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An impressive galaxy of Wanderers legends turned out to honour Tommy Banks on Friday night for his 90th birthday celebrations.
The former Bolton and England defender reached the milestone on Sunday and welcomed an array of friends, family and former players to Farnworth Social Circle Cricket Club to mark the occasion.
Roger Hunt, Wyn Davies, Syd Farrimond, Freddie Hill, Bryan Douglas, Ian Seddon, John Thomas, Peter Nicholson, Roy Greaves, Brian Birch and Gordon Taylor were among the guests raising a glass to one of Wanderers’ finest-ever players.
PFA chief Taylor presented Banks with a letter from Greg Clarke, the chairman of the FA, and England manager Gareth Southgate, along with a commemorative Three Lions tie.
Speaking about Banks’ storied career, Taylor recalled him breaking into the England team at the 1958 World Cup.
“He got his chance playing for England in the World Cup in Sweden, in fact it was the first time there had ever been a match in the tournament with no goals, so to get that against that Brazil team was a bit special.
“I remember Nat Lofthouse telling me that Walter Winterbottom, who was eventually knighted, talked very eloquently for a football manager. He gave a team talk before the game and turned to Tommy and said ‘look Thomas, you will be marking their most dangerous player, Garrincha, he is their danger man. I would like you to take appropriate steps to keep him out of the game.’ “Tommy said, in his best Farnworthian accent, ‘now listen here, Walter, yon Garrincha will n’er get past me but once. I’ll have him off this pitch, on to that gravel track and give his backside a right good gritting.’”
Garrincha ended up being excluded from the Brazil team in the end that day, as did a teenage Pele, potentially with a view to not getting too close to Banks.
Family friend Keiran Moriarty, to whom Banks was introduced via late Wanderers legend Dennis Stevens, also recalled what a leader he had been to the famous team in the fifties.
“Dennis told me that the players always knew when Tommy was arriving at Burnden Park, as they could hear his clogs on the cobbled stones outside the ground.
“Dennis said of Tommy: ‘I admire him. A gifted footballer and leader, who you could hear all over the pitch, roaring out instructions and praise. He has no airs or graces to this day, a totally genuine man, who was forever lifting spirits in the dressing room. Tommy was always laughing and never appeared to get upset, nothing bothered him unduly. His personality gelled the lads together and he played a big part in generating a brilliant team spirit’.”
Tommy and Rita have asked family and friends to make donations to Bolton Hospice and have thus far raised more than £2,000.
If you can contribute, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/banksrita
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The former Bolton and England defender reached the milestone on Sunday and welcomed an array of friends, family and former players to Farnworth Social Circle Cricket Club to mark the occasion.
Roger Hunt, Wyn Davies, Syd Farrimond, Freddie Hill, Bryan Douglas, Ian Seddon, John Thomas, Peter Nicholson, Roy Greaves, Brian Birch and Gordon Taylor were among the guests raising a glass to one of Wanderers’ finest-ever players.
PFA chief Taylor presented Banks with a letter from Greg Clarke, the chairman of the FA, and England manager Gareth Southgate, along with a commemorative Three Lions tie.
Speaking about Banks’ storied career, Taylor recalled him breaking into the England team at the 1958 World Cup.
“He got his chance playing for England in the World Cup in Sweden, in fact it was the first time there had ever been a match in the tournament with no goals, so to get that against that Brazil team was a bit special.
“I remember Nat Lofthouse telling me that Walter Winterbottom, who was eventually knighted, talked very eloquently for a football manager. He gave a team talk before the game and turned to Tommy and said ‘look Thomas, you will be marking their most dangerous player, Garrincha, he is their danger man. I would like you to take appropriate steps to keep him out of the game.’ “Tommy said, in his best Farnworthian accent, ‘now listen here, Walter, yon Garrincha will n’er get past me but once. I’ll have him off this pitch, on to that gravel track and give his backside a right good gritting.’”
Garrincha ended up being excluded from the Brazil team in the end that day, as did a teenage Pele, potentially with a view to not getting too close to Banks.
Family friend Keiran Moriarty, to whom Banks was introduced via late Wanderers legend Dennis Stevens, also recalled what a leader he had been to the famous team in the fifties.
“Dennis told me that the players always knew when Tommy was arriving at Burnden Park, as they could hear his clogs on the cobbled stones outside the ground.
“Dennis said of Tommy: ‘I admire him. A gifted footballer and leader, who you could hear all over the pitch, roaring out instructions and praise. He has no airs or graces to this day, a totally genuine man, who was forever lifting spirits in the dressing room. Tommy was always laughing and never appeared to get upset, nothing bothered him unduly. His personality gelled the lads together and he played a big part in generating a brilliant team spirit’.”
Tommy and Rita have asked family and friends to make donations to Bolton Hospice and have thus far raised more than £2,000.
If you can contribute, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/banksrita
Source