STOKE-ON-TRENT - Thousands of fans joined luminaries of English football for a final farewell on Monday to Gordon Banks, a steelworker’s son who became one of the world’s greatest goalkeepers and will forever be remembered for a miraculous save against Pele.
“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 and down-to-earth Banks said in one of the many recountings begged by fans and media. “He donated his tie to a charity event I was involved in and we raised 200 pounds . Such a gentleman” reminisced Phillip Steele, 76, next to a statue of Banks at the hilltop stadium decked in flags, scarves, footballs and flowers.About 2,000 fans were at the Bet365 stadium to watch proceedings on a big screen. Others lined the route of the funeral procession, which paused outside the old Victoria Ground where Banks plied his trade before reaching Stoke minster.