Who is the best keeper to put on a blades shirt?

[davidpinder]

For me its Alan Kelly closely followed by Mel Rees but his tragic short career meant we didn't get to see enough

Keepers i've seen
Top 5

1, Alan Kelly
2, Mel Rees
3, Simon Tracey
4, Paddy Kenny
5, The lad who stood in for tracey after liverpool match help with name? Phil Kit thats it

Hope Bunn will make my top 5 soon:thumbup:

 

[shorehamview]

Hodgy, Fatty Foulkes, Kelly. Those three are miles above all the others.

 

[Darren]

For me its Alan Kelly closely followed by Mel Rees but his tragic short career meant we didn't get to see enough

Top 5

1, Alan Kelly
2, Mel Rees
3, Simon Tracey
4, Paddy Kenny
5, The lad who stood in for tracey after liverpool match help with name?

Hope Bunn will make my top 5 soon:thumbup:

No. 5 is Phil Kite. Really?

 

[The Zone Man]

For us modern youthful types (and us that don't attend every match and have an encieclopedic knowledge of all blades players) the debate should only really be in what order do you put Tracey, Kelly, Paddy.

For me it goes
1. Paddy
2. Ned
3. Tracey

thats on performance only not loyalty or comedy atributes.

 

[Revolution]

Hard to compare across eras, but surely Alan Hodgkinson is head and shoulders above the rest.

Foulke, Jack Smith, Kelly and Tracey would also be in my top 5. Not sure about the order save Kelly over Tracey for me.

Little known fact - United keepers went to 2 World Cups with England squads. Ted Burgin was selected in 1954 and Hodgy in 1962. Neither of them ever played a game in the finals (indeed, Burgin was never capped at all). Hodgy was unlucky in 1958 as well, as he played in 3 of the 4 qualifers but did not make the squad, though Colin McDonald of Burnley had a good tournament.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Erm, Hodgy probably sits on top of that lot, but I never saw him play.

Tom McAllister was pretty sound until his leg break

Jim Brown was solid but not very spectacular

John Burridge, what a total legend!

 

[davidpinder]

No. 5 is Phil Kite. Really?

thats all i,ve seen phil was ok better than the 2 pants ones warnock got on loan once

 

[Vistoma]

Erm, Hodgy probably sits on top of that lot, but I never saw him play.

Tom McAllister was pretty sound until his leg break

Jim Brown was solid but not very spectacular

John Burridge, what a total legend!

McAllister was great

 

[mickle-blade]

My Top 5 Keepers
1. Hodgkinson (Should have had more caps)
2. Alan Kelly (Best since Hodgy by a mile)
3. Tom McAllister (What a career he could have had. Thank you Rodney Marsh)
4. Mel Rees (A great shame.RIP)
5. Simon Tracey - (Must have been our biggest bargain of all time)

Sorry but Paddy wouldn't get in my top 10 never mind 5

 

[Ollessendro]

Kelly is the best I've seen at the Lane. He was fantastic and it was a massive injustice he never played more for Ireland. IMO he was much better than Bonner.

Tracey was an excellent keeper too. I'd have him a close second behind Kelly.

It should be take into account that I only started going to the Lane in 1992 so my experience is a lot less than some.

 

[BrixtonBlade]

Kelly then Tracey for me

 

[judge]

mel rees for me
i don't have the stats to hand but I'm sure he never conceded more than one goal in a game apart from when leeds won the league at the lane when he was injured and could barely move
nowadays he would have been subbed and we might have got something out of the game but he bravely played on after a really bad injury

anyone remember the liverpool game where he made about 9 world class saves ?

also i remember going to old trafford in the first season we stayed up under bassett in the old 1st

there was a religious guy with a placard saying

jhon 3:16

tracey cant save you now

made me laugh anyway

 

[silverfox]

Tom McAlister!

 

[rachyblade]

In my life time Kelly.

 

[Silent Blade]

In my life time Kelly.

Hodgy was in decline when I started in 1970

1. Tracey
2. Kelly
3. Kenny
4. Brown
5. McAlister

 

[NN6]

Andy Leaning

Actually I think we have been blessed by some great keepers since I've been watching the Blades. Kelly probably shades it for me but Tracey very rarely let us down and despite several rushes of blood to the head Paddy has been a good long term keeper too.

 

[beightonblade]

Hodgy Hodgy Hodgy.............hoy hoy hoy.

shud have caught sum instead of punchin em though.

 

[Bakewell Blade]

Peschisolido at half time ! Closely followed by jagielka

 

[FURPHY]

Mel Rees had a superb although regrettably short spell in goal for the Blades.
I remember before the game against Liverpool he was having the ball thrown to him and looking nothing like a competent keeper but once the game started proved himself to be quality.

It was unfortunate that in what was probably his last game for us against Leeds an injury affected his mobility and caused a misunderstanding which resuled in Gale scoring an own goal which effectively gave them the first division championship.

 

[mattbianco1]

I know Mel Rees was meant to have been a brilliant keeper but are a lot of people just including him in their top 5 because of sympathy?

And as for Phil Kite, the only word i can think of to describe him rhymes with his surname.

Mine would have to be:

1. Kelly
2. Kenny
3. Tracey
4. Erm.....
5.

I still consider myself as young and so haven't seen many keepers really. Paul Gerrard anyone?

 

[GAZBLADE]

Graham Benstead??

 

[Kentblade]

Phil Kite played at Gillingham at one time.Imo he would not even get into a list of the top 15 keepers at the lane,
UTB

 

[bartman]

Simon Tracey at his peak(early 90's) was the best goalkeeper i have seen for The Blades. The season we got promoted to the 1st Division and the season after he must have been one of the top 5 keepers in the country.

For me,his bravery,agility and shot stopping pushed Kelly and Kenny down to 2nd and 3rd.

 

[Kentblade]

My Top 5 Keepers
1. Hodgkinson (Should have had more caps)
2. Alan Kelly (Best since Hodgy by a mile)
3. Tom McAllister (What a career he could have had. Thank you Rodney Marsh)
4. Mel Rees (A great shame.RIP)
5. Simon Tracey - (Must have been our biggest bargain of all time)

Sorry but Paddy wouldn't get in my top 10 never mind 5

We have been fortunate in that we have had some very good keepers over the years and it can be difficult to make a list.
Ted Burgin was outstanding, followed by Alan Hodgkinson equally as good.
I cannot at all disagree with your list MB but memories can fade over the years.
Mel Rees( RIP) gave one of the best goal keeping displays I ever saw at Everton in a League 1 game, or was it the premiership?
There are a number of others, Brown, Burridge come to mind but the bargain was of course Tracy,who came from Wimbledon for a nominal sum.

My hero was Burgin,but I was very young at the time and somewhere I have a picture of him with his aitograph on as my Mum wrote to him and obtained it for me,
I have a scrapbook in my blades box in the loft with a cutting from a newspaper showing him flying through the air at West Ham, woth the caption, which has always stuck in my head,(somethings do) saying "flying high and booked for England"
Unfortunately despite beimg called up to the team he never played unlike Hodgy who should have played more games.In fact if memory serves me right he was in competition with Hopkinson who played for one of the Lancashire clubs,Bolton I seem to recall.
Paddy Kenny, not in my top 5 at all, but we do wish him well next week in his hearing.
UTB

 

[Stockholm syndrom]

mel rees for me
i don't have the stats to hand but I'm sure he never conceded more than one goal in a game apart from when leeds won the league at the lane when he was injured and could barely move
nowadays he would have been subbed and we might have got something out of the game but he bravely played on after a really bad injury

anyone remember the liverpool game where he made about 9 world class saves ?

also i remember going to old trafford in the first season we stayed up under bassett in the old 1st

there was a religious guy with a placard saying

jhon 3:16

tracey cant save you now

made me laugh anyway

For me Kelly, Tracey then Reece. That game v Liverpool......Reece was "unplayable" as you say made a number of and not to put it lightly, world class saves!! Not sure if he'd just found out the week before that he had cancer? I do remember however that every match he played for us he performed outstandingly!

 

[Conroy]

Where am I in anybodys list?!

Seriously, you'd find it difficult to choose between Kelly, Paddy and Tracey. Rees performances over games played for us was truly outstanding.

One thing I can honestly say we have never had in a keeper (from '77 onwards) is one who 'commands his box'. We always seem to have the sticky goal line shot stopper type and not the one where they have 'go go gadget arms' at corners.

For the record 'Keefy' Waugh and as you'll guess Steve Conroy we're my early favourites......but not Derek Richardson surprisingly

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Kelly for me.

Andy Goram also played for us briefly. Worth a mention for being a Rangers and Scotland legend, although I don't remember him being outstanding for us. I think he went to Manchester United after us?

 

[The Zone Man]

There is definately something in the S2 water that makes our keepers great shot stoppers, hero's of the full stretch save and foolish injuries at the feet of strikers.

You're right that we haven't had one since i started watching in the late 80's that has been a huge presence and penalty area dominator.

Saying that, all 3 of Paddy, Ned and Tracey have all been taken to our hearts as much for their lack of imposing presence and weaknesses alongside loving their agility and never say die attitude. I loved them all. its a close run thing for me.

 

[Caveblade]

only one Alan Kelly

Alan Kelly beyond any doubt, great shot stopper and his performance at Wemblerlee was something to behold.

 

[uniblade]

My favourites (Not best)

1.Alan Kelly what a performance in the 93 semi
2.Simon Tracy solid for many years
3.Budgie John Burridge Big fans favourite in the 80's
4.Mel ree's came from nowhere with to be an international in less than a season (what a shame about him getting ill)
5.Steve Conroy (Dracula)