Banks reaches fundraising goal weeks after his death
Gordon Banks's dream of helping the Bert Williams Alzheimer's Appeal break the £200,000 has finally come true – at a fundraising event held in his memory.
The England World Cup winner, who died in February, had been a staunch supporter of the fundraising efforts of former Wolves goalkeeper Williams, and made several public appearances to help the fund.
Last month he had been due to appear at a fish-and-chip supper in Walsall, organised by his friend and fellow fundraiser Glyne Wetton. But Banks died five weeks before the event was due to take place. Fearing that his deteriorating health might prevent him from attending the event at Rushall Olympic FC, the England star gave Mr Wetton a signed photograph to auction on the night.
Williams, who lived in Shifnal, began raising money for the Alzheimer's Society in 2002 following the death of his wife Evelyn from the condition.
He initially set a target of raising £150,000, but a few weeks before his death in 2014 he set a new target of £180,000.
Banks, who was introduced to his teenage hero Williams by Mr Wetton, pledged to meet the target after Williams's death, and reached the target in 2017.
"Then Gordon said to me he would like to raise a further £20,000 in memory of his hero, so everyone would remember that Bert had raised £200,000 for the Alzheimer's Society," said Mr Wetton.
"Gordon asked me if I would keep organising event sand he would come down to speak again free of charge.
"I said my wife would go mad because I was getting old, but agreed and away we went."
At the time of Banks's death on February 12, the appeal stood at more than £195,000. But the event on March 21 – with Willenhall-born former England striker Allan Clarke taking Banks's place – took the total past the £200,000 mark.
"It was our best ever night," said Mr Wetton. More than £2,000 poured in during the week after Banks's death, and a further £3,672 was raised on the night itself. The total now stands at £202,533, with money still coming in.
Mr Wetton said he planned to hold a couple more fundraising events this year, starting with a reunion of Whitmore School in Wolverhampton at Molineux in October.
Banks, who went on to manage Telford United, died on February 12, aged 81, after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.
