Editing Gordon Banks (section)

=== Final years ===
Only four teams competed in [[UEFA Euro 1972]]: [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]] (hosts), Hungary, the Soviet Union, and West Germany. England came close to qualifying but lost 3–1 to West Germany in the final round of [[UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying|qualifying]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/observer/englandfootball/story/0,9565,541541,00.html | work = The Observer | title = England shown the way out |date = 30 April 1972 | first = Hugh | last = McIlvanney | access-date = 12 February 2019}}</ref>

On 15 May 1971, Banks was involved in a notorious incident with [[George Best]] who, while playing against England for [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]], flicked the ball out of Banks's hands and [[Header (association football)|headed]] it into the net.<ref name="page 191">{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=191}}</ref> The move was audacious, but was disallowed by the [[Referee (association football)|referee]], who judged it to be dangerous play.<ref name="page 191" /><ref>{{cite news|last=May|first=John|title=The best of Best|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4316154.stm|access-date=4 February 2013|date=25 November 2005|work=[[BBC Sport]]}}</ref> Banks played his 73rd and final game for England on 27 May 1972, in a 1–0 win over Scotland at Hampden Park.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=257}}</ref> During his 73 international games, he kept 35 clean sheets and lost just nine games.<ref name="Banks 2002 258">{{harvnb|Banks|2002|p=258}}</ref>