It comes from the international match that Banks, who died on February 12 at the age of 81, played on October 12, 1963 – a British Championship fixture between Wales and England at Ninian Park, Cardiff, three years before Banks completed a golden run at the World Cup for champions England, starting every game.
The shirt has been consigned to the saleroom in Send, Woking, by Dave Hollins, the Wales keeper in the same match, with whom Banks swapped the shirt at the end of the game.
To be offered in the February 28 auction, the framed shirt comes complete with the match programme and is estimated at £2500-3500.
World Cup-winning teammates
Alongside Banks in that match were another three players who would take England to victory in the World Cup Final on July 30, 1966, at Wembley: Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Ray Wilson.
Alf Ramsey’s team, under the captaincy of Jimmy Armfield, put four goals past Hollins, two from the boot of Bobby Smith and one each from Jimmy Greaves and Charlton, in front of a 48,000 crowd. Wales failed to score.
Although he had played for the Wales under-23 team before, this was Hollins’ debut for the main side.
“We had quite a forceful team ourselves, including John Charles, a giant of a player who played for Leeds and Juventus, and Cliff Jones who played for Tottenham. But the difference was Bobby Charlton, who really was in another league compared to the rest.”
The scoreline was decisive, but well short of the 8-3 drubbing England went on to give Ireland in the second round, with both Greaves and Terry Paine scoring hat tricks.
Coincidentally, the BBC commentator for the match was Kenneth ‘They think it’s all over … it is now’ Wolstenholme.
Hollins said: “At the end, Gordon, who had suffered a nosebleed, came up to me and said ‘Dave, do you mind if I have your shirt?’ – he collected them – and I was happy to oblige. He really was a very nice man indeed.”
England's Bobby Smith scores past Welsh goalkeeper Dave Hollins on October 12, 1963. Hollins swapped shirts with Gordon Banks at the end of the game and that shirt is now up for auction at Ewbank's on February 28 estimated at £2500-3500.
Brazilian shirt
Another collector of shirts was the Brazilian keeper Gilmar, with whom Hollins swapped shirts during Wales’s South American tour in 1962. That is also part of the consignment at Ewbank’s (estimate £1000-1500), along with a Welsh international jumper from the game against Hungary in 1962-3 (£500-800) and an Irish international jersey worn by Bobby Irvine in a 1964-5 fixture (£500-800).
“Gilmar was as massive a celebrity as Gordon Banks,” said Hollins. “He had played in the greatest Brazilian side ever and I think he played well over 100 games for the national team. Just like with Banks, it was him who came up to me.”
He recalls the tour well. “We played in Chile, Mexico and two games in Brazil. We were paid a £60 retainer, £4 for a win and £2 a draw.”
Brazilian keeper Gilmar (Gylmar dos Santos Neves, 1930-2013) swapped shirts with Welsh counterpart Dave Hollins during Wales’s South American tour in 1962. That shirt is part of the consignment from Hollins at Surrey saleroom Ewbank’s on February 28, estimated at £1000-1500.
Hollins had been thinking about selling the shirts for some time and finally consigned them to Ewbank’s in late January.
“It was as I was cataloguing them for sale that news of Gordon Banks’ death came on the news, and there I was with his England jersey in my hands,” said Ewbank’s specialist Alastair McCrea.
Hollins, who was born in Bangor in north Wales when his father played for the local team, played 11 times for Wales between 1962-66. He enjoyed a successful career with clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Aldershot Town to name a few. He played against some wonderful players including Pele, George Best, Sir Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Bobby Moore.
And the best in his opinion? “Without a doubt, George Best, a real phenomenon like no other.”
Hollins is the older brother of former England international footballer John Hollins, and the uncle of TV presenter Chris Hollins. His father and grandfather were also professional footballers.
