Former England and Bolton defender Tommy Banks dies, aged 94

Tommy Banks, believed to be England’s oldest living former international, passed away at the age of 94 on June 13, 2024.

Banks earned six caps for England, making his international debut against the Soviet Union in Moscow in May 1958.

He was also part of the squad led by Walter Winterbottom that competed in the 1958 World Cup held in Sweden.

During his club career, Banks played 255 matches for Bolton Wanderers, notably featuring at left-back in their victorious 2-0 FA Cup final against Manchester United in 1958.

After departing Bolton, he continued his football journey in non-league football, first with Altrincham and later with Bangor City in Wales.

Upon retiring from football, Banks returned to his hometown of Farnworth, where he lived until his passing. In 2022, he was diagnosed with dementia, marking a difficult period in his later years.

Bolton Wanderers expressed their condolences in a statement on the club’s website, extending sympathies to Banks’ family and friends.

As a tribute, the club will lower flags outside the Toughsheet Community Stadium to half-mast starting Friday, June 14. Details regarding Banks’ funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.