Multi-million pound sports facility named after England legend Gordon Banks
The goalkeeper was part of the World Cup winning 1966 England team.
Last updated 5th May 2025
Footballing legend Gordon Banks has been honoured in his home-town of Sheffield with a multi-million-pound Hub officially unveiled in his name.
The site on Woodbourn Road in Darnall has had a revamp worth around £3m - and now has access to floodlit pitches and a refurbished pavilion.
This new community Hub will not only provide great places to play but also a great space for the local community to come together.
Funding from the Premier League, The FA and Government through Sport England, as well as Sheffield City Council, has played a vital role in making this project a reality. Thanks to their investment, this facility will have a transformative impact on the local community, supporting their physical and mental health, bringing them together and benefitting the local economy.
Councillor Kurtis Crossland, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council said:
"The refurbishment of these pitches and the pavilion at the all-new Gordon Banks Sports Hub, takes us a step closer to achieving these goals for the city. I believe these new improvements will have a massive impact to the community, allowing people to play football in top quality facilities alongside an exciting programme of sessions run by experienced organisations."
Chris Barry, Head of Technical at the Football Foundation added:
"We are delighted it is also providing a home to an important piece of research work that the Football Foundation is leading on. Whilst we don’t have any answers yet, the seven pitches here in Sheffield, all using different pitch systems, are providing a vital resource for our work looking at the future of 3G pitches."
The Gordon Banks Sports Hub at Woodbourn Road joins three other Foundation-funded Hub sites in the city – Graves, Thorncliffe and Westfield. All these sites are operated by Leisure United, the charity operator of the National Football Trust, who’ll re-invest any surplus revenue generated at the sites back into grassroots sport across the city.