Subject(s): Gordon Banks Sport: Football Location: Stoke City FC, Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire (Unveiling was, and permanent location is at Stoke City FC, though between 2008-2015 statue located at Madeley School) Unveiled: 12/7/2008 Sculptor: Andy Edwards Material: Bronze Status: In Situ Inscription(s): Plaque 1: GORDON BANKS OBE Goalkeeper Born 30 December 1937, Sheffield. Gordon Banks OBE is a former goalkeeper who made more than 600 club appearances during a 15-year career in the Football League and was a key member of England's World Cup winning side. Gordon won 73 caps for his country and is generally acknowledged as the greatest English goalkeeper of all time. He was named the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff. He was also named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1972 and was FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on no fewer than six occasions. Gordon joined Chesterfield in March 1953, made his first team debut five years later and was sold to Leicester City for £7,000 in July 1959. He played in four cup finals for Leicester, helping them win the League Cup in 1964, before joining Stoke City for £52,000 in April 1967. He also established himself as England's number one goalkeeper and played every game of the nation's 1966 World Cup triumph. In the 1970 World Cup, Gordon made one of the sport's most iconic saves to thwart Brazilian star Pele. He was Stoke City's goalkeeper in their 1972 League Cup win against Chelsea the club's first major honour. Gordon was still Stoke City and England's number one when a car crash in October 1972 cost him both the sight in one eye and his professional career in England, although he did go on to play in the United States for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 and 1978. Gordon settled in North Staffordshire and is an ambassador for not only his adopted city but also Stoke City and English football in general. This sculpture by Andrew Edwards celebrates the moment when Banks held the Jules Rimet World Cup at Wembley in 1966. Trigg Engraving LTD. www.trigg-engraving.co.uk. Plaque 2: Teams: 1948-52 Tinsley County School and Sheffield Boys. 1953-55 Millspaugh Steelworks and Rawmarsh Welfare. 1957-58 Royal Signals (National Service). 1955-59 Chesterfield. 1959-67 Leicester City. 1967-72 Stoke City. 1977-78 Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Honours: 1956 F.A. Youth Club Runners Up (Chesterfield). 1957 Rhine Cup Winners (Royal Signals). 1961 F.A. Cup Runners Up (Leicester City). 1963 England debut 6th April 1963 v Scotland. 1963 F.A. Cup Runners Up (Leicester City). 1964 League Cup Winners (Leicester City). 1965 League Cup Runners Up (Leicester City). 1966 FIFA World Cup Winners (England). 1966-71 FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year. 1970 Awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire). 1971,1972 Daily Express Sportsman of the Year. 1972 Football Writers' Association Player of the Year. 1972 League Cup Winners (Stoke City). 1977 NASL Goalkeeper of the Year. 2000 Made President of Stoke City. 2002 Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. 2004 FIFA 100. 2006 Inaugural inductee of the Sheffield Walk of Fame. 2006 Awarded Honorary Degree from Keele University. 2009 Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University. 2011 Inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame. 2015 Awarded the Freedom of the City of Stoke on Trent. Trigg Engraving LTD. www.trigg-engraving.co.uk. Links: Sculptor Project