Page "Gordon Banks" Paragraph 31

On 22 October 1972, while driving home from a session with the Stoke physiotherapist, Banks lost control of his car which ended up in a ditch.

He lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital.

When he came round, he was informed that though he had not suffered any life-threatening injury, he had lost the sight in his right eye.

He considered trying to resume his career as a goalkeeper but even he had to accept that the loss of binocular vision was an obvious barrier to maintaining his goalkeeping livelihood, and announced his retirement from playing on 8 August 1973.