He became a master, of course, whose exploits are part of the game's folklore--the save-of-all-time against Brazil in 1970; George Best flicking the ball out of his hands to "score" in 1971; the 1972 car crash that robbed him of sight in one eye, and that 1966 World Cup triumph. There's humour too, notably the episode when, furthering his playing career in the emerging US super league, Banks is examined by a Stateside club doctor, who struggles with the idea that an athlete who's got several metal plates in his body, can't quite touch his toes, and has no vision in one eye, could really by an asset to the team--let alone a goalkeeping great.

But whatever plaudits Banks received as a player, retirement was far from plain sailing. An ill-fated career in management followed, which ended in farce when Telford United dismissed Banks, but unwilling, or unable to pay off the remains of his contract, tried to force the World Cup hero to resign by assigning him to sell raffle tickets from a concession booth the club leased in a local supermarket. Happier times were to follow, notably as a member of the Pools Panel, but this part of the Banks' story, including his decision to sell off his 1966 winner's medal and memorabilia, is largely glossed over--an absence that is a poignant counterpoint to his reflections on the glory years. --Alex Hankin

Synopsis
For ten years Gordon Banks was widely acknowledged to be the best goalkeeper in the world, and, perhaps, the best there's ever been. Along with players like Bobby Moore, Banks was first on Sir Alf Ramsey's teamsheet - England's number one in both 1966 and 1970. But in his prime, months after being named 1972 Footballer of the Year, it was all cut short when Banks lost an eye in a car crash. He defied medical opinion by fighting his way back onto the football field ending his career playing with other legends like Pele, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer in the fledgeling North American League. This book is the story of a genuine English hero and an account of England's finest footballing years.