Banksy by Gordon Banks Read Free Book Online

When your playing days are over, do you want to look back on all that time spent sitting on the bench, or in the stand? You can sit and spectate when you’re ninety years old, but you can’t stay at the top much past thirty-five. I came across countless seasoned pros who had played top-flight football during my time in the Chesterfield reserves. We even had one or two of our own – most notably, Eddie Shimwell.
    Eddie, born in nearby Matlock, had played in three FA Cup finals for Blackpool, including what many consider the greatest ever, that of 1953 when they came back from 3–1 down to beat Bolton Wanderers 4–3. That final was dubbed the Matthews Final because of Stanley Matthews’s scintillating play on the wing. It was also the game in which although Blackpool’s centre forward Stan Mortensen scored a hat trick, his achievement was not mentioned once in any headline in either the Sunday or Monday newspaper reports of that final. (Can you imagine a player scoring a hat trick in an FA Cup final today and not getting a mention in a single headline?) All the plaudits went toMatthews. Being the gentleman and sportsman he was, that never rested easy with Stan, and when he came to write his autobiography in 1999 Matthews insisted the chapter relating to the 1953 final be called ‘The Mortensen Final’.
    Eddie Shimwell had been a very good right back whose assets were his strength, stamina and timing in the tackle. He signed for Blackpool for £7,000 from Sheffield United in 1946 and became the first full back to score in an FA Cup final when he netted against Manchester United in 1948. In recognition of his services, Blackpool gave him a free transfer in 1957 and he joined Oldham Athletic before arriving at Chesterfield for his swansong.
    As any old pro will tell you, you never lose skill – it’s the legs that go. Eddie had never been the quickest player and when he arrived at Saltergate it was evident he was slowing up. So much so, he found it difficult to stake a claim in the first team. Eddie was also plagued by a troublesome shoulder injury, but such was his resolve, he kept on playing.
    I remember one reserve game when, having received the ball deep in our own half, Eddie took off down the right wing. He hadn’t run more than a few yards when his upper body suddenly and violently quivered. At first I couldn’t see what the problem was, but on taking a closer look I noticed Eddie’s left shoulder jutting through his shirt at an acute angle. Unbelievably, his shoulder had popped out of its socket. I glanced across to the Chesterfield bench and saw our trainer take to his feet, then back to Eddie, who amazingly was still running with the ball. It was then that I saw something even more astounding. Eddie simply carried on running and, with his right hand, reached across and yanked his left shoulder back into place! I’d heard many a story of old pros playing on through injury, but this was the first time I’d witnessed it. I could only marvel at his fortitude and resolve. At the same time, though, I also felt sadness for Eddie. He obviously loved football, but I felt there was no way a seasoned and respected pro should have had to carry on playing with such a debilitating injury just for the money. When later I told him Iwas concerned about him and that he should put his health first, he just smiled.
    ‘Needs must, Gordon, son,’ he said, placing a hand on my shoulder, ‘needs must!’
    Whenever I see a player go sprawling in the penalty box and writhing around in simulated agony I always wonder what Eddie Shimwell would make of such amateur dramatics, or, if you prefer, outright cheating.
    In my time with Chesterfield reserves I became friends with all the players, two of whom became very good friends, Barry Hutchinson and the ex-Sheffield United player Paul Brown. The three of us travelled together from Sheffield for both training and matches. Browny had joined Chesterfield from Sheffield United and I