the 1966 World Cup semi-final, he ran out of the gum he used to chew to generate spit for his hands - so the England trainer popped out of Wembley and down the road to buy some from a news kiosk just in time to stave off Banks' panic.
Manchester United's Class of '92 coach and mentor Eric Harrison passes away in sleep aged 81. It is the first official confirmation of the financial hit United took when they sacked the £346,000
José Mourinho | The Guardian
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 28, 2019, with the headline ''Serene' Quagliarella becomes Italy's oldest scorer at 36'. Print Edition | Subscribe
'Serene' Quagliarella becomes Italy's oldest scorer at 36
"Messi is a one-club man," Bartomeu added. "It's more than what he does on the pitch, his relationship with Barca will last forever. "I use the example of Pele, who was always at Santos. We want Messi to always be at Barca, whether that's playing on the pitch or being linked to the club (after he retires)."
Barcelona president Bartomeu wants to keep Messi with club
Lure of Italy strong, says Chelsea's homesick Sarri afp.com. 16 mins ago. Trump joins the Queen for D-Day anniversary. Russian jet intercepts US aircraft 3 times in 3 hours
Homesick Sarri hints at Italy return, but Juventus still
Getty Images. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has said a potential joint Korean bid for the 2023 Women's World Cup "would be great". On Monday, Hong Myung-bo, general secretary at the Korea
Infantino backs Korean bid for women's World Cup, Football
Modric criticises Ballon d'Or gala snub by Messi, Ronaldo. Croatian captain Modric broke Messi and Ronaldo's decade-long stranglehold on the prestigious prize last month. as well as to
Modric criticises Messi, Ronaldo for Ballon d'Or gala snub
Liverpool powered back to the top of the Premier League as Xherdan Shaqiri inspired a 3-1 win over bitter rivals Manchester United, while Arsenal's 22-match unbeaten run was shattered by a shock 3-2 defeat at Southampton on Sunday.
Chris Wood scored twice as Burnley virtually assured Premier League safety with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday which left the Welsh club deep in relegation trouble and
Football: Wood double gives Burnley win over Cardiff in
Benitez fumes says Prem 'don't understand the rules' after Wolves' dubious equaliser The Toon boss was furious Wolves' late leveller was not ruled out for a foul on Martin Dubravka to deny
How the media comes daily to the rescue of the referees
May 06, 2019 · Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action Manchester United's slump means they have to support City in the FA Cup final, Ramsey's tears show passion Arsenal are missing and
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend's action
Golden Buzzer: Kodi Lee Wows You With A Historical Music Moment! - America's Got Talent 2019 - Duration: 8:17. America's Got Talent 24,910,837 views. New
unfinished captains bed | eBay
watch everton vs tottenham live soccer streaming
watch the champions league live stream
watch premier league live streaming online - soccer portal
watch soccer online free streaming live south africa
watch english premier league live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming yify
super soccer tv live streaming piala dunia
soccer tv live football streaming portugal
watch coppa america live streaming in india
watch premier league live streaming vf
watch coppa america live streaming bola
watch champions league live streaming malaysia
watch coppa america live streaming app
watch premier league live streaming juventus vs manchester united
watch champions league live streaming xbox one
watch coppa america live streaming hd free
how to watch champions league live streaming
watch premier league live streaming yify
watch soccer online free streaming live cricfree
watch uefa champions league quarter final draw live streaming
watch live soccer streaming free android
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online reddit
watch premier league live streaming live free
watch champions league live streaming vk
watch champions league live streaming zee tv
soccer tv live football streaming garuda select
watch soccer live live football streaming cr7
watch champions league draw live stream total sportek
watch premier league stream reddit
how to watch premier league live streaming
watch champions league live streaming bein sport
watch coppa america live streaming tv
watch soccer online free streaming live espn
watch live english premier league online free streaming
watch live streaming soccer world cup
watch champions league final online free live streaming
watch champions league final live streaming
watch champions league live streaming juventus
watch coppa america live streaming zee5
watch english premier league live streaming hd
watch premier league live streaming quality
watch coppa america live streaming video
watch soccer online free live streaming livetv ru
watch coppa america live streaming cricfree
watch usa soccer live stream online
watch coppa america live streaming dailymotion
watch coppa america live streaming vf
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online
watch coppa america live streaming sub eng
watch coppa america live streaming barcelona
watch soccer games live stream free app
watch uefa champions league live streaming sportek
free watch champions league live streaming
where to watch premier league live streaming
watch premier league live in stream
watch uefa champions league draw live streaming
watch soccer live streaming juventus vs manchester united
watch coppa america live streaming canada
watch premier league live streaming vk
watch english premier league live streaming free
watch coppa america live streaming uk
watch champions league live streaming putlockers
watch coppa america live streaming kenya
watch champions league live stream gratis
watch coppa america live streaming spain
watch coppa america live streaming now
watch champions league live stream uk
watch soccer aid live stream online
watch soccer games live stream free
watch soccer live streaming xfinity
watch arsenal southampton premier league live stream
super soccer tv live streaming garuda select
watch champions league simulcast live stream
watch premier league darts live stream
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming free
watch afghanistan premier league live stream
watch uefa champions league live streaming youtube
watch soccer online free live streaming hd
watch champions league live streaming jamaica
watch soccer aid live stream
watch sky sports premier league live stream
watch champions league live streaming mobile
watch champions league live streaming xbox
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live
watch coppa america live streaming xfinity
khan tv pw watch indian premier league 2018 live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live first row
#americanfootball #thebeatles #football #livestreaming #freekickerz #satira #realmadrid #kickoff #liverpool #MSport #manchestercity #gunners #Suarez #golf #Fcb #gym #petercrouch #oasisofficial #hotcoffee #tokyo #watchlive #arsenal #league1 #Barcelona #coutinho #manchestercity #sumbertv #gooners #elcasico #chocolate #afcnews #serieatim #thomasmeunier #oasis #nationsleague #myfootballuniverse #Bar #bestshishacafedubai #roadtrip #conference #bayervshoffenheim #calciatoribrutti #streamingbolaid #manchesterunited #beatifulgame #liverpoolfans #panini #fcbarcelona #girlsniteout #champion #meunier #messi #livesports #Celtic #GarageCafeDxb #transfernews #soccerbible #championsleague #footballfans #liverpool #premierleague #JUVENTUS #ballondor #coyg #seriea #alissonbecker #realmadridcf #liverpoolcity #mancityvsliverpool #mancity #soccer #insegreto #jadwalbolahariini #valcea #BMW #rugby #chocolatecoffee #Liverpool #cristiano #frasitrap #bayern #premierleague #visubal #ucl #league2 #trollfootball #soccer #cr7 #manchestercity #salah #goodday #footballstreaming #oasisengland #fut
No comments:
Post a Comment