Author Topic: Goalkeepers over the years  (Read 12344 times)

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hardtobeat

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #25 on: September 13, 2019, 08:28:47 AM »
Difficult to compare likes of Ossie and Godden to Foster because the role changed so much . I do feel however that Foster made a few more howlers than either Hoult or Kuszak and fans seem to have rose tinted glasses where he is concerned.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #26 on: September 13, 2019, 09:27:08 AM »
Difficult to compare likes of Ossie and Godden to Foster because the role changed so much . I do feel however that Foster made a few more howlers than either Hoult or Kuszak and fans seem to have rose tinted glasses where he is concerned.

Different league, better opposition. Foster is also the the only goalkeeper to have stayed in the prem after leaving us.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #27 on: September 13, 2019, 10:48:15 AM »
I haven't seen them all, but I can't believe many were better than Foster. Worth 10 plus points for us per season. And he had alot of authority which helped organise the defence and gave them confidence.

Believe Osbourne was a bit of character taking time out for a quick smoke during games.
he'd scrounge a puff of the Brummie Road when the ball was at the other end of the pitch, I think there's a pic somewhere

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #28 on: September 24, 2019, 02:00:36 PM »
Good thread.
In my time following Albion we have had more poor keepers than good ones.

Dick Sheppard fortunately didn't make many appearances for us, but i still get cold shudders when i think of him. The stuff of nightmares.

Jim Cumbes was 6' 4" and thirty yard shots used to go over his head. At Molineux Wolves scored direct from a corner past him. I will never know how he managed to catch a cricket ball. We were outside the ground at Stoke and my cousin asked him for his autograph, adding, don't drop the pen. Cumbes laughed so he had a sense of humour going for him.

Don Howe signed Graham Smith after seeing him play a blinder for Colchester in the Cup on MOTD. In his first two games for us he conceded 6 goals, he didn't look tall enough to reach the crossbar.

Scott Carson and Zuberbular. Carson was a Jonah. He would see a shot coming, think this is going in, he would dive full length and tip it onto the post or the bar, it would rebound off the back of his head and go in.
Zubi would see a shop coming, he would think, this is going wide. He would watch the ball hit the post or the bar and it would rebound into his hands.
Both of them were heart attack material.

The worst performances i have seen from an Albion keeper in a single game are, Sheppard at Coventry lost 2-4, Crichton at Molineux, lost 2-0, and Fulop v Arsenal, lot 2-3 after leading 2-0.

I first saw Godden away at Ashton Gate in 1977, the ball was bouncing all around the box and he was rooted to his line. I thought who the eff is this? We did manage to get a 2-1 win however. Not the worst keeper we have had but far from the best. Brilliant reflexes, but never commanded his box and stayed on his line.  The 78 team needed a Shilton or a Clemence in goal, then it would have been great.

Osborne is far and away the best keeper i have seen at Albion, brave to the point of foolhardy, total command of crosses, not just the six yard box but the 18 yard box. Brilliant reflexes, intelligent, funny, and a great showman we will never see his like again. If we were winning comfortably he would take a throw in, or dribble the ball up the pitch, he was capped as a half back as a schoolboy. One game we had a corner and i looked back at our goalmouth, he was nowhere to be seen, the goals were wide open. Then i saw him sitting on the wall talking to the kids. When i think about te showmen we had in the 60's and 70's it makes my heart race.

Russell Hoult was the nearest i have seen to Ossie in football terms, but he was the total opposite in personality, grey, zero charisma, as interesting as an iceberg lettuce. I do think Houlty was one of the best keepers in the country at his peak.

Foster was another good keeper and as pointed out worth 10 points to us over a season, but he had lapses in concentration and his kicking was poor.

Too early to mention Johnstone yet one way or another, but needs to up his game and concentration.

seteefeet

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #29 on: September 24, 2019, 02:39:29 PM »
Godden wasn't great on crosses but neither were most keepers then, they didn't get the protection they do today, so had to be nuts to come off their line. What he was though was the most agile keeper I've seen in an Albion shirt and made some of the most fantastic saves.
Osbourne was on the way out when I started taking a real interest but he was definitely in the "nutter" camp!
Of the rest, Hoult, Foster and Miller were all very good. The rest range from "meh" to "jesus christ almighty, this boy's a disaster waiting to happen!" :)

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #30 on: September 24, 2019, 02:49:08 PM »
Naylor and Bradshaw were pretty decent I thought.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #31 on: September 24, 2019, 03:04:21 PM »
Naylor i believe holds the record for appearances for us as a keeper. Largely forgotten now to say he played so many games. Adequate keeper but another with little personality.

glosterbaggie

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #32 on: September 24, 2019, 03:14:31 PM »
Naylor i believe holds the record for appearances for us as a keeper. Largely forgotten now to say he played so many games. Adequate keeper but another with little personality.
Met him once at supporters club meeting.Pleasant chap quietly spoken type.Paul Bradshaw was his understudy.Steady keeper.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #33 on: September 24, 2019, 03:53:51 PM »
Naylor i believe holds the record for appearances for us as a keeper. Largely forgotten now to say he played so many games. Adequate keeper but another with little personality.
Went to a friendly in Dumbarton and my, slightly worse for wear, mate ran on the pitch and had a shot at Naylor. The ball went towards the corner flag but his right pump went straight towards goal, Naylor made a good-natured attempt to catch it, dropped it!  ;)
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #34 on: September 24, 2019, 04:05:35 PM »
In my time, Foster was the best and played in front of the best defence (clear link there). Hoult was next best. Tony Lange had a rare amazing game away vs Portsmouth when we stayed up on the last day maybe 94 I recall? Naylor was like a subbuteo keeper, didn't move, knee was shot and looked about 100 years old. Alan Miller was decent I remember.

I'd say Sam Johnstone has potential go be one of our recent best but needs to focus and get the mental side of his game right as he has the technique and footwork to develop very well.

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #35 on: September 24, 2019, 08:02:47 PM »
In my time, Foster was the best and played in front of the best defence (clear link there). Hoult was next best. Tony Lange had a rare amazing game away vs Portsmouth when we stayed up on the last day maybe 94 I recall? Naylor was like a subbuteo keeper, didn't move, knee was shot and looked about 100 years old. Alan Miller was decent I remember.

I'd say Sam Johnstone has potential go be one of our recent best but needs to focus and get the mental side of his game right as he has the technique and footwork to develop very well.


Is there another Sam Johnstone we don't know about?
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silver surfer

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #36 on: September 25, 2019, 12:16:03 PM »
Calling Godden the weak link in that side seems a little bit unfair, but I have often wished we had Shilton between the sticks and old big head in the dugout as we might have actually won something.

I think its easier to appreciate how Foster has been perceived to be worth 10 points a season than Godden did or didn't when he was playing given the abundance of TV coverage these days and the fact that Foster was definitely the busier of the two.


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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #37 on: September 25, 2019, 12:55:21 PM »
I first saw Godden away at Ashton Gate in 1977, the ball was bouncing all around the box and he was rooted to his line. I thought who the eff is this? We did manage to get a 2-1 win however. Not the worst keeper we have had but far from the best. Brilliant reflexes, but never commanded his box and stayed on his line.  The 78 team needed a Shilton or a Clemence in goal, then it would have been great.

That was the first time I saw Godden too. I came away impressed, not least because he saved a Keith Fear penalty to win us the game.

Black Country Pride

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #38 on: September 25, 2019, 01:17:27 PM »
Good thread.
In my time following Albion we have had more poor keepers than good ones.

Dick Sheppard fortunately didn't make many appearances for us, but i still get cold shudders when i think of him. The stuff of nightmares.

Jim Cumbes was 6' 4" and thirty yard shots used to go over his head. At Molineux Wolves scored direct from a corner past him. I will never know how he managed to catch a cricket ball. We were outside the ground at Stoke and my cousin asked him for his autograph, adding, don't drop the pen. Cumbes laughed so he had a sense of humour going for him.

Don Howe signed Graham Smith after seeing him play a blinder for Colchester in the Cup on MOTD. In his first two games for us he conceded 6 goals, he didn't look tall enough to reach the crossbar.

Scott Carson and Zuberbular. Carson was a Jonah. He would see a shot coming, think this is going in, he would dive full length and tip it onto the post or the bar, it would rebound off the back of his head and go in.
Zubi would see a shop coming, he would think, this is going wide. He would watch the ball hit the post or the bar and it would rebound into his hands.
Both of them were heart attack material.

The worst performances i have seen from an Albion keeper in a single game are, Sheppard at Coventry lost 2-4, Crichton at Molineux, lost 2-0, and Fulop v Arsenal, lot 2-3 after leading 2-0.

I first saw Godden away at Ashton Gate in 1977, the ball was bouncing all around the box and he was rooted to his line. I thought who the eff is this? We did manage to get a 2-1 win however. Not the worst keeper we have had but far from the best. Brilliant reflexes, but never commanded his box and stayed on his line.  The 78 team needed a Shilton or a Clemence in goal, then it would have been great.

Osborne is far and away the best keeper i have seen at Albion, brave to the point of foolhardy, total command of crosses, not just the six yard box but the 18 yard box. Brilliant reflexes, intelligent, funny, and a great showman we will never see his like again. If we were winning comfortably he would take a throw in, or dribble the ball up the pitch, he was capped as a half back as a schoolboy. One game we had a corner and i looked back at our goalmouth, he was nowhere to be seen, the goals were wide open. Then i saw him sitting on the wall talking to the kids. When i think about te showmen we had in the 60's and 70's it makes my heart race.

Russell Hoult was the nearest i have seen to Ossie in football terms, but he was the total opposite in personality, grey, zero charisma, as interesting as an iceberg lettuce. I do think Houlty was one of the best keepers in the country at his peak.

Foster was another good keeper and as pointed out worth 10 points to us over a season, but he had lapses in concentration and his kicking was poor.

Too early to mention Johnstone yet one way or another, but needs to up his game and concentration.

Can't really argue with any of that!

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #39 on: September 25, 2019, 02:22:40 PM »
I always rated Alan Miller ( :D) though he wasn’t with us long,  two or three seasons, I think

A list of there I recall in no particular order

Dean Kiely  :)
Jim Sanders  :D
Ray Potter   :o
Jock Wallace  :o
Tony Lange  :o
Russel Hoult  ;D
Chris Kirkland   ;)
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #40 on: September 25, 2019, 03:53:55 PM »
Has anyone mentioned Pete Latchford?
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #41 on: September 25, 2019, 04:12:04 PM »
Peter Harvey, Graeme Smith, Tony Lang, Bob Ward, Jim Coombes, Ray Potter, Tony Cutler, Nigel spink......
Brian Jensen and Phil Whitehead were pretty goo and would hit my top 10!
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darbolina

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #42 on: September 25, 2019, 04:19:45 PM »

Is there another Sam Johnstone we don't know about?

I think he can pass but is too laid back on the ball atm. Foster's kicking was not great at all hence why he usually played it safe (and long) - or was pushed to do that by conservative coaches. Kiely was a great shot stopper but again was old school in that he wasn't asked to pass it out or didn't do it much. Russell Hoult just couldn't kick really.

SJ has been asked to play it out all the time under DM (often when it wasn't necessary) and most of the time under Bilic which does put extra pressure on him/ any keeper. Imagine Foster, Kiely, Hoult or one of better keepers of the past having to do this every week. 

I think SJ's shot stopping is generally very good and he has a decent command of crosses (can improve though) although he played behind a rubbish defence for most of last season which didn't help his cause. This season, he's had an unsettled back four/ three in front so hasn't got going fully yet.......

I think SJ will go on to be a good keeper at lower premier league with us or someone else.........


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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #43 on: September 25, 2019, 11:07:06 PM »
Been going since 1965 my top 5 would be
1 Hoult
2 Foster
3 Godden
4 Osborne
5 Miller

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #44 on: September 26, 2019, 11:29:13 AM »
1. Hoult
2. Osborne
3. Foster
4. Godden
5. Cumbes (I jest)
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #45 on: September 26, 2019, 12:50:50 PM »
1. Hoult
2. Osborne
3. Foster
4. Godden
5. Cumbes (I jest)

I think Foster was much better than Hoult but it's all about opinions.

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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #46 on: September 26, 2019, 02:15:48 PM »
I think Foster was much better than Hoult but it's all about opinions.

My recollection of Hoult was an incredible shot stopper by flaky on crosses and fairly sure kick (barely got over the half way line). I'd say Foster was better at distribution for sure.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #47 on: September 26, 2019, 02:51:07 PM »
1. Hoult
2. Osborne
3. Foster
4. Godden
5. Cumbes (I jest)

People are talking about distribution on this thread. I seem to remember Cumbes overarm throwing the ball over the halfway line onto Astle’s head on more than one occasion.
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #48 on: September 26, 2019, 03:14:09 PM »
People are talking about distribution on this thread. I seem to remember Cumbes overarm throwing the ball over the halfway line onto Astle’s head on more than one occasion.

Yes a prodigious weapon which big Jim had, (ooer Mrs!)

He was a bowler for worcestershire as well as a footballer wasn't he ?
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Re: Goalkeepers over the years
« Reply #49 on: September 26, 2019, 04:04:43 PM »
Yes a prodigious weapon which big Jim had, (ooer Mrs!)

He was a bowler for worcestershire as well as a footballer wasn't he ?
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