finlaytheblade
Well-Known Member
Said news to here the passing of Ron Springett and the legendary Brian Close.
Ron Springett was one of a group of great English keepers from the late fifties and sixties my favourite
Blades keeper Alan Hodgkin son was one of these,the others I am thinking of are Eddie Hopkinson (bolton)
Peter Bonnettie (spelling?) Who played for Chelsea and our own born and bred Gordon Banks (Leicester and Stoke CIty) .
All 5 were great keepers but Hodge for me was the best shot stopper I have ever seen ( and very brave too) his weakness was his height which always caused him difficulties with crosses but he did manage to get a punch onto most of them.
One game I remember well was an FA cuptie at craven cottage in sixties game finished 1-1 and I think Milk Jones scored ours (silent?) There was a spell in the 2nd half when Fulham going for the equaliser put us under some intense pressure and hodge was unbelievable his bravery and shot stopping during this period somehow kept us 1 up the pressure told in the end as Fulham did take it to a replay.
The replay was called off twice due to heavy rain in Sheffield in the afternoon before the game and Fulham twice made a fruitless trip to sheffield they also made a third one as we beat them 3-1 (silent?)
The Fulham management were really pissed off after the two postponements claiming lack of communication but I do remember both afternoons it really did come down and being in the depths of winter Bramall Lane couldn't cope with it (not much grass left on lane pitch in them days as the winter progrest ),we put them to the sword at the 3rd attempt
Ron Springett was one of a group of great English keepers from the late fifties and sixties my favourite
Blades keeper Alan Hodgkin son was one of these,the others I am thinking of are Eddie Hopkinson (bolton)
Peter Bonnettie (spelling?) Who played for Chelsea and our own born and bred Gordon Banks (Leicester and Stoke CIty) .
All 5 were great keepers but Hodge for me was the best shot stopper I have ever seen ( and very brave too) his weakness was his height which always caused him difficulties with crosses but he did manage to get a punch onto most of them.
One game I remember well was an FA cuptie at craven cottage in sixties game finished 1-1 and I think Milk Jones scored ours (silent?) There was a spell in the 2nd half when Fulham going for the equaliser put us under some intense pressure and hodge was unbelievable his bravery and shot stopping during this period somehow kept us 1 up the pressure told in the end as Fulham did take it to a replay.
The replay was called off twice due to heavy rain in Sheffield in the afternoon before the game and Fulham twice made a fruitless trip to sheffield they also made a third one as we beat them 3-1 (silent?)
The Fulham management were really pissed off after the two postponements claiming lack of communication but I do remember both afternoons it really did come down and being in the depths of winter Bramall Lane couldn't cope with it (not much grass left on lane pitch in them days as the winter progrest ),we put them to the sword at the 3rd attempt
