Villa Goalkeepers

[FailsworthVillan]

Anybody the Tommy Hughes calamity performance in the table topper vs Notts County in 1971/72 at home - he'd had an absolute howler of a game but topped it off with a late penalty save from was it Don Masson to preserve our 1-0 win (courtesy of a Ray Graydon header)

Incidentally didn't Don Masson miss a penalty for Scotland in the 1978 World Cup against the mighty Peru ?  If memory serves me right it would've put the Jocks 2-1 up in a game they went on to lose 3-1.  This from a team that was going to "Win" the World Cup and yet could afford not to even include Andy Gray in their squad.

To be fair,though,Scotland had a strong looking squad on paper. It's difficult to see who would have made way if Gray had been selected. Talk of them actually winning the Cup was way OTT although a decent run shouldn't have been beyond them.

[castlefields_villan]

It would have to be between Rimmer and Bosnich for me - both superb keepers in their own era - indeed Rimmer was probably a little unfortunate to have around in pretty much a golden era for English goalies; first of all Banksy, followed by Bonetti (until the 1970 WC), Everton's Gordon West always seemed ahead of him as well.  In the 2nd half of the 70s the England managers seemed to rotate between Shilton and Clemence who( apart from one major blunder each) consistently turned in decent performances for England.

JR was certainly a major piece in Ron Saunders' jigsaw to building the 1981 team and was always reliable.

MB - terrific keeper and indeed didn't make a save from Mark Hughes at 2-1 in the 1994 LCF ?

[castlefields_villan]

To be fair,though,Scotland had a strong looking squad on paper. It's difficult to see who would have made way if Gray had been selected. Talk of them actually winning the Cup was way OTT although a decent run shouldn't have been beyond them.

Fully agree Failsworth - they had a strong squad (on paper) and they did have Jordan and Dalglish up front - but in 1978 Andy was at his best ever for us - I can't remember exactly how many goals he'd scored at the time but in 76-77 & 77-78 he was dynamite - I still think it was a major blunder by Ally McLeod not even taking him.  I still remember the day the squad was announced and I thought I'd misread it not seeing his name there - still managers know best - who would've thought Tony Morley would've been left of England's 1982 WC squad when in the end 2 goal-less draws cost us a place in the semis

[Steve R]

Jimmy Rimmer and then Nigel Sims with a very special mention for Nigel Spink, mostly for 82. It really is hard to remember their bad games or any points that they cost us. Bosnich delivered heroics at times but also some discomforting non saves at others.

Colin Withers was a strange one. Consistently looked absolute class and had some storming games, yet when he decided he was too big for us no-one was interested and he ended up at Lincoln. Odd.

The other hero of the time mentioned above, Sleeuwenhoek, similarly looked absolute class in a dross Villa side but did nothing afterwards. Oh for the day when Small Heath helped themselves to our best player. And some people think the Delph saga makes us look bad.

[Gregorys Boy]

Bosnich on his day was the best I've seen. Bit erratic sometimes and lousy kicker but still a top keeper. Spinksy was good, James OK except for the final. Schmeichel made a lot of mistakes in the second half of his season. Friedel the best in recent years.

Am starting to wonder if I should go back and re-watch some of James' performances for us as I remember him being very sloppy at the time, better post-Villa IMO, but then maybe the mistakes just got highlighted too much and were made at crucially bad times for us.  The rest I agree with.  I like Schmeichel as a signing, but I think he was signed more for his personality and actually seemed to be cruising a lot of the time.  Guzan could go on to be the next Friedel fingers crossed.

[brian green]

Ron Manager helped me out with the Christian name of  goalie Mike Pinner, the very last amateur ever to play for our first XI.   He played most of the time for Pegasus which was the team of the combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities.   He was rubbish, straight out of Brideshead Revisited.  Nigel Sims (one M) was hugely popular with the fans and the two true legends about him, both seen by me as a youth were the game against Tottenham when hotshot tearaway cockney centre forward Bobby Smith ran from the half way line at full speed to try to shoulder barge Nigel over his own line.  Nigel assumed the railway buffers position, all twenty stone of him.  It took a full five minutes of cold water and smelling salts to get Smith back on his feet.  The second legend was when Nigel got injured but rather than go off he played centre forward and Stan Lynn went in goal.   Nigel had an old tatty Villa shirt under his jersey and it was full of great big holes.   He charged around the field like a demented hippo, flattening everybody in sight, including his own players.
Jimmy Cumbes followed in the footsteps of Gil Merrick and was a county standard wicket keeper but the most remarkable goalkeeper we ever produced was Con Martin, equally good at centre half or goalkeeper and capped by Ireland in both positions in his own right.   Joe Rutherford was pants but Keith Jones was competent but too small for the game as it was played back in the day.  The immortal John Charles was a competent goalkeeper, but then again he was the ultimate footballer so that is no surprise.

[garyshawsknee]

I remember being at West Ham in the early 90s and it was one of Bosnich's first games, he messed up a back-pass ( surprise surprise ) but managed to keep the shot out while being on the seat of his pants. I was at the Spurs game when he made two penalty saves. He could be erratic, but he made saves I've never seen before or since.

[Ron Manager]

Ron Manager helped me out with the Christian name of  goalie Mike Pinner, the very last amateur ever to play for our first XI.   He played most of the time for Pegasus which was the team of the combined Oxford and Cambridge Universities.   He was rubbish, straight out of Brideshead Revisited.  Nigel Sims (one M) was hugely popular with the fans and the two true legends about him, both seen by me as a youth were the game against Tottenham when hotshot tearaway cockney centre forward Bobby Smith ran from the half way line at full speed to try to shoulder barge Nigel over his own line.  Nigel assumed the railway buffers position, all twenty stone of him.  It took a full five minutes of cold water and smelling salts to get Smith back on his feet.  The second legend was when Nigel got injured but rather than go off he played centre forward and Stan Lynn went in goal.   Nigel had an old tatty Villa shirt under his jersey and it was full of great big holes.   He charged around the field like a demented hippo, flattening everybody in sight, including his own players.
Jimmy Cumbes followed in the footsteps of Gil Merrick and was a county standard wicket keeper but the most remarkable goalkeeper we ever produced was Con Martin, equally good at centre half or goalkeeper and capped by Ireland in both positions in his own right.   Joe Rutherford was pants but Keith Jones was competent but too small for the game as it was played back in the day.  The immortal John Charles was a competent goalkeeper, but then again he was the ultimate footballer so that is no surprise.

Peter McParland played in goal as well, for part of a match. Against Everton I think it was. Or Liverpool maybe.

Wrong about Jim Cumbes Im afraid. Jim was a fast bowler. Fast medium anyway!

[brian green]

I bow to your superior knowledge Ron.   Could have sworn I saw him keep wicket at New Road.

[dave shelley]

Definitely a bowler Brian although he could have stood in in an emergency at the match you attended. 

[dave.woodhall]

A bowler and the funniest man you could wish to meet.

[PGW]

Definetly a bowler - played his last season with Bears as a one day cricketer in 1982 taking 21 wkts in the season. He retired at the end of that season probably due in some part to him somehow puncturing his lung at Grace Rd.

Thinking about Brians post about him keeping wkt for Pears....is it at all possible that Brian is getting confused with Phil Neale who was Pears captain at around that time, i know he was a generally regarded just as a middle order batsman but he could maybe have gone behind the stumps in an emergency. I honestly don't know if he did or not.

[Gareth]

Spink was the first regular keeper I remember - always think of the casual  way he used to catch the shots above his head & getting lobbed by Teale vs Forest I think

Bosnich could have been the very best in the world had he been a dedicated pro & learnt to kick even adequately - the two saves mentioned vs Cov & the Coca Colas final were magnifique

Les Sealey, barking mad, chicken dance & thinking he was gonna chin someone when a controversial winner was given to Sheff Weds when it obv (one eyed!!) didn't cross the line

James - thought he was the best, don't see keepers nowadays who are anything but shot stoppers, my memory was the day he came flying out of goal to clear a ball and ended up gambolling over the hoardings into Trinity Rd to pop up after about a seconds delay

Schmeichel - bloody hopeless, great goal, seem to remember he dived over one in front of Holte vs Ipswich, looked like he needed winching down.

Enckleman - did fine until the night David Elleray decided to make himself centre of attention for a change.  Great shot stopper...the bottle job on Horsefield didn't help endear

Sorensen - another decent shot stopper, Rob Green reminds me of Sorensen, will make the great saves but terrifies you if someone dribbles one at him from 20 yards.

Friedel - another one who did fine largely.

Given - stay at home keeper, only time he left his 6 yd box was half time....frustrates me when he is described as a great keeper...no, he's a shot stopper not an all round keeper.

Guzan - not as good last season, another who needs to work on kicking.

[ADVILLAFAN]

You forgot Postma and the dodgy sex shenanigans

[Mortimer's Bear]

Bosnich was my favourite, a truly outstanding goalkeeper. Yes his kicking was poor but some of the saves he made were amazing, and I liked the fact that he had a bit of character too. I remember being gutted when he left us for Man Ure.