Alan Kelly not in Blades XI???

[Sheff de party]

iv seen a couple of Blades All Time XIs recently, linked from here.

just wondering why Alan Kelly is never in goal? im too young to know Foulkes or anyone pre-Tracey really and maybe im biased to Kelly, the hero of mine, but was anyone really better than him?

and if so, just wondered how far he was off their standard?

 

[Sirius]

iv seen a couple of Blades All Time XIs recently, linked from here.

just wondering why Alan Kelly is never in goal? im too young to know Foulkes or anyone pre-Tracey really and maybe im biased to Kelly, the hero of mine, but was anyone really better than him?

and if so, just wondered how far he was off their standard?

The legend of Foulke and for that matter others from a different era have built up over the years. How much of it is true? I don't know; what I do know is that Tracey and Kelly, by virtue of their training and fitness levels must have been better than many of those who came before them.
Keepers such as Burgin and Hodgy (who was very quick and agile) would, IMHO be far too small to compete with the athletes who have been turned into todays footballers. For me Tracey just shades it from Kelly,

 

[Russ]

The legend of Foulke and for that matter others from a different era have built up over the years. How much of it is true? I don't know; what I do know is that Tracey and Kelly, by virtue of their training and fitness levels must have been better than many of those who came before them.
Keepers such as Burgin and Hodgy (who was very quick and agile) would, IMHO be far too small to compete with the athletes who have been turned into todays footballers. For me Tracey just shades it from Kelly,

Why? Which memorable games did Tracey save us?
I dont remember him being special. Reliable, yes.
I think Kelly was better.

 

[Sirius]

We were very fortunate to have two very good goal keepers. Just my own opinion. It gave better judges of a goal keeper than me a hard time to choose between them. Perhaps Tracey was a little braver going into the thick of things. As I say .just my opinion.

 

[bartman]

I have to agree with you,Sirus. I beleive with both keepers at the top of their game,ST would shade it. He general shot stopping,reflexes and bravery were better than Kelly. In addtion he was strong in coming out for crosses and dominated his area.

Both keepers far better than Paddy Kenny thou,imo

 

[Silent Blade]

Why? Which memorable games did Tracey save us?
I dont remember him being special. Reliable, yes.
I think Kelly was better.

Obviously you didnt see our games from 1989 to to 1992. Tracey deserved to win the POTY in the 1989-90 and the 1991-92 seasons. His best game was in the 2-1 defeat at Anfield in Jan 1992 and the Kop gave him a big ovation after the game. He had a bad injury at Chelsea in March 1992 and didnt really find his form until 1997 when he was a key figure to our strong start in the 1997-98 season before getting injured again. He was a good and a reliable keeper from 1998 until Paddy Kenny's arrival, but he wasnt as outstanding as he was in his first 3 full seasons. Kelly was a brilliant shot stopper but Tracey was better at handling, kicking (his kicks would go straight to the head of Deane, Whitehurst or Flo), dealing with one to one situations and had greater understanding with the defence (Kelly's understanding with Nilsen was very poor). We have won a higher percentage of games with Tracey in goal than games with Kelly in goal

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Those old enough to remember (not me) will always put Hodgy as the best. Quick, agile and England's number one.

Having said that, I would always rate Tom McAllister as the best I saw, before Rodney Fucking Marsh nobbled him. Kelly and Tracey were both quality keepers, and in an all too brief cameo Rees looked capable of being better than both, but I still rate McAllister the best I've seen.

 

[Worksop II]

but I still rate McAllister the best I've seen.

Aye, it were Strong Beer in those Days ........

 

[Kentblade]

Alan Hodgkinson for me,closely followed by Kelly and Tracey.
Ted Burgin was an excellent keeper as well before Hodgy.
One of the best keeping displays I saw was Mel Rees playing at Everton, what promise he had.
We have imo always had most of the time good keepers at the lane over all my years.
But as some poster said it is very difficult to compare players over different periods due to fitness levels, the speed of the game etc.
Also keepers and all players come under much more scrutiny now due to the media, video, TV, football sites.
Originally there was just a paper,The Star,a weekly The Green Un,and we felt it was utopia whn Match of the Day started with Kennerth Wolstenholme in black and white.
What a difference the technology of today makes.
UTB

 

[JohnDenver]

Alan Kelly would be in my lifetime XI, but Foulke is a football legend, never mind just a Blades one.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Very little between Kelly, Tracey and Kenny IMHO - I saw more of Kelly's top flight games than Tracey's, so he tends to shade it for me. Kenny read situations much better than Tracey in my view - he was excellent at sweeping up and preventing goal-scoring chances, whereas Tracey was probably better at saving said chances, but reckless when charging out of the box. Kelly struck me as being the better all-round keeper of the 3, and more reliable.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Kelly for me just shades it, remember loads of games when he had to play bandaged up, painkilling injection in the hand etc (Ipswich '97), we seemed to rely heavily on his shot stopping to keep us in games. Too young to have seen Tracey playing pre 1992 so can only base it on what I've seen. Silent is right that Tracey didn't really hit form (if that's even an appropriate phrase for a keeper?) til 1997, seem to remember we nearly sold him to Palace.

To have two keepers of such quality playing for a 1st division side for the best part of a decade would be unthinkable now.

 

[bricktop]

From what i've seen, i would put Simon Tracey at the top, as on the top of his game he was just about better than Alan Kelly. For those who can't remember, Alex Ferguson was interested in signing him for Manchester United before he went for Peter Schmeichel.

As a young keeper Tracey had everything, strong on cross, good shot-stopper, commanding in the area, and he was an excellent keeper and the only reason i can think why he never made it as a top, top keeper was injury.

 

[Silent Blade]

Alan Hodgkinson for me,closely followed by Kelly and Tracey.
Ted Burgin was an excellent keeper as well before Hodgy.
One of the best keeping displays I saw was Mel Rees playing at Everton, what promise he had.
We have imo always had most of the time good keepers at the lane over all my years.
But as some poster said it is very difficult to compare players over different periods due to fitness levels, the speed of the game etc.
Also keepers and all players come under much more scrutiny now due to the media, video, TV, football sites.
Originally there was just a paper,The Star,a weekly The Green Un,and we felt it was utopia whn Match of the Day started with Kennerth Wolstenholme in black and white.
What a difference the technology of today makes.
UTB

My dad (died in 1999) would agree with you about Hodgy. Hodgy was in his last year of his playing career when I started watching the Blades regularly but, sadly, he had lost form. I was told that Burgin was a brilliant shot stopper but made some very strange mistakes

 

[Pinchy]

There's no 'just shades it' about it. Alan Kelly was far better than Tracey and both streets ahead of the hugely overrated Kenny.

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Alan Kelly is the best Blades keeper I've seen, having started watching in the mid-70s. He regularly pulled off great saves and was very solid & reliable too. I'd rate Kenny as 2nd, although I've no time for the guy after he turned his back on us after we stood by him. I'd put Simon Tracey 3rd - great at times but a bit too prone to making silly mistakes. And a special mention for Mel Rees, who was outstanding for us in his brief stint, playing at the top level too.

 

[Karaoke Blade]

Although Tracey was an excellent keeper, I think what might have let him down was his occasional poor decision making. Think it was one night at Spurs when he came rushing out of his box to chase a ball that led to a goal and Basset said he had the 'brains of a rocking horse.' So for me, Kelly would be the best - his one man show at Wembley against the pigs in itself deserved a knighthood. I (like Silent) only just caught Hodgy at the end of his career.

 

[Kentblade]

My dad (died in 1999) would agree with you about Hodgy. Hodgy was in his last year of his playing career when I started watching the Blades regularly but, sadly, he had lost form. I was told that Burgin was a brilliant shot stopper but made some very strange mistakes

Flying high and booked for England.
The headlines from the Blades game at West Ham,when Burgin was in goal.Somewhere in a scrap book I still have the picture cut from the paper.Must have been early 1950's
As you say there was the odd mistake,but was a very flamboyant keeper if that is the right word.
When Hodgy took over as a young lad around his late teens he was much more "conservative", but proved beyond doubt his ability for such a small keeper resulting in his selection for England.
We have had some good keepers at the lane.
Happy memories.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Flying high and booked for England.
The headlines from the Blades game at West Ham,when Burgin was in goal.Somewhere in a scrap book I still have the picture cut from the paper.Must have been early 1950's
As you say there was the odd mistake,but was a very flamboyant keeper if that is the right word.
When Hodgy took over as a young lad around his late teens he was much more "conservative", but proved beyond doubt his ability for such a small keeper resulting in his selection for England.
We have had some good keepers at the lane.Happy memories.

Aye, and some right crap! Hope, Connaugton, Johns, Conroy, Tomlinson, Richardson, Waugh, Leaning, Burridge, Benstead to name but a few off the top of my head. Although thinking about it, I quite liked Budgie. Mad as a bag of frogs but entertaining!

 

[Blade58]

Those old enough to remember (not me) will always put Hodgy as the best. Quick, agile and England's number one.

Having said that, I would always rate Tom McAllister as the best I saw, before Rodney Fucking Marsh nobbled him. Kelly and Tracey were both quality keepers, and in an all too brief cameo Rees looked capable of being better than both, but I still rate McAllister the best I've seen.

Any Blades XI will always have Tom McAllister in it for me

Rodney Marsh robbed what would've been a top, top goalkeeper's great career ahead of him

And whilst he did come back from his injury, he was never the same again!

 

[JohnDenver]

As a young keeper Tracey had everything, strong on cross, good shot-stopper, commanding in the area, and he was an excellent keeper and the only reason i can think why he never made it as a top, top keeper was injury.

Injury and lifestyle.

 

[Torrix1889]

Mel Rees at Everton was awesome, a performance I will never forget, his other 7 performances in that season weren't bad either......!

For me Tracey just edges it over Kelly, by a whisker!

Agree, both were better than Kenny, (and he was good the judas bastard!).

 

[Nedski]

Alan Kelly was always my favourite. Even though I was young, I remember him making more 'wow' saves than Tracey- one that stands out was his save against Barnsley where it was behind him and he stuck out his hand to tip it over.

But I also remember Tracey vs Pompey at Fratton park- I swear there were 3 or 4 one-on-ones he dealt with with ease. That was an amazing performance.

 

[judge]

I always thought kenny was poor and I still afford my self a wry smile when I see him stood motionless at the wrong side of his net where some striker who has done his homework has made a chump out of ol'paddy

 

[Sheff de party]

Alan Kelly was always my favourite. Even though I was young, I remember him making more 'wow' saves than Tracey- one that stands out was his save against Barnsley where it was behind him and he stuck out his hand to tip it over.

That is one of the saves i remember.

Kelly's performance in the first game vs Coventry in the cup (quarter final?) before we beat them in the replay was unreal. he made a save from a downward Noel Whelan header that was just unreal. Kelly for me, but Paddy was quality most of the time. when he didnt have to think too much.

 

[Mad Mick]

for me Hodgey edges it. Although he was small for a keeper, he was a great shot stopper and good on cross's. Although in later years he punched a bit more. Dont forget he played for England in the 60's when arguably they had one of the best teams in the
world. Of course goalkeepers these days are bigger leaner and fitter, but you can only shine in the era you are in. In the 60's barging of goalkeepers was allowed, so you had to be rough and tough and hold your ground. I wont mention Hodgy's deputy at the time.
I am old enough to have seen Hodgey many times, but not Foulkes.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Tracey, Kelly, Hodgy all quality and all better than Kenny
Kelly was a fantastic shot stopper, Hodgy's lack of height sometimes caught him out but other than that Quality with a capital Q
Tracey just about shaded it with his command of the box, positional sense and the ability to read the game, occassionally he got carried away WBA at home, Spurs away! but overall just my No1 by a whisker.
Wish we had the likes of Tracey, Kelly and Rees now all fighting for the jersey at the same time !

 

[sheffielder]

Tracey, Kelly, Hodgy all quality and all better than Kenny
Kelly was a fantastic shot stopper, Hodgy's lack of height sometimes caught him out but other than that Quality with a capital Q
Tracey just about shaded it with his command of the box, positional sense and the ability to read the game, occassionally he got carried away WBA at home, Spurs away! but overall just my No1 by a whisker.
Wish we had the likes of Tracey, Kelly and Rees now all fighting for the jersey at the same time !

What Fiery says. Tracey was a smidgeon better for the team than Kelly

 

[shorehamview]

You just know that he's inviting this Cockernee chap to a engage in fisticuffs. Even Alan Kelly wasn't this good.

Although Kelly is by far the best of the moden age, of only for his refusal when at Blackburn to go on loan to Wednesday because "Once a Blade always a Blade."

 

[Jehovah]

Alan Kelly was kryptonian.