The local football fraternity is mourning the death of Bancroft “Banky” Gordon, a well-known figure in Jamaica’s football history, who passed away suddenly on Tuesday night.

The former national footballer, who resides in Maryland, United States, died while visiting his homeland. The 66-year-old is remembered by many in the football community as the captain of the 1974 Excelsior High School Manning Cup football team, a student whose intellectual prowess was as exceptional as his athletic abilities.

Starting his football journey as a little-used reserve on the 1970 Excelsior High School U-15 colts football team in 1970, Banky’s dedication to hard work and self-improvement later became fruitful. By the end of the 1970s, he was a starting midfielder for the national football team.

Beyond football, Banky’s sports involvement extended to basketball, hockey, cricket, and track and field at Excelsior High School. After graduating from Excelsior in 1973 and attending Excelsior Community College in 1975, his exceptional commitment to both academics and sports earned him a football scholarship at Howard University in Washington, DC.

Banky’s overseas exploits

At Howard, he continued to shine both academically and athletically, maintaining an almost impeccable grade-point average while also earning All-America honors in football and Phi Beta Kappa honors for his academic performance. For 20 years, Banky continued to support his amateur football team, the Jamaica Nationals, a squad consisting of former Jamaica national representatives and scholars from American universities, mainly linked to Howard University.

As the team’s sponsor/manager/coach, he assisted numerous players to reach different levels of professional soccer in the US. Living in Maryland for over four decades, Banky dedicated several years as a mentor to aspiring sportspeople and scholar-athletes from Jamaica and his adopted home.

His generosity extended beyond his time, as he silently supported causes aimed at assisting underserved youth in Jamaica.