Goalkeeping legends

[Micky]

Theo Zagorakis?

 

[H T B]

Theo Zagorakis?

On that note, Steve Lynex or Alan Young in the 5 -2 cup win.

 

[drummindefender]

My sister used to fancy Kasey Keller, so much that we had a lifesize cardboard cut out of him that we got from the club shop for a while!!!

 

[slyfox]

Keller was not as good as you remember him. Lacked bravery, didn't command his box and prone to the odd clanger. Not a bad keeper, just not a great one.

All said, very good bloke and a decent keeper...but there is a reason he was allowed to leave and that reason was Tim Flowers (who was one of the very best we ever had).

I agree about Flowers quality keeper,i remember a game in question when we played Arsenal in a f.a cup replay,were we won on penalties he was superb that night and some of the saves were world class.

 

[drummindefender]

I agree about Flowers quality keeper,i remember a game in question when we played Arsenal in a f.a cup replay,were we won on penalties he was superb that night and some of the saves were world class.

Same day robbie savage's conk stopped one going in

 

[David Gwilliam]

I do not know whether Shilton or Banks was the better goalkeeper. I never saw Banks live at Leicester but Shilton was a world better than any goalkeeper we have had since.

However, Banks was IMO the greater goalkeeper because he changed the way goalkeepers played. Before Banks goalkepers like Eddie Hopkinson, Alan Hodgkinson and Ron Springett were incredible shot stoppers. They were often small men with razor sharp reflexes who could get down quickly. They may have been small but of course they were hard as nails since referees gave them no protection. However, they were not expected to dominate their penalty area. Crosses were there to be dealt with by the big centre half and they were not seen as part of the team. A player who passed back to his goalkeeper in the 1950s might well be jeered aat by his own supporters - "we're kicking the other way".

I was a fan of Eddie Hopkinson but when I came to Leicester I was astonished at Peter Shilton - no doubt he had learned a lot from Banks. I had never seen a goalkeeper dominate an area or vent his displeasure on experienced centre backs (Cross and Sjoberg) the way Shilton did. He was about nineteen at the time. It is a pity that recent goalkeepers have not been as good at stopping shots as those little goalkeepers of the 1950s; however I wonder how they would have coped with the kicking skills needed nowadays.

Needless to say Shilton was not only master of his penalty area but probably even better than the 1950s keepers at shop stopping.

I knew a gentleman called Peter Williams who taught Peter Shilton PE at King Richard III School. Shilton was playing for Leicester Schoolboys and England Schoolboys in goal but for his school on the pitch. Unbelievably the FA wrote to the school asking Mr Williams to play him in goal. Peter refused he was not going to have the FA pick his team and Shilton was too valuable on the pitch. Peter told me that Shilton was the strongest schoolboy he had ever known and could have been a professional as a striker, as a cricketer, rugby or boxer.

Some years ago I was in Liverpool and instead of talking architecture which we should have been we got talking football. The gentleman I was with had been at the same semi-final that I had been and remembered with awe Shilton's performance in getting us a 0-0 draw when Keegan and co had thoroughly outplayed us.

In fifty years of watching football and over forty years of watching Leicester Peter Shilton was quite simply the best goalkeeper I have ever seen.

 

[pork pie fox]

Keller was a bit of a hero of mine when I was growing up. Especially in the sexy kit they made him wear.

He couldn't do much about this shot at the weekend:

 

[bocadillo]

You didn't rate him Bocs?

Clearly not as highly as you did.

 

[Miles Away]

No, I suppose not.

Banks, Shilton, Lynex...can't think of any others we've had on the books better....

 

[Scotfox]

The first goalkeeper I remember was Johnny Anderson, a long long time ago in a Galaxy far far away. As Gwilliam said back then keepers were small by todays standards, he was a shot stopper. He was also the first City player to wear trackies in cold weather,pulled the team shirt over the top of his training gear. Watched both Banks and Shilton, who was best, thats a tough question. City were offered a fabulous ammount of money for Shilton during a pre season tour of the then West Germany, Banksie was injured I think, so a 16 year old Shilton got to play he had a great game, hence the offer. I think its unfair to compare them, they were two of the best goalkeepers in the world, Zoff the Italian keeper came close and in some critics opinion was better than both of them, but as usual thats a matter for debate.

 

[Blue Maniac]

No, I suppose not.

Banks, Shilton, Lynex...can't think of any others we've had on the books better....

Hirschfeld, Fettis, Nielsen.

 

[tedfoxxx]

Hirschfeld, Fettis, Nielsen.

Ikeme, Kirkland, Ricardo.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Weale.

 

[Billyjof]

Just found this rather dashing picture of a young mulletted Keller playing for Millwall.

I'm just interested to know why the club sponsored itself during their successful 89-90 season? I'm guessing a council change of name?

Keeping on a rather obtuse tangent, I once witnessed Leeds fans singing Elland Road, Elland Road to "Here we go" sounded a bit daft, was this perhaps once the norm?

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

Sandy McLaren

Keeper in the yoyo years before the 2nd World War.

 

[GazLCFC]

A player who passed back to his goalkeeper in the 1950s might well be jeered at by his own supporters - "we're kicking the other way".

That still happens all too often at The Walkers.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

That still happens all too often at The Walkers.

Indeed.

 

[western road]

Years ago they had all the time in the world, no worries on how many steps, or time limits,....but passing to goalkeepers was only a as a last resort,not like today being part of a strategy.......keepers like Calvert, Anderson,Mclaren, Banks, Shilton were there as shotstoppers and commanders of the 18 yard area but moreover there 12 yard area.

 

[bocadillo]

Years ago they had all the time in the world, no worries on how many steps, or time limits,....but passing to goalkeepers was only a as a last resort,not like today being part of a strategy.......keepers like Calvert, Anderson,Mclaren, Banks, Shilton were there as shotstoppers and commanders of the 18 yard area but moreover there 12 yard area.

12 yard area? :icon_conf

 

[western road]

my apologizes 6 yards........