Goalkeeping

[He's here!]

A lot of chat about the merits of numerous keepers on the Jordan Smith thread, which got me wondering how many kids these days actively start playing football with the ambition of becoming a keeper? Way back in the day it seemed to me that most keepers were those who had kind of gravitated towards the position because they weren't especially good outfield. I remember reading Pat Stanton's autobiography and he recalled being surprised when he went to Aberdeen as assistant manager by how vocal and involved their goalkeeper Bobby Clark was when the manager was talking tactics. He said most keepers he'd played with just sat and said next to nothing.

However, in the modern era keepers are often used more strategically/tactically by managers and enjoy a higher profile/specialist coaches, so I suspect there may be more young players who are interested in the position. Certainly in the women's game I know that England keeper Mary Earps has been quite an inspiration to young girls when it comes to raising the standards of goalkeeping.

Whatever the case, it remains a pretty thankless position as any mistake is horribly magnified and is more often than not extremely damaging.

[He's here!]

To partly answer my own question I met our neighbour bringing his son back from football training tonight and apparently their team's keeper started out as a striker but went in goal when their previous keeper got injured and ended up making the position his own.

[Pretty Boy]

My Grandad was a professional footballer. 200+ games as a pro with the bulk of them for Hibs. My dad was an S form with Rangers and then went on to have a very good career in the juniors and seniors.

I should have been good but the talent skipped a generation. I was crap outfield but I enjoyed playing in goals, I was big and thankfully I was pretty good at it so very early on I decided that is what I would do. I was a late developer though because goalkeeping specific training was pretty thin on the ground back then. I was essentially self taught until about 15/16. I think there is a lot more scope for young keepers to develop now if they seek out the coaching which probably makes the decision to be a keeper easier.

I do think goalkeeping now is much more about being a footballer though. I played at a good level but I have to be honest and say that if I was younger today I'd be found out big time because I wasn't a good enough footballer. A guy like Jim Leighton (my absolute hero btw) would have no chance these days. I despair when I see young lads playing and the coaches having CBs hoofing goal kicks long or telling the keeper just to launch it from hand. If these guys want to develop then they need to be playing the ball with their feet, it's the way the game has gone. You watch keeper warming up now and a big chunk of it is with their feet. A bit of handling to get moving but then it's all distribution centric.

I have a few of my goalkeeping coaching badges and hope to put them to better use in the coming years once the kids are a bit older. I wouldn't say football was particularly good to me but I'd still like to give a bit back and give young keepers now opportunities I didn't have.

[Ribs1875]

Scott Bain for celtic was an outfielder up until late then a coach at the Dalkeith team he was part of was in a goalkeeper crisis. He covered, and in a matter of months pro teams started offering him trials.

[Helensburghhibs]

I'm 37 now and chose to be a goalkeeper when I first went to training aged 6. It was all budgies fault 😂 I follow some young goalies on social media and its definitely more trendy then it was back then.

[hibsbollah]

I wanted to be a keeper at school because it was a bit different. Another reason was i possibly didn't have the skill necessary at the time to play outfield, although I staggered about midfield for a while and made an effort. There's something about it being a unique discipline within a sport, the gloves, just a sort of mystique about it. Everyone will have a different reason.

As I grew up I had a son myself who has become a keeper, and I did the whole boys club coach thing, did my first couple of SFA badges and subscribed to a couple of podcasts on the subject-GK Union podcast is good-and enjoy watching and learn how the pros train. The biodynamics required mean its a lot closer to boxing training and particularly basketball, around explosive power and core strength. I find that all really interesting, although I'm far from an expert, i just enjoy learning what i can.

[He's here!]

My Grandad was a professional footballer. 200+ games as a pro with the bulk of them for Hibs. My dad was an S form with Rangers and then went on to have a very good career in the juniors and seniors.

I should have been good but the talent skipped a generation. I was crap outfield but I enjoyed playing in goals, I was big and thankfully I was pretty good at it so very early on I decided that is what I would do. I was a late developer though because goalkeeping specific training was pretty thin on the ground back then. I was essentially self taught until about 15/16. I think there is a lot more scope for young keepers to develop now if they seek out the coaching which probably makes the decision to be a keeper easier.

I do think goalkeeping now is much more about being a footballer though. I played at a good level but I have to be honest and say that if I was younger today I'd be found out big time because I wasn't a good enough footballer. A guy like Jim Leighton (my absolute hero btw) would have no chance these days. I despair when I see young lads playing and the coaches having CBs hoofing goal kicks long or telling the keeper just to launch it from hand. If these guys want to develop then they need to be playing the ball with their feet, it's the way the game has gone. You watch keeper warming up now and a big chunk of it is with their feet. A bit of handling to get moving but then it's all distribution centric.

I have a few of my goalkeeping coaching badges and hope to put them to better use in the coming years once the kids are a bit older. I wouldn't say football was particularly good to me but I'd still like to give a bit back and give young keepers now opportunities I didn't have.

Interesting to hear. I guess your journey must resonate for a lot of keepers. A love of playing football, but needing to find a position where you could do so at a decent level.

With the position being more about being a footballer now it's a shame if that excludes kids who are simply naturally talented shot-stoppers, although I guess if they're co-ordinated enough to do that, take goal kicks, throw the ball accurately etc then the footwork can potentially be taught/learned to a reasonable standard.

You don't have any siblings for whom the outfield talent passed on from your dad/grandad?

[He's here!]

I'm 37 now and chose to be a goalkeeper when I first went to training aged 6. It was all budgies fault 😂 I follow some young goalies on social media and its definitely more trendy then it was back then.

When I first started watching football goalkeepers wore the same shorts and socks as the rest of the team, just a different coloured jersey. I liked that look better than the individual keepers kits. I'm pretty sure gloves weren't even commonly worn, which must have made things especially tricky on a windy, wet day.

The Hibs keepers back then mostly were a yellow top and I remember around the time of the Bukta-sponsored kits of the late 70s the wore not only a purple away top but also a yellow top (possibly on just one occasion due to some wrangle around shirt sponsorship). It was remarked that Hibs took to the field looking like a team of goalkeepers.

[Centre Hawf]

As a defender I ended up having a spell as a goalkeeper out of sheer necessity for a team I was at, it really opened my eyes to the work that you needed to do and I'm honestly amazed that the general rule is keepers play a lot later into their careers as the training alone took it's toll on my body in a way that the outfield training never really did. But I guess it was a bit alien to me to be diving 10 times a minute and forcing myself back up each time rather than getting the break you usually get between actions in outfield drills.

It was probably a good thing though in terms of fitness and got me moving in ways I wasn't hugely used to so I would recommend coaches at lower levels try and mix it up sometimes by having keepers get involved in outfield drills and vice versa, I think it can help everyone get a better understanding of what their teammates might do in situations.

[TrinityHFC]

I think in the late 70s early 80s goalkeeper kits started to get more interesting before player kits really did. They began to move from plain yellow or green to having some black in them, some shiny materials and then you got into padded elbows, padded shorts etc which were all appealing at the time. Hard to believe with the designs around now and the padding seems to have gone out of fashion.

Then there were gloves - they were just the cloth red or yellow things with stuck on rubber bits and then you started to get the chunky foam ones that became nearer to what we have now.

[Helensburghhibs]

Until I reached a decent level and started getting gloves bought for my by the club or sponsors, my gran always bought my gloves, sometimes they cost more than my boots. The worst thing about AstroTurf was the rate it chewed through them.

[Pretty Boy]

I think in the late 70s early 80s goalkeeper kits started to get more interesting before player kits really did. They began to move from plain yellow or green to having some black in them, some shiny materials and then you got into padded elbows, padded shorts etc which were all appealing at the time. Hard to believe with the designs around now and the padding seems to have gone out of fashion.

Then there were gloves - they were just the cloth red or yellow things with stuck on rubber bits and then you started to get the chunky foam ones that became nearer to what we have now.

I find the evolution of gloves fascinating.

In the 80s and early 90s most gloves were flat palm, pretty thin latex and pretty minimalist. They were also pretty poor fitting with a lot of overhang. Then late 90s saw Selsport and a few others totally change the game with the big bandage wrist fastening and the roll finger or extreme hybrid palm. 3mm+ latex became the norm and it was like wearing shovels on your hands. In recent years the negative cut, which gives a far snugger fit, has become more popular and now the flagship gloves for the likes of Adidas are very tight fitting, thinner latex at only 2mm and have no strap on the wrist at all; it's secured by compression of the fabric. There are still keepers who prefer the thicker, chunkier gloves and the choice is huge now. I have a significant collection of gloves (about 60-70 pairs) dating back to about 1993 and the difference between the early Sondico, Reusch and Uhlsport models through what was popular in the 2000s to what is available now is huge.

Apparently smearing Vaseline on the palms is a thing now, popularised by Aaron Ramsdale I believe. I tried a pair the other week belonging to a keeper who swears by it and despite my scepticism I was quite impressed. It actually seems to work and I can see the benefit, particularly in the rain.

[Pretty Boy]

Until I reached a decent level and started getting gloves bought for my by the club or sponsors, my gran always bought my gloves, sometimes they cost more than my boots. The worst thing about AstroTurf was the rate it chewed through them.

The day someone else started buying my gloves was a godsend. I was changing mine about every half a dozen games at one point and I would only wear Selsport Wrappa (like just about every other keeper on the planet circa 1998-2002) which cost £55 a pop way back then. I was basically doing a paper round and later working part time just to buy goalie gloves:greengrin

[Paulie Walnuts]

I find the evolution of gloves fascinating.

In the 80s and early 90s most gloves were flat palm, pretty thin latex and pretty minimalist. They were also pretty poor fitting with a lot of overhang. Then late 90s saw Selsport and a few others totally change the game with the big bandage wrist fastening and the roll finger or extreme hybrid palm. 3mm+ latex became the norm and it was like wearing shovels on your hands. In recent years the negative cut, which gives a far snugger fit, has become more popular and now the flagship gloves for the likes of Adidas are very tight fitting, thinner latex at only 2mm and have no strap on the wrist at all; it's secured by compression of the fabric. There are still keepers who prefer the thicker, chunkier gloves and the choice is huge now. I have a significant collection of gloves (about 60-70 pairs) dating back to about 1993 and the difference between the early Sondico, Reusch and Uhlsport models through what was popular in the 2000s to what is available now is huge.

Apparently smearing Vaseline on the palms is a thing now, popularised by Aaron Ramsdale I believe. I tried a pair the other week belonging to a keeper who swears by it and despite my scepticism I was quite impressed. It actually seems to work and I can see the benefit, particularly in the rain.

I couldn’t tell you why they were so different, but I put on a pair of proper goalkeeper gloves owned by a guy that plays Lowland League at 5s the other day. It was like a totally different product to the £10 pairs we have lying in the bag of bibs we bring along every week, or the pairs I had as a kid for pissing about in. More than anything they were a ****ing nightmare to get on and off, no idea if they were any good as my five minute spell in goals sees me try save everything with my feet :greengrin

[bingo70]

I wanted to be a keeper at school because it was a bit different. Another reason was i possibly didn't have the skill necessary at the time to play outfield, although I staggered about midfield for a while and made an effort. There's something about it being a unique discipline within a sport, the gloves, just a sort of mystique about it. Everyone will have a different reason.

As I grew up I had a son myself who has become a keeper, and I did the whole boys club coach thing, did my first couple of SFA badges and subscribed to a couple of podcasts on the subject-GK Union podcast is good-and enjoy watching and learn how the pros train. The biodynamics required mean its a lot closer to boxing training and particularly basketball, around explosive power and core strength. I find that all really interesting, although I'm far from an expert, i just enjoy learning what i can.

Up until relatively recently my boy was a goalie and was doing really well for a while. I really enjoyed coaching him and doing extra sessions with him although I never did any badges or anything, just watched YouTube or worked stuff out based on what I think he needed to work on. I always focused on understanding the position and mastering the basics as I felt the more spectacular stuff would come in time.

What I found really frustrating, and still do but to a lesser extent, is how little attention youth coaches give to their goalies. I mind one of his coaches actually went round the whole team at full time and said well done to everyone apart from my boy ‘as he had nothing to do’, or so he told the rest of the team. Really annoyed me that more than it should have, the reason he had nothing to do was he got his angles right and he communicated with his defence well, because there was no flying top corner saves his contribution was just dismissed.

I still see it now, play at the other end and coaches just leaving young goalies to stand on their line at the other end when they should be encouraged to stay involved, either by coming up the park or communicating with their defence.

Have to say I miss my laddie playing in goals and part of me would like him to go back to it, in saying that, it’s a much easier watch when he’s playing outfield, I used to be a nervous wreck for him in goals 😂 .

[He's here!]

I find the evolution of gloves fascinating.

In the 80s and early 90s most gloves were flat palm, pretty thin latex and pretty minimalist. They were also pretty poor fitting with a lot of overhang. Then late 90s saw Selsport and a few others totally change the game with the big bandage wrist fastening and the roll finger or extreme hybrid palm. 3mm+ latex became the norm and it was like wearing shovels on your hands. In recent years the negative cut, which gives a far snugger fit, has become more popular and now the flagship gloves for the likes of Adidas are very tight fitting, thinner latex at only 2mm and have no strap on the wrist at all; it's secured by compression of the fabric. There are still keepers who prefer the thicker, chunkier gloves and the choice is huge now. I have a significant collection of gloves (about 60-70 pairs) dating back to about 1993 and the difference between the early Sondico, Reusch and Uhlsport models through what was popular in the 2000s to what is available now is huge.

Apparently smearing Vaseline on the palms is a thing now, popularised by Aaron Ramsdale I believe. I tried a pair the other week belonging to a keeper who swears by it and despite my scepticism I was quite impressed. It actually seems to work and I can see the benefit, particularly in the rain.

I definitely remember days when goalies rarely wore gloves. Pretty sure that in the 7-0 game neither Jim Herriot nor Kenny Garland wore them, but might be wrong. I do recall reading that Herriot used to smear mud or soot under his eyes for floodlit games as it apparently reduced the glare!

This fascinating Hibs footage from the 1950s clearly shows the keepers without gloves (footage v St Mirren and Rangers nearer the end of the film). Also notable that back then keepers wore knitted woolen jumpers which must have been hellish when it was raining heavily!

https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/8528

[Pretty Boy]

I definitely remember days when goalies rarely wore gloves. Pretty sure that in the 7-0 game neither Jim Herriot nor Kenny Garland wore them, but might be wrong. I do recall reading that Herriot used to smear mud or soot under his eyes for floodlit games as it apparently reduced the glare!

This fascinating Hibs footage from the 1950s clearly shows the keepers without gloves (footage v St Mirren and Rangers nearer the end of the film). Also notable that back then keepers wore knitted woolen jumpers which must have been hellish when it was raining heavily!

https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/8528

Gloves didn't become really common until the mid to late 70s although a few keepers wore them before that (Gordon Banks in 1970 v Pele being one notable example).

A somewhat interesting fact is that Alan Rough was the last goalkeeper to play at a World Cup and not wear gloves in 1978.

[hibsbollah]

Up until relatively recently my boy was a goalie and was doing really well for a while. I really enjoyed coaching him and doing extra sessions with him although I never did any badges or anything, just watched YouTube or worked stuff out based on what I think he needed to work on. I always focused on understanding the position and mastering the basics as I felt the more spectacular stuff would come in time.

What I found really frustrating, and still do but to a lesser extent, is how little attention youth coaches give to their goalies. I mind one of his coaches actually went round the whole team at full time and said well done to everyone apart from my boy ‘as he had nothing to do’, or so he told the rest of the team. Really annoyed me that more than it should have, the reason he had nothing to do was he got his angles right and he communicated with his defence well, because there was no flying top corner saves his contribution was just dismissed.

I still see it now, play at the other end and coaches just leaving young goalies to stand on their line at the other end when they should be encouraged to stay involved, either by coming up the park or communicating with their defence.

Have to say I miss my laddie playing in goals and part of me would like him to go back to it, in saying that, it’s a much easier watch when he’s playing outfield, I used to be a nervous wreck for him in goals 😂 .

So true about watching your son play in goals; i couldnt stand still, constantly pacing up and down in a state of nervous exhaustion, must have walked ten miles in 90 minutes without leaving the sideline :greengrin

The other thing that annoys me is the lack of proper goalkeeping analysis in the media. Its just the done thing for ex-outfield players or presenter pundits to criticise keepers when they dont really know what theyre talking about. You get the Roy Keane and Souness types who never credit the keeper for anything ‘its a save they are paid to make’ is a classic trope, and roast them for a mistake, but even when they do have a keeper on the panel they rarely say anything interesting for whatever reason -Pat Bonner-on the radio every week commentating on celtic, i cant remember him saying ANYTHING revealing or interesting about an amazing career in goals! Also Cammy Bell in the studio but Marv was the one asked about Kellys performance in the Rangers goal! Bizarre. The ex-England keeper Rob Green was the best pundit ive heard but he seems to have disappeared recently.

[He's here!]

Gloves didn't become really common until the mid to late 70s although a few keepers wore them before that (Gordon Banks in 1970 v Pele being one notable example).

A somewhat interesting fact is that Alan Rough was the last goalkeeper to play at a World Cup and not wear gloves in 1978.

Hard enough with gloves, but it must have been quite a challenge to catch a hard, swinging cross or even a floated one with bare hands. Maybe the heavy balls of the 50s were easier as they would plop into your grasp more readily.

When the big shovel-like padded gloves you mentioned earlier came in I remember thinking that keepers should be able to punch the ball harder and further rather than risk catching dangerous crosses but I'm not sure they ended up making much difference.

[He's here!]

So true about watching your son play in goals; i couldnt stand still, constantly pacing up and down in a state of nervous exhaustion, must have walked ten miles in 90 minutes without leaving the sideline :greengrin

The other thing that annoys me is the lack of proper goalkeeping analysis in the media. Its just the done thing for ex-outfield players or presenter pundits to criticise keepers when they dont really know what theyre talking about. You get the Roy Keane and Souness types who never credit the keeper for anything ‘its a save they are paid to make’ is a classic trope, and roast them for a mistake, but even when they do have a keeper on the panel they rarely say anything interesting for whatever reason -Pat Bonner-on the radio every week commentating on celtic, i cant remember him saying ANYTHING revealing or interesting about an amazing career in goals! Also Cammy Bell in the studio but Marv was the one asked about Kellys performance in the Rangers goal! Bizarre. The ex-England keeper Rob Green was the best pundit ive heard but he seems to have disappeared recently.

Interesting point. Haven't heard him for years, but I remember I used to sometimes catch Alan Rough on Radio Clyde (?) and I think he was even less insightful than Bonner about his goalkeeping career.

[ancient hibee]

We
Hard enough with gloves, but it must have been quite a challenge to catch a hard, swinging cross or even a floated one with bare hands. Maybe the heavy balls of the 50s were easier as they would plop into your grasp more readily.

When the big shovel-like padded gloves you mentioned earlier came in I remember thinking that keepers should be able to punch the ball harder and further rather than risk catching dangerous crosses but I'm not sure they ended up making much difference.
The ball didn’t swerve so much in those days but the goalie was liable to find himself in the back of the net still clutching the ball. For a small guy Lawrie Reilly was adept at that.In a league cup semi against East Fife at Tynecastle (we lost 3-2)one of our goals was scored by Reilly shouldering Curran across the line. There was no adverse reaction either on the pitch or after the game.

[Baader]

So true about watching your son play in goals; i couldnt stand still, constantly pacing up and down in a state of nervous exhaustion, must have walked ten miles in 90 minutes without leaving the sideline :greengrin

The other thing that annoys me is the lack of proper goalkeeping analysis in the media. Its just the done thing for ex-outfield players or presenter pundits to criticise keepers when they dont really know what theyre talking about. You get the Roy Keane and Souness types who never credit the keeper for anything ‘its a save they are paid to make’ is a classic trope, and roast them for a mistake, but even when they do have a keeper on the panel they rarely say anything interesting for whatever reason -Pat Bonner-on the radio every week commentating on celtic, i cant remember him saying ANYTHING revealing or interesting about an amazing career in goals! Also Cammy Bell in the studio but Marv was the one asked about Kellys performance in the Rangers goal! Bizarre. The ex-England keeper Rob Green was the best pundit ive heard but he seems to have disappeared recently.

Rob Green is on 5Live still I think. Decent pundit. Joe Hart comes across not bad as well to be fair, quite insightful. Pat Bonner is just a Celtic cheerleader. Seems he can't work on or speak about any match that doesn't involve Celtic. A total joke.

[leith lynx]

Peter Bonnetti of Chelsea and England (early seventies) was one of the first keepers to wear gloves, I remember I bought a pair from Thompsons sport shop in GT.Junction Street in Leith, very thin and felt like, but a great shade of green!

[Bridge hibs]

I wanted to be a Goalkeeper, not because I thought I was any good but because I was a lazy **** and wouldnt have to run about for 90 mins.

I once got a pair of orange Sondico gloves that I wore to bed and to school, I was a bit of a tramp back then 🤭

[A Hi-Bee]

Best Hibs goalie I seen was Ronnie Simpson, never bothered wi gloves, pity most of the games I seen he was in goals for the lesser greens.
Jock Stein knew what he was doing when he shifted him from Hibs.

[Wilbur]

My 9 year old son is a GK, he was playing on the right wing but sick of being rotated as they all want to play there, decided he would go in goals to be able to play the full match. He’s made the position his now. His club don’t have a dedicated GK coach which is a pity, but he does attend a weekly GK training session run by guys who are all goalies themselves.

It’s a really tough position for kids though, they go from getting all the plaudits for having a good game, to being the scape goat when the team loses. Other times when they have a quiet match they feel left out as all the action is at the other end. Goalies do need a bit of love sometimes! I do feel for our hibs goalies at times.

[The dalmeny]

My 9 year old son is a GK, he was playing on the right wing but sick of being rotated as they all want to play there, decided he would go in goals to be able to play the full match. He’s made the position his now. His club don’t have a dedicated GK coach which is a pity, but he does attend a weekly GK training session run by guys who are all goalies themselves.

It’s a really tough position for kids though, they go from getting all the plaudits for having a good game, to being the scape goat when the team loses. Other times when they have a quiet match they feel left out as all the action is at the other end. Goalies do need a bit of love sometimes! I do feel for our hibs goalies at times.

Similar to mine, at 7s, his club rotated the boys round every positions so they would have a different goalie first and second half each game. Some of the boys were less keen than others so we came to an agreement that he would play one half in goals if he could play the other outfield. worked quite well as it meant he played the whole game.

[lapsedhibee]

I definitely remember days when goalies rarely wore gloves. Pretty sure that in the 7-0 game neither Jim Herriot nor Kenny Garland wore them, but might be wrong. I do recall reading that Herriot used to smear mud or soot under his eyes for floodlit games as it apparently reduced the glare!

As I remember it goalies usually brought gloves out of the dressing room and placed them in or beside the net for possible use. They only put them on if it was very wet.

[He's here!]

As I remember it goalies usually brought gloves out of the dressing room and placed them in or beside the net for possible use. They only put them on if it was very wet.

Some long ago keepers used to wear bunnets, while in more recent times you'd see some wearing caps if the sun was getting in their eyes. I haven't seen that for a while. Maybe all-covered, all-seater stadia tend to keep the sun out more.

[Pretty Boy]

Some long ago keepers used to wear bunnets, while in more recent times you'd see some wearing caps if the sun was getting in their eyes. I haven't seen that for a while. Maybe all-covered, all-seater stadia tend to keep the sun out more.

Only keeper I can remember in fairly recent years wearing a cap regularly was Chris Kirkland. Great goalie btw but ruined by injuries.

German Burgos of Atletico Madrid and Argentina used to wear a cap or a golf visor fairly often in the early 00s.

[Donegal Hibby]

I wanted to be a Goalkeeper, not because I thought I was any good but because I was a lazy **** and wouldnt have to run about for 90 mins.

I once got a pair of orange Sondico gloves that I wore to bed and to school, I was a bit of a tramp back then 🤭

Not always great being a Goalkeeper 🫣…

https://youtu.be/ybnLK2FqJ98?si=XiohGKbbc8tL9xOj

[Bridge hibs]

Not always great being a Goalkeeper 🫣…

https://youtu.be/ybnLK2FqJ98?si=XiohGKbbc8tL9xOj

I remember watching that, quality goalkeeping 🤣

[He's here!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp3z0wx3x54o