Stoke City’s first-team squad and staff have paid emotional tribute to the late Gordon Banks with a minute’s silence before training on Tuesday morning.
Manager Nathan Jones was joined by chief executive Tony Scholes plus academy players and coaches to pay their respects to the legendary goalkeeper, who died on Monday night aged 81.
Banks, who won the World Cup with England in 1966, played 250 times for Stoke between 1967 and 1973.
Stoke supporters tied red-and-white scarves to the statue of Banks outside their bet365 Stadium, with others leaving floral tributes to the club legend.
Banks was also a member of the Stoke side that won the League Cup in 1972 when they defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley and had served as the club’s president since 2000.
Stoke chairman Peter Coates said: ‘Gordon was an iconic figure not only in English football but across the globe and it’s deeply sad that we have lost him.
‘It’s not just people of my generation who know how good a goalkeeper he was – people of all ages talked about Gordon reverentially. He was outstanding and it was an absolute privilege to watch him playing for Stoke City.’He was also a keen advocate for our city, which he made his adopted home, and he will be sadly missed by local people from all walks of life, not just football fans.
‘Our heartfelt condolences go out to Gordon’s wife Ursula, his three children Robert, Wendy and Julia and the rest of the Banks family at this time.
Regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of all time, Banks won 73 caps for England and is perhaps best known for his miraculous save to deny the Brazilian great Pele at the 1970 World Cup.
‘It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight,’ his family said, announcing the news.
‘We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him.’
Banks is the fourth member of the England 1966 team to have died following Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson and Alan Ball
