This Day in History: 2023-08-22

Nr. 503

CAR CRASH ROBS ENGLAND OF STAR KEEPER (1972)

A car plunging into a ditch robbed England of the man rated the best goalkeeper they ever had. When Gordon Banks lost control of his car on 22 October 1972 he sustained no life-threatening injuries, but, in a distressing irony for a goalkeeper, he lost the sight in his right eye. It tragically brought down the curtain on an England career of 73 caps in which his country lost only nine matches with him between the sticks. Banks considered trying to resume his playing career, but went into scouting, non-league football management and celebrity speaking.

Banks later had a brief career in the NASL with the Cleveland Strikers, part of a sporting franchise that included an American football team.