'Memries' Goalkeepers at the 'Lane

[Sean Thornton]

My top 5 keepers are .......
1- Kelly
2- Waugh
3- Reece
4- Tracey
5- Budgie

My worst 5 keepers are .......
1- Richardson
2- Kite
3- Benstead
4- Goram
5- Segars

No's 2-5 worst must be gutted you've rated them worse than Nicky Johns.

 

[I should coco]

My worst 5 keepers are .......
1- Richardson
2- Kite
3- Benstead
4- Goram
5- Segars

You are disqualified.

Anyone who doesn't put Baxter, Howard (post back injury) and Simmo is clearly mentally deranged.

No offence meant though......

 

[originaltrueblade]

Since 1960 we have had some good goalkeepers and two great goalkeepers spring immediately to mind.

ALAN KELLY & SIMON TRACEY. These two keepers were great goalkeepers some say Tracey and some say Kelly were the better. Alan Kelly was a great shot stopper but Simon Tracey was always better positioned and organised better. It was amazing that we had these two at the same time because since then we have struggled to come anywhere near their greatness in one keeper let alone two keepers at the same time. They were both at the top of their game and no one since has come anywhere near.

HOWEVER
We were lucky enough to have not just a great keeper but a fantastic world class keeper and that is

ALAN HODGKINSON He was only 5feet 9inches but his athleticism and agility more than made up for that. Shot stopper of the first order, certain goals were made to look easy saves. Out jumped and out thought the best strikers in the world. The England striker Bobby Smith hated playing against Hodgy while he was at Spurs he once said that he never got a look in against the smallest centre back and smallest keeper in the league at the time, he went on he always took the ball of the top of my head or from just in front of my head and Joe Shaw at 5’6’ always appeared as an eight footer. Hodkginson would be picked every week if in his prime today a fantastic keeper who is surely in the first X1 Heaven team right now. For all those that never saw him in his prime just think of this.
Take Alan Kelly and Simon Tracey and add a bit of magic with a few super powers and that is how good Hody was. I was blessed to witness him.

 

[Stevo71]

No's 2-5 worst must be gutted you've rated them worse than Nicky Johns.

To be honest I can't recall ever watching Nicky Johns!

 

[Sean Thornton]

To be honest I can't recall ever watching Nicky Johns!

You're a lucky man.

 

[Billyblade]

My top 5 keepers are .......
1- Kelly
2- Waugh
3- Reece
4- Tracey
5- Budgie

My worst 5 keepers are .......
1- Richardson
2- Kite
3- Benstead
4- Goram
5- Segars

My sketchy Stella-Artois tainted memory tells me that Hans Segers actually played well for us and became a bit of a cult hero "Segers, Segers" regularly ringing round the ground.
It was what he did after he left us that made him a cock-socket of the highest order, surely?

 

[Stevo71]

My sketchy Stella-Artois tainted memory tells me that Hans Segers actually played well for us and became a bit of a cult hero "Segers, Segers" regularly ringing round the ground.
It was what he did after he left us that made him a cock-socket of the highest order, surely?

Yes maybe I should replace Segers with Mervin Day

 

[Kentblade]

Without doubt I would have Ted Burgin added to the list.
UTB

The last time I heard he was still alive and living in Rochdale.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Without doubt I would have Ted Burgin added to the list.
UTB

The last time I heard he was still alive and living in Rochdale.

Yes my Dad said he was a good un

 

[Silent Blade]

Without doubt I would have Ted Burgin added to the list.
UTB

The last time I heard he was still alive and living in Rochdale.

Yes, one of the four from the 1954 England World Cup squad that is still alive

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Yes Hodgy was a very good keeper but Harris made the right decision. We wouldnt have got promoted had Hodgy continued. 8 successive clean sheets is still a record at the club, and it was Hope who holds it.

A trivial detail, but Hope's record was 7 clean sheets, and was was beaten by Mark Howard's 8 in 2014. It doesn't make any difference to your main point, though.

 

[Silent Blade]

A trivial detail, but Hope's record was 7 clean sheets, and was was beaten by Mark Howard's 8 in 2014. It doesn't make any difference to your main point, though.

I stand corrected!

 

[Guesty]

A trivial detail, but Hope's record was 7 clean sheets, and was was beaten by Mark Howard's 8 in 2014. It doesn't make any difference to your main point, though.

That's a quiz question and a half, who holds our consecutive clean sheet record. I'd have been guessing for about six months before I got to Howard.

 

[LenTednTony]

Anyone who has seen my posts on goalies before will know that Tom McAllister is my all time favourite. Hodgy was brilliant but, my next favourite has to be Alan Kelly, then Hodgy, followed by any of Kenny, Tracey and Mel Rees. I would’ve had Blackman in with the last three but I think he still has a little to do but, mark my words, I believe he is destined for greater things. Oh, I am so sorry but I can’t include John Hope. I never had a great deal of confidence in him.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I stand corrected!

It's taken me the best part of 2 years to pick you up on a mistake; if only some of our former keepers could have boasted of a record of 1 mistake every 2 years. Please keep all your info coming - it's always a pleasure to read/look at what you post.

 

[I should coco]

t's taken me the best part of 2 years to pick you up on a mistake

He makes loads every day. Loads!

Being a decent chap I haven't the heart to pull him up as I know he likes his stats.

As you were.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Without doubt I would have Ted Burgin added to the list.
UTB

The last time I heard he was still alive and living in Rochdale.

Cracking keeper Ted Burgin.

Like Hodgy , he had a terrific spring and great athleticism . Ok, he had a tendency to make some saves look more spectacular than they needed to be but that just added to the enjoyment of watching him.

The fact that he was considered England's second best goalkeeper in 1954 speaks for itself . In fact, in my view he was the best , since the one who kept him out, Gil Merrick of Birmingham, was well past his best at that time.

Surprised but very pleased to hear he's still alive - thanks for the info Kent and Silent.

 

[Silent Blade]

Cracking keeper Ted Burgin.

Like Hodgy , he had a terrific spring and great athleticism . Ok, he had a tendency to make some saves look more spectacular than they needed to be but that just added to the enjoyment of watching him.

The fact that he was considered England's second best goalkeeper in 1954 speaks for itself . In fact, in my view he was the best , since the one who kept him out, Gil Merrick of Birmingham, was well past his best at that time.

Surprised but very pleased to hear he's still alive - thanks for the info Kent and Silent.

Denis Clareborough told me of Burgin, "he makes a lot of brilliant saves but at times makes very strange errors"

 

[Silent Blade]

It's taken me the best part of 2 years to pick you up on a mistake; if only some of our former keepers could have boasted of a record of 1 mistake every 2 years. Please keep all your info coming - it's always a pleasure to read/look at what you post.

Thank you and I like to reading your posts too, I love to read stories of Blades games/players before the 1970s.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Denis Clareborough told me of Burgin, "he makes a lot of brilliant saves but at times makes very strange errors"

It's true he was prone to the odd weird one but they were more than compensated for by the saves he pulled off that very few goalies at the time would have got near.

A further testimony to his ability is the fact that Grunters hated him . Need I say more ..........?

PS . No. 3 on my all time list posted earlier.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Thanks to Speedracer for starting this thread, which I have really enjoyed. Apologies for the length of what follows, but I hope it is of interest to some of you as close season reading. My list of 5 favourite keepers would be:
1. Hodgy
2. Kelly
3. Tracey
4. Rees
5. Woodward

I include Mel Rees because few players have left such an impression in such a short time; a truly moving story. Woody is tongue-in-cheek, but particularly in his early years he was a rather nesh player, reluctant to tackle or get involved in physical stuff, but when he went in goal, he was totally transformed, brave, and pretty good.
But the main point I wish to make is that for me Hodgy stands out way above anyone else. I started at the Lane in 1953, and the following year Hodgy made his debut, and soon became the regular keeper. Goalkeeping was my favourite position from before I can remember, and it did not take many games standing behind the goal for me to have Hodgy as my boyhood hero, and my opinion has never changed. Others have commented on his ability, but I would like to add another perspective: footballers in the 50s and 60s were not a group apart, but were earning a good working wage with a club they expected to be with for many years. Hodgy quickly became part of the 'back 6' that we oldies can still recite, and from the age of 7 to about 23 I hardly ever saw any other keeper in goal for United. Imagine Eastwood establishing himself this season in goal, and still playing for us in 2034, picking up caps for England on the way, playing 100s of games at a highly consistent level, with an enthusiasm that never diminished. Unthinkable in the modern game? And the team of the late 50s/early 60s were approachable. For games in places like Bristol they travelled on the same train as us (cheap-day return), and Hodgy was one of those who was always willing to give his time to snotty-nosed kids like me. The connection between players and fans was a close one, with no suspicion that the players were just passing through the Lane. One example of that connection - at Elland Road, I think, United got a penalty, and Hodgy turned round to a group of us behind the goal, mouthed 'He'll miss it', and watched us rather than the penalty; we felt he was as nervous as us, that he shared the fans' feelings. He seemed to be the same person when he returned with Oxford as coach for a Cup match a few years ago.
So, I admit to bias, but I think Hodgy's career in goal for the Blades is unparalleled; and I have to confess that I missed some of the last couple of years of his career, as I was getting my feet under the table at work, getting married, starting a family, and playing local league football on a Saturday. If he did make a few mistakes, I never saw them.

 

[Silent Blade]

Thanks to Speedracer
Woody is tongue-in-cheek, but particularly in his early years he was a rather nesh player, reluctant to tackle or get involved in physical stuff, but when he went in goal, he was totally transformed, brave, and pretty good.

5 stints as an emergency keeper, conceded only 1 goal in 156 minutes and that was an unlucky own goal by Billy Dearden.

 

[MoscowBlade]

Thanks to Speedracer for starting this thread, which I have really enjoyed. Apologies for the length of what follows, but I hope it is of interest to some of you as close season reading. My list of 5 favourite keepers would be:
1. Hodgy
2. Kelly
3. Tracey
4. Rees
5. Woodward

I include Mel Rees because few players have left such an impression in such a short time; a truly moving story. Woody is tongue-in-cheek, but particularly in his early years he was a rather nesh player, reluctant to tackle or get involved in physical stuff, but when he went in goal, he was totally transformed, brave, and pretty good.
But the main point I wish to make is that for me Hodgy stands out way above anyone else. I started at the Lane in 1953, and the following year Hodgy made his debut, and soon became the regular keeper. Goalkeeping was my favourite position from before I can remember, and it did not take many games standing behind the goal for me to have Hodgy as my boyhood hero, and my opinion has never changed. Others have commented on his ability, but I would like to add another perspective: footballers in the 50s and 60s were not a group apart, but were earning a good working wage with a club they expected to be with for many years. Hodgy quickly became part of the 'back 6' that we oldies can still recite, and from the age of 7 to about 23 I hardly ever saw any other keeper in goal for United. Imagine Eastwood establishing himself this season in goal, and still playing for us in 2034, picking up caps for England on the way, playing 100s of games at a highly consistent level, with an enthusiasm that never diminished. Unthinkable in the modern game? And the team of the late 50s/early 60s were approachable. For games in places like Bristol they travelled on the same train as us (cheap-day return), and Hodgy was one of those who was always willing to give his time to snotty-nosed kids like me. The connection between players and fans was a close one, with no suspicion that the players were just passing through the Lane. One example of that connection - at Elland Road, I think, United got a penalty, and Hodgy turned round to a group of us behind the goal, mouthed 'He'll miss it', and watched us rather than the penalty; we felt he was as nervous as us, that he shared the fans' feelings. He seemed to be the same person when he returned with Oxford as coach for a Cup match a few years ago.
So, I admit to bias, but I think Hodgy's career in goal for the Blades is unparalleled; and I have to confess that I missed some of the last couple of years of his career, as I was getting my feet under the table at work, getting married, starting a family, and playing local league football on a Saturday. If he did make a few mistakes, I never saw them.

I agree 100%. Excellent summary of the great man's career.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

5 stints as an emergency keeper, conceded only 1 goal in 156 minutes and that was an unlucky own goal by Billy Dearden.

That is some stat, which seems to confirm that he was a good keeper.