...is apparently Bobby Mimms, who was most recently the keeper coach at West Ham. please log in to view this image
How did Gordon Banks manage without a goalkeeping coach? The keepers always have had loads of shots fired at them in training to keep them sharp.
You're never too old or too good to learn something new or better. Natural ability is often squandered without direction.
Taking about Gordon Banks, Stoke stayed in Brid before one game the season they won the League Cup. I think they stayed in the same, surprisingly modest hotel by the standards top flight footballers expect nowadays before their Cup game against us and enjoyed it. Some blokes from a local factory team were having a practice session on the grass area on the cliffs near Sewerby. The Stoke players arrived for a gentle warm up. They got talking to them and the goalie said to Banks he wished his lad could have been here to see him. Banks told him to go and fetch him. In fact a few hearing this went off and brought their kids. The other Stoke players had gone back to the hotel but Banks waited for the return of the ones who had gone for their kids and dived around so the dads could snap their kids having shots saved by him. Great bloke.
One of my all time favourite players and certainly my favourite keeper. I have a signed mounted framed print of him making that save against Pele. Paid quite a bit for it though. I still think it is one of the best moments in football history.
Didn't realise he was born in York! Decent appointment if true - He was a part of that title winning Blackburn side.
Even Bill Shankly acknowledged the role coaches pay. Asked about the importance of coaches in modern football he said coaches were very important. Most of the games were too far away to walk to.
I'm pretty sure he made his league debut for Rotherham at Fer Ark back in the mid 80's. We won 5-0 that day.
They stayed at the Expanse on North Marine Drive. I went down and hung around the hotel. Got several of the Stoke teams autographs including the great Gordon Banks. Hotel is still there and has changed little in the last 40 odd years. Wouldn't bet my life on it but I thought they stayed there before the 3 - 2 FA quarterfinal win against us.
Bobby Mimms will be joining us before the weekend apparently. Edit: Bobby Mimms is now confirmed as our keeper coach.
