519 Frank Banks

Biography

Full back Frank Banks was born in Hull, his mother from Hull and his father from Pitsea in Essex met during the latter months of World War Two and moved to Hadleigh in Essex when he was a baby. He played youth team football for Southend United during the early 1960s and signed professional terms for the Shrimpers in 1962. He joined Hull City in August 1966 as part of Cliff Britton’s squad building exercise following the famous Division Three promotion of 1965/66, staying with relatives of his mother before being given club digs. In his first season at City, 1966/67, Banks was unable to break into the City first team. However at the start of 1967/68 he impressed enough to be chosen in defence and midfield before securing the right back berth at Rotherham in December 1967, a position he held pretty much unopposed for nine years.

That said, in 1968/69 Britton went back to using Dennis Butler and Paddy Greenwood at right back for half of the season, but Banks was again first choice throughout most of 1969/70. Banks missed the start of 1970/71 season but once restored to the first team he celebrated by scoring his first City goal in an April 1971 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday. He enjoyed the sensation so much he repeated the feat two days later, scoring the winner in a 1-0 win over Bristol City. Between a 2-0 win over Swindon in September 1971 and a 0-0 draw at Fulham in December 1973, Banks started 115 consecutive senior matches. If he had played in the next game, a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool in the League Cup, that run would have extended to 128 starts.

In August 1974 Banks contracted meningitis and missed the start of the 1974/75 season, returning at the end of September 1974 against Millwall. The last of Banks’ seven goals for City at the end of October 1974 in a 3-1 win over Sunderland, shortly after John Kaye took over as City manager. Kaye took Banks out of the City first team in November 1975 when another local talent Peter Daniel emerged onto the scene. Banks left the club later that season.

In March 1976 Banks returned to Southend United and he was a first team regular at Roots Hall for two seasons, playing his last game for the Shrimpers in April 1978 and ending his playing career in January 1979.

With his playing days over he moved into coaching at Southend United. He later led the formation of the Southend United Community Educational Trust, which grew over several years to the extent that in 2014 Banks won the Football League Unsung Hero award for his work with local youngsters and vulnerable people. He was still leading walking football matches well past his 70th birthday.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 21 August 1945, Hull
Hull City First Game: 26 August 1967, Blackburn Rovers A (Division Two), 22 years, 5 days old
Hull City Final Game: 10 January 1976, Nottingham Forest H (Division Two), 30 years, 142 days old

Clubs

Southend United (1962-1966), Hull City (1966-1976), Southend United (1976-1979)

Hull City Record

Career: 335 apps, 7 goals

Frank Banks
SeasonLGE
App
LGE
Gls
FAC
App
FAC
Gls
FLC
App
FLC
Gls
EUR
App
EUR
Gls
OTH
App
OTH
Gls
1966/67----------
1967/6838 (1)03 (0)01 (0)0----
1968/6922 (1)0--1 (0)0----
1969/7034 (0)01 (0)02 (0)0----
1970/7122 (2)24 (0)0----1 (0)0
1971/7238 (0)13 (0)01 (0)0----
1972/7342 (0)14 (0)02 (0)0--4 (0)0
1973/7437 (0)12 (0)04 (0)1--3 (0)0
1974/7533 (0)13 (0)0------
1975/7618 (0)02 (0)03 (0)0--3 (0)0

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