AUTUMN 2011

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE GOALKEEPING PROFESSION

GORDONCraig

SAVE OF THE SEASON?

The greatest saves of all timeGK1 looks at the top 5 saves in the history of the game

Coaching CornerThe art of saving penalties

EquipmentPrecision, Uhlsport & Sells Goalkeeper Products

Kid GlovesThe stars of the future

On the MoveSummary of the latest GK transfers

Also featuring:Alex McCarthy, Reading FC

John Ruddy, Norwich CityAlex Smithies, Huddersfield Town

Bob Wilson OBEBusiness PagesKey developments affecting the professional ‘keeper

Exclusive interviews with:Gordon Banks OBE

Gary BaileyKasper Schmeichel

TM

£4.50

AUTUMN 2011 3

Welcome toWelcome to the Autumn edition of

GK1 – the magazine exclusively for the

professional goalkeeping community.

After a frenetic summer of goalkeeper

transfer activity – with Manchester

United, Liverpool, Chelsea and

Tottenham amongst those bolstering

their goalkeeping ranks – our latest

edition of GK1 brings you a full and

comprehensive round-up of all the

‘keepers who made moves in the Summer

2011 transfer window. We also catch

up with legendary goalkeepers Gordon

Banks OBE and Bob Wilson OBE, and give

our verdict on the five greatest saves

of all time. We bring you an exclusive

interview with John Ruddy - one of

just 4 English goalkeepers to start for

a Premier League club on the season’s

opening weekend – and sit down with

four of England’s brightest goalkeeping

prospects, underlining that despite a

current shortage of home-grown Premier

League GK talent, the future of England

goalkeeping is in safe hands.

With the endorsement of the leading

players, key brands, glove and equipment

suppliers, coaches and managers alike we are

proud to deliver the third issue of a magazine

dedicated entirely to the art of goalkeeping.

GK1 covers the key elements required of

a professional goalkeeper, with coaching

features, equipment updates, a summary

of key transfers and features covering the

uniqueness of the goalkeeper to a football

team. The magazine also includes regular

features ‘On-the-Move’, summarising all the

latest transfers involving the UK’s professional

goalkeepers; ‘Kid Gloves’, promoting the

country’s up-and-coming goalkeeping

starlets; ‘Outside the box’, focusing on life after

football, and many other goalkeeper specific

topics. In ‘The Business Pages’, GK1 offers a

summary of the key developments – legal,

contractual and administrative - to affect the

professional goalkeeper. GK1 is a magazine

for the goalkeeping profession. We actively

encourage your contribution, so please feel

free to contact us with your suggestions as to

how we can improve YOUR magazine.

GK1 Magazine is published by World in

Motion ltd, a leading global management

company and the UK’s foremost agency for

professional goalkeepers.

The magazine exclusively for the professional goalkeeping community.

Editor’s noteAndy Evans / Editor-in-Chief of GK1 and Chairman of World In Motion ltd

GK1 Management, Chancery House,

1 Lochaline Street, London, W6 9SJ

info@gk1.co.uk

Tel: +(44) 208 741 6060

www.gk1.co.uk

Publisher: World In Motion ltd

Editor-in-Chief: Andy Evans

Deputy Editor: Charlie McNicholas

Commercial Editor: William

Pethybridge

Features Editor: Rob Dakin

Design: Tim Alexander

How did he do that? 4The greatest saves of all time Exclusive Interview: 6Safe as the Banks of EnglandGordon BanksCoaching corner 10 Featuring:Science fiction or science fact - an indispensible guide to saving a spot kick Learning the trade - just4keepersNews in brief 15Exclusive Interview: 16Ruddy brilliantJohn RuddyParadise found 18Matt Jones

Well done Bob 20Bob Wilson’s charity bike ride On the move 22 All the latest transfer newsKid Gloves 26The stars of the futureWhere are they now? 30Ian FeuerThe Business Pages 31Featuring: Neil Doncaster - crucial SPL voteOutside the box 32Ex-England stopper Gary BaileyEssential Equipment 36The latest goalkeeping productsPrecision Goalkeeping 38with Kasper Schmeichel

CONTENTS

How did he do that?GK1 asks a select group of the nation’s top goalkeeping coaches for their Top 5 great saves of all time.

AUTUMN 2011 5

GK1 headquarters

and as per

usual, opinions

were flying back and forth across the

office as to the greatest save of all time.

Prompted by Craig Gordon’s miraculous

save for Sunderland against Bolton, we were

extolling the virtues of a host of famous

saves, some old, some new.

Enter, GK1 editor Andy Evans to restore

order before concluding there’s only one

solution!

And so to kick off your latest edition, GK1

has surveyed a group of top goalkeeping

coaches to bring you the Top Five jaw-

dropping, eye-bulging, gravity-defying

saves of all time.

(In reverse order:)

Gregory Coupet: Barcelona v

Lyon, Champions League, 1999

After just two minutes at the Nou

Camp the Lyon keeper pulled

out one of the all-time great stops as he

first acrobatically headed an unintended

lobbed backpass by a defender onto his

own crossbar, and then immediately parried

a close header by the arriving Barcelona

striker Rivaldo. Ridiculous really. www.

youtube.com/watch?v=iieYg7Sm8FM

Peter Schmeichel: Rapid

Vienna v Manchester United,

Champions League, 1996

Similar in several ways to our

winner. Schmeichel pulled off a save to

rank alongside Banks’ legendary stop

from Pele in the World Cup in 1970 as

United beat Rapid Vienna 2-0 to go into

the quarter finals of the European Cup. He

went down to his right and defied logic

by scooping the ball up and somehow

over the bar from Rapid’s Rene Wagner.

Banks once said: “It was as good as mine

against Pele.’’ Sorry Gordon, but our

judges beg to differ! www.youtube.com/

watch?v=UZvJ8GT73rM

Craig Gordon: Sunderland

v Bolton, Premier League

December 2010

With just a few seconds left

at the end of the first half Bolton won

a corner. Gary Cahill headed into the

danger area before Zat Knight smacked

a shot towards a gaping goal from little

more than three yards out. Goal? With the

Scottish keeper stranded following the

penalty box pinball you’d have thought

so. Yet with the Bolton fans starting to

celebrate, the mighty Scot managed to

incredibly stretch a giant arm backwards,

put it under the ball, and scoop the ball

out from under the bar. www.youtube.

com/watch?v=PqAmG3xK9_Y

Jim Montgomery: Sunderland v

Leeds United, FA Cup Final 1973

Jim’s effort would have to come

close to winning, were this a

‘double-save’ competition. The first save is

good, but the second has near paranormal

qualities. Commentator Brian Moore takes

a while to realise it’s not a goal. Monty’s

efforts coupled with Ian Porterfield’s goal

combined to cause one of the great FA Cup

upsets of all time. www.youtube.com/

watch?v=PZmFoo4payA

Gordon Banks. England v Brazil

World Cup 1970

Turn the page for more…

www.youtube.com/

watch?v=ngE9RCAdWaE

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Craig Gordon’s wonder save against Bolton, December 2010

AUTUMN 20116

Safe as the Banks of EnglandDuring England’s glory years, the No1 jersey belonged to Gordon Banks OBE. For some, possibly the game’s finest exponent of the art of goalkeeping. Banks has received endless accolades - not to mention a World Cup winners’ medal - but he knows he’ll always be best remembered not for one season, one tournament or even one game - but for one save...that just happened to be the greatest save of all time!

More than forty years

on, following GK1’s

canvas of opinions, we

had the pleasure of

congratulating Gordon, who took time

out to recall the memories of the day he

wrote his name into footballing folklore

in the sweltering heat of Guadalajara.

‘Gol’“It’s true,” recalls Gordon. “He shouted ‘Gol’

as he headed it!” It had taken the greatest

player of all time to bring out the very best

from the finest ‘keeper these shores have

ever produced.

Not one to use a dozen words, when one

or two will do, Banks warms to the topic as the

memories of that roasting-hot day - and a very

special pair of gloves - come flooding back.

“To be honest, I thought it had gone

Gordon BanksEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

AUTUMN 2011 7

in! But as soon as I realised I’d kept it out,

I knew I’d done something a bit different,”

says the typically modest Yorkshireman.

Hot and Bothered“Everything that day was in Brazil’s favour.

It was a midday kick off. The only shadows

were around your feet and it was 102 degrees

out on a rock-hard pitch. In the team-talk,

Alf (Ramsey) told us to keep possession and

hold off from sprinting until the final third

otherwise we’d be dead by half time.”

From the start, Banks watched on as

the World Cup holders struggled to cope

with the flair and pace of the tournament

favourites, Brazil.

Yet even prior to that great day, the

Brazilians had the upper-hand, thanks to

some under-hand tactics from the locals.

“Brazil had been in town for a couple of

weeks, handing out little flags, meeting and

greeting the locals,” recalls Banks, who kept

for his country on 73 occasions.

“And the night before the game, local

fans stopped the traffic outside our hotel at

about 2am and of course all the car horns

started. It took the police a couple of hours

to restore peace and quiet by which time we

were all wide awake! Then they came back

again and did the same thing.”

“A bit naughty but to be honest, it didn’t

make any difference in the end. On the day

we played superbly.”

Don’t Look UpBanks was to make save after save to keep

England level - a consummate athlete at the

peak of his powers. Just ten minutes into

the game, the attack and its fabled outcome

began with the Brazilian captain Carlos

Alberto.

“He was such an amazing player. He

fizzed this beautiful pass with the outside

of his right foot, to Jairzinho. In a flash, he

ghosted past Terry Cooper towards the

by-line. For a moment it looked like he’d

over-run it. If he managed to get the cross in

I knew we were in trouble. He looked up and

so did I...and quickly wished I hadn’t!”

“Rivelino was charging in from the left,

Pele was sprinting through the middle and

that little fella Tostão was unmarked on the

near post!”

Like so many great keepers, Banks relied on

his positional instincts, making his way across

the goalmouth in the blink of an eye as Pele

rose to send a bullet header goalwards.

The reason why this awe-inspiring effort

seemingly never grows old has much to do

with the need for anticipation. It wasn’t a

knee-jerk instinctive save from a point-blank

shot. Everything Banks did that day came

from a split-second conscious ability to judge

exactly what he needed to do to keep his team

level.

“I never used to stand on my line, always

two or three yards off it. Thank goodness. I

looked at his take-off point and his balance

to help work out which way the header was

going. That’s when I also heard him shout

‘Gol’!”

“I knew straight away I’d have to guess

how high the ball would bounce off the

rock-hard surface whilst at the same time

reaching behind me.”

Watching the save back in real time does

little justice to Banks’ efforts. Only in slow

motion can you consider the acrobatic ability,

the calculations necessary, the instincts and

the amazing distance covered...all in the blink

of an eye.

“I just thought it was a goal. I’d managed

to get the top of my thumb to it,” recalls the

73-year-old, who now travels to Liverpool to

sit on the weekend Pools Panel.

“Because I was diving backwards, the

bottom half of my body swung around

and I ended up facing almost backwards...

and that’s when I saw the ball bouncing

away.

“Moore-o (Bobby Moore) came and

clipped me on the top of the head. Tostão

had his hands in the air then started

clapping. Pele had his hand in the air, almost

asking how that had happened,”... a question

no one has ever really answered.

Best Laid Plans“We created more chances and should have

won. In fact, that was the first time I started

to believe that we could go on and win the

World Cup again...and I thought we’d see

Brazil again in the final. That time, they’d be

the ones who were nervous.”

Sadly, Banks’ plans were to be foiled days

later by a severe stomach upset, confining

him to hotel quarters while a two-nil lead

became a 3-2 defeat to West Germany.

“Of course I was disappointed. I think I

was a better keeper in ‘70 than in ‘66. I was

in my thirties, all the experience I’d gained

for England and at club level and I was in

such good form; supremely confident in my

abilities. It felt like it was my time and I know

that spread to the players around me.”

Banks with Brazil legend Pele

AUTUMN 20118

Wonder GlovesAs the Pele save had proven, if it was save-

able, Banks was your man.

More than four decades later, the

memories are undiminished, the pride still

there and the recollections saved for a lucky

few.

But our chat reveals a chapter of the

story lost in the midst of time regarding the

gloves he wore that day.

“In the heat of the Mexican sun, the

players wore as little as possible. The

keeper’s attire couldn’t have been more

simple - cotton shirt, ordinary shorts and a

cap if the sun shone,” remembers Gordon.

In England, keepers only wore gloves if

it was wet! Little woollen ones at that! That

was until a week or so before the Brazil

match.

“I was lying in bed watching a football

match in my hotel room and saw this

Mexican keeper had these big gloves on,”

remembers Banks.

“I went straight to Alf (Ramsey) and asked

if I could go into town to find some. Off I

went and found some at a local sports shop.

The palms and the backs of the fingers were

covered in those pimples you find on a table

tennis bat! I popped them on at training the

next day and they were terrific.

“Because we were at altitude, the ball

was moving about a bit and so my handling

wasn’t what it needed to be.

“Five minutes with these gloves on and

I couldn’t drop a thing. They were brilliant

and sent my confidence through the roof

and they’re the ones you see me wearing in

Guadalajara.

“To be honest I couldn’t wait to get home

to see if I could flog a few pairs,” he joked.

LegacyIt wasn’t really until England’s GK1 returned

home that the fascination with THAT save

became apparent.

“Every time I was interviewed on TV or

by the newspapers, the question about the

save came up over and over again.”

So does he tire of discussing it?

“I can’t afford to! No, seriously, I’m very

proud to have made the save especially

as it was nil-nil at the time. Like they say,

sometimes saving a goal’s as important as

scoring one.”

So often these days polls are dominated

by recent players, recent goals, recent

teams...yet in some ways it’s the legacy

of Banks’ moment which is the most

significant.

“I suppose it’s the internet which keeps

the interest these days. Kids can listen to

their dads, well their grand-dads, then log

on and read about it and play it over again

and make their own judgements.

“I’m sure it helps that the header was

from Pele. He was the very best I ever saw,

built to play football with such a great brain.

“We didn’t talk about it at the time, just

shook hands as we left the field. It never

really cropped up again until we got home.”

Years later, the Brazilian legend came

over to the UK to collect yet another award

- and not for the first time explained why his

memories of the day are so clear.

“I’ve played all over the globe, won

World Cups, scoring more than 1000 goals.

But every time I come here to England, the

only thing people ask me about is Gordon

Banks!”

Banks on Today’s KeepersGK1: So who does Gordon Banks

enjoying watching these days?

GB: “I get down to the Britannia Stadium

when I can to see Stoke (He’s the Hon. Club

President ) and sometimes to Leicester. Joe

Hart is a terrific talent. He’s had a tough

time of late, but he’s young and he’ll be

great for England in years to come.

“I’m not surprised to see Craig Gordon’s

save in the Top 5. He’s a special talent

and that was a real reflex save from very

close range and he had to fetch the

ball almost from behind him. He’s of

an age where he’ll keep on improving

and Scotland have got themselves an

excellent talent there. Reina’s another

terrific keeper I’d pay to go and see.”

Science Fict or Science

FACT

Some say it’s an art, others insist it’s a precise discipline. Either way, this month, GK1 looks at the evidence to see if there really is an indispensible guide to saving a spot kick.

COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING

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Science Fict or Science

FACT

The casino barons of Las Vegas

couldn’t get away with loading

the dice against you as much

as this! For heaven’s sake,

he’s only 12 yards away! No defenders

to worry about, time on his side and

just you, with a hope and the occasional

prayer to stop what four times out of five,

is the inevitable...a goal.

The boffins working on behalf of the

penalty takers reckon they’ve devised the

perfect penalty: one which no keeper,

however agile, however focused, however

lucky, has the proverbial ‘cat in hell’s chance’

of saving!

All it takes is a run up of 5 or 6 paces,

approaching the ball at an angle of 20 to 30

degrees, kicking it at 65 mph, crossing the

line 50 cms below crossbar and inside the

post, unstoppable!

Well, with all due respect, GK1 scoffs at

the theory of a perfect penalty! Our research

has gathered together the thoughts of some

of the finest scientific, psychological and

good old fashioned footballing brains to

give you the optimum chance to become

this weekend’s penalty hero!

Seeing RedSince the late 1890’s, when

keepers first wore a different

coloured-jersey, green has

been the predominant colour

of choice. But latest research from the

University of Chichester confirms green

is the least successful colour to wear and

actually red should be the ‘must have’ colour

in every goalkeepers’ wardrobe this Autumn.

Award-winning psychologist, Dr Iain

Greenlees found that ‘keepers in green

saved one in four spot kicks compared to

the ones in red who saved almost half!

His studies noted that red is seen as

a signal of danger in the natural world

and therefore penalty takers notice the

goalkeeper more easily. It encourages a

natural fear of failure and makes the ‘keeper

look bigger in the goal than he would

wearing a different colour.

He used 40 football players and asked

them to take 10 penalties against a ‘keeper

wearing red and then had the same ‘keeper

change his shirt to a coloured one. After

all the penalties had been taken he saw

that only 54% of penalties were scored

against the keeper in red as opposed to

69%, 72% and 75% against ‘keepers wearing

yellow, blue and green shirts respectively.

Considering only 20% of all penalties are

saved in professional football this increase in

save percentage by wearing red is certainly

not to be sniffed at. But, red is not a colour

commonly worn by goalkeepers in England.

In the 2010/11 Premier League season no

goalkeeper wore red.

Sadly, having worn red winning the

World Cup back in 1966, it’s likely to be a

long time before England’s GK1 wears red!

Stand Off-CentreIn theory it makes no sense...

but every keeper’s tried a

version of this at one time

or another. Researchers in

Hong Kong learnt that if a ‘keeper stands a

small distance closer to one post than the

other it may not be obvious to the kicker

but subconsciously the penalty taker knows

which side has a larger target area and will

tend to shoot that way. Armed with this

information the ‘keeper is in a stronger

position to dive to the larger area and can

increase his chance of saving the kick.

Researchers found that by moving just

10cm towards one side of the goal and

making one side of the goal 3% bigger,

the goalkeeper can increase his chance of

saving the penalty by as much as 15% even

before the kicker begins his run up.

What to Watch ForAway from Far Eastern

philosophies into the football-

mad city of Liverpool - and no

surprise their boffins have had

little better to do than spend valuable hours

researching football! But Mark Williams, from

the John Moores University, believes he’s

stumbled upon a treasure trove for keepers in

need of all the help they can get.

He reckons in the time between

the award of the penalty to the spot

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AUTUMN 201112

kick taking place, there’s a gold mine of

information to be gleaned to help predict

where a penalty taker will shoot.

He saw how more experienced

goalkeepers considered such elements as

his standing leg, kicking leg and hips for the

opponent.

He believes by looking at the ‘shape’ a

player adopts before taking the penalty the

‘keeper can stop penalty saving from being

a lottery.

“From the point of view of the player

taking the penalty the optimal position for

the standing foot is facing directly down the

middle of the goal,” said Professor Williams.

“When the goalkeeper saw the penalty

taker’s foot face towards the left or right

hand side of the goal it allowed the ‘keeper

the necessary information to predict where

the penalty would be taken. Standing

foot points left, penalty going to the left;

standing foot points right, penalty goes to

the right hand side of the goal.”

The research was backed up with the

help of the nation’s most successful penalty

taker, Matt Le Tissier, who converted a

staggering 49 of the 50 penalties he took.

“My approach to penalties was always

the same. Pick my favourite spot and focus

on the strike of the ball. I never thought I

was giving away any clues to the ‘keeper but

it looks like I was wrong!’

Psychologist Peter Naish agrees that the

signs are there if you look closely enough.

“Penalty takers mention not thinking too

deeply, yet trying to fool the goalkeeper,” he

said.

“We do many things on two levels, such

as thinking where to put the ball (or where

to fake it), but not thinking about what the

feet, legs and body will do to achieve it.”

So, the more the pressure, the more

likely they are to disguise where they’re

planning to aim?

“The more we practise, the more our

actions become automatic skills,” explains

Peter.

“They become unconscious memories

of how to react. These memories take over

when thinking fails, such as in front of

80,000 fans.”

Increase their Anxiety Levels

No one’s expecting you to save

the penalty, so why worry? The

stress and the strain are all on

the shoulders of the taker. For

decades now, keepers have employed less

than gentlemanly time-wasting techniques.

Few have done so more successfully than ol’

spaghetti legs himself, Bruce Grobelaar.

Researchers at Exeter University believe

his crazy antics in Liverpool’s 1984 European

Cup final victory against AS Roma are the

perfect example of how to become ‘a threat’

to someone with plenty on their plate

already. Frankly, the last thing they need, is

you showing off!

“The research shows that we focus on

things in the environment that we find

threatening,” said psychologist Greg Wood,

who led the study at the University’s School

of Sport and Health Sciences.

“In a penalty kicking competition the

only thing that threatens success is the

goalkeeper, so we monitor his movements.”

The research proved that if a kicker’s

eyes are drawn to the goalkeeper, he tends

to shoot in that direction and overcoming

this tendency was significantly harder when

penalty takers were under pressure, or in a

“threat condition”.

And as Grobbelaar appeared to know

instinctively, goalkeepers can make

themselves more likely to attract the

kicker’s gaze by appearing larger than life or

clowning around.

The same tactic was used to good effect

by a later Liverpool goalkeeper, Jerzy Dudek

who copied Grobbelaar’s spaghetti legs

routine and saved two penalties in the 2005

Champions League final against AC Milan to

win the match.

“During a highly stressful situation, we

are more likely to be distracted by any

threatening stimuli and focus on them

rather than the task in hand,” said Greg.

“So, when a penalty taker is about to

start his run up naturally he will focus on the

goalkeeper rather than spaces all around

him. This disrupts the aiming of the shot

and increases the likelihood of subsequently

hitting the shot towards the goalkeeper,

making it easier to save.’

This school of thought is echoed by

football watchers and supporters. They

all say ‘pick a spot, stick to it and ignore

the ‘keeper.’ So there is another piece of

information a ‘keeper might be able to pick

up on, the attacker’s eyes, is he looking

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Ashley Barnes - Photo by Paul Hazlewood

Petr Cech

AUTUMN 2011 13

one way? Can you distract him? If you can

get him to focus on you and not his spot

then there is a greater chance he will take a

penalty which can be saved.

More interestingly, keepers can learn a

great deal from the advice given to penalty

takers by sports psychologists.

“I would tell penalty takers to pretend

you are in a practice match, look at where

you are going to hit the ball and aim it

there. Totally ignore the goalkeeper. Even if

he knows where the ball is going he is not

going to get to it if it is well placed.” Sound

advice - but perhaps the key indicator

to keepers that distraction, showing off,

waving your arms, knees, legs, frankly

anything you can get your hands on, will

increase your chances of success.

Forget the rest...and ask the best.

All fine in practice, you may

say. But these academics

would have you believe

that penalty saving is not a

complex art, merely a simple science?

But a PhD can’t give you any idea of

what it’s like for keepers at the highest level

waiting for the ref’s whistle to blow.

One man who would, however, is the

Premier League’s most successful penalty

saver, Mark Crossley. Having faced 14

penalties, he saved 8; a save percentage of

57%. The average in the Premier League is

28%.

“I like to know who my opponents’

penalty taker is before a match. I always

look at which side he put his last one and

whether he favours that side or likes to

vary it, in which case it becomes a guessing

game,” reveals Mark.

“I don’t think there’s a system of ‘reading

the eyes’ so always just concentrate on the

ball on the run-up.

“Always trust your instincts. If I’m facing

a right-footed player I usually go to my left

and the opposite if it’s a left-footer. If I get

the instinct to go the other way, however,

then I’ll go with it.

“I know it sounds obvious, but always

make sure you dive. In the past I’ve been

tempted to stand up straight and hope

it gets blasted down the middle. I tried it

once when Leicester City’s Matt Elliott was

going through a phase of just smashing

them. When he placed it past me, I wished

I’d at least dived. That way, even if it does go

down the middle, it could still hit your legs.

“You have to face the fact that some

players are virtually impossible to save, so

it’s just trusting to luck. Eric Cantona was like

that. He used to wait for you to dive before

he took it. I’ve been told he used to practise

it in training. He would wait until the last

second before he struck it and was so good

that he could change his mind at the last

minute if he needed to.

“You have to remember that the pressure

is on the penalty taker, rather than you. You

can try and add to that pressure by delaying

the penalty as long as possible. I’m not sure

how well it works because you do still need

to have a bit of luck.

There’s only one safe bet!The best news of all is that,

thankfully, your opponent

rarely produces the perfect

penalty. And armed with GK1’s

research, we hope you’ll be saving even

more penalties this season! The academics

certainly think so. Surely, if a ‘keeper

wears red, stands to one side, waves his

arms, watches your eyes and notices your

standing foot pointing in one direction then

it must be impossible to score a penalty isn’t

it?

We’d all love to be able to guarantee

success. There are “lies, damned lies and

statistics”, but as we all know, there’s only

one safe bet when it comes down to

penalties and that’s when the Germans are

playing: they’re 100 per cent likely to win.

One or two penalties worth another look:

l http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_

Gi98iEziKQ&feature=player_embedded

l http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XuEGH

HoZGM&feature=related

l http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=xMjBPwUzcvg

Colour of Goalkeeper’s Top Goals Conceded

72%

75%

54%

69%

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5

6

Darryl Flahavan

Learning the tradeFounded in 1999 by former Everton goalkeeper, Ray Newland, Just4keepers is now established as one of the country’s leading coaching courses for young goalkeepers. And it’s not just based in the UK: they have over fifty dedicated coaches working in seven countries.

One of those coaches is Dave

Bennett who runs courses

in the Shropshire area. “I

started in July 2009 with

the first class in Shrewsbury, now I’ve got

four in Shrewsbury, one in Welshpool and

one in Wrexham,” explains Dave. “The

courses run for an hour per week in each

location teaching kids between the ages

of seven and sixteen.”

It’s obviously a format that’s

working. Since they started,

Just4keepers has had over 200 young

goalkeepers picked up by professional

clubs. “If the parents and managers of

the clubs are wise enough it’s an ideal

grounding,” he says. “Lack of proper

specific coaching from an early age is

a common complaint from keepers -

the younger the kids come to us, the

better it is. Firstly they get an idea if

they really want to be a goalkeeper

and secondly they improve far quicker

when they’re young.”

While their success rate of placing

youngsters at league clubs is without

question, Just4keepers is more

than just a breeding ground for

professionals. Dave is keen to point out that

the courses are there to provide coaching to

any child, regardless of ability. “The balance

is that we’re always going to have kids

coming to us that aren’t going to make it,”

Dave reveals. “Ray’s ethos from day one was

if they want to come and learn, you’re there

to teach them. Yes it’s great that there’s

the list on the website with the lads that

have gone on to bigger and better things,

however, just as important for me are the

ones who are never going to achieve that,

who come every week with a smile on their

face because they love every minute of it.”

This grassroots approach of making

goalkeeping as accessible as possible is

obviously something Dave feels passionate

about. Ask him about his greatest

achievement and it isn’t the latest recruit

to a league club. “I’ve got a lad in Wrexham

who fourteen months ago could hardly

catch a ball,” he says. “His mum came up

to me and said she didn’t know what to do

with him, they’d asked him to play in goal

because he’s a big lad, huge for his age. They

thought great he can go in goal but he had

absolutely no ability – now fourteen months

later they say if he continues the way he

has he’ll be going to Wrexham’s centre of

excellence for trials. That gives me more

pleasure than seeing the better kids getting

taken on by league clubs.”

The coaching philosophy is central to the

success of Just4keepers. Their view is that

kids will only learn and improve if they are

enjoying themselves and so every session

with every child, whatever their age

and ability, is designed to be that

way. “Our whole ethos is based on the

kids having a good time but being

disciplined when they need to be so

they can learn,” insists Dave. “I’ve had

some great achievements but most

importantly the kids always say how

much they enjoy it and that’s the

biggest part of it. If they enjoy it they’ll

be more confident.”

It’s not just about coaching

technique and fitness - Dave also

believes it’s crucial to work on the

mental side of the game from an early

age. “I always drum it into them, you’re

in a team but you’re on your own,” he

says. “You’ve got to be strong mentally

and I do pride myself with working on

that side of the game. I always equate it to

being a golfer or a tennis player. If a centre

forward loses the ball, the midfield is behind

you, if a midfielder misses a tackle, they

have the defence to rely on. If a defender

makes a mistake they have the goalkeeper

but if you make the mistake there’s nobody

behind you - you look round but there’s

nobody there, you’re on your own.”

COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN

14 AUTUMN 2011

AUTUMN 2011 15

COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING

News in briefl ADO Den Haag goalkeeper Gino

Coutinho faces up to a year in jail having

been found guilty in a Dutch court of

owning a cannabis farm containing

4,200 marijuana plants. Coutinho, once

a Holland U-21 international, has also

been accused of forgery and money

laundering and has been sentenced to

12 months behind bars.

l Hanover 96’s second choice goalkeeper

Markus Miller has recently sought

hospital treatment for what he

describes as “mental exhaustion”.

Miller, 29, plays for the same club as

Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who

committed suicide in November 2009

by throwing himself in front of a train

after battling depression for years. Miller

has been praised for speaking publicly

and openly about his condition, with

club president Martin Kind praising his

goalkeeper’s “great demonstration of

courage”. GK1 wishes Markus Miller a

speedy recovery.

l One of the fairytale goalkeeping

stories of 2010/11 took place in Brazil,

where São Paulo GK1 Rogério Ceni

became the first goalkeeper ever to

score 100 career goals after curling in

a sublime free kick against local rivals

Corinthians. Ceni, a set-piece specialist,

hailed his goal as “beautiful”. See the

free kick any attacking player would

be proud of here: www.youtube.com/

watch?v=6OjvQWRAOkc

l One of Europe’s top goalkeepers, Ajax

No1 Maarten Stekelenburg, damaged

his growing reputation by dropping his

club’s league title trophy out of a bus

window last month. Stekelenburg, who

stands at 6’6” and has 40 international

caps, claims he dropped the trophy

when trying to avoid a tram line just

above the bus. The incident mirrored

Sergio Ramos’ calamitous dropping

of the Copa del Rey from an open-

top bus back in April. See footage of

Stekelenburg’s gaffe here:

www.youtube.com/

watch?v=sqrrzWN8WKQ

l Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard

was forced to apologise for using

foul language following the USA’s

4-2 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final

defeat against Mexico in June. When

interviewed post-match, Howard

labelled the decision to hold the post-

match conference in Spanish “a f******

disgrace”, adding that “you can bet your

a** if we were in Mexico City, it wouldn’t

all be in English.” Howard has since

apologised for his language, admitting

he was “caught up in the heat of the

moment.”

l Tim Howard has remained the subject

of press coverage in recent weeks with

the launch of Everton FC’s bizarre new

2011/12 goalkeeper shirt (pictured left).

Howard’s green camouflage number has

divided fans, with some labelling it the

worst kit of all time, whilst others expect

the shirt to sell well. The shirt is available

now from www.kitbag.com.

l Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa

has blamed a failed drugs test on

unknowingly consumed beef containing

banned substance clenbuterol. Ochoa,

who was removed from his country’s

CONCACAF Gold Cup squad as a result of

testing positive, was one of five Mexican

players found guilty of taking the drug,

which is often used to boost muscle

mass. Ochoa, who has since joined

French side AC Ajaccio, described the

situation as “bad luck”.

l A top South Korean goalkeeper has

admitted being involved in a match-

fixing scandal which has brought shame

on the country’s K-League. Yeom Dong-

gyun, who has played for his country’s

U-23 side and been involved with the

full national squad, has admitted fixing

games last season while playing for the

Chunnam Dragons. The story broke after

another former K-League player, who

allegedly worked as a broker, was found

dead in an apparent suicide in June. The

case continues.

NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN

Ruddy brilliant

When John Ruddy joined Norwich City from Everton in the summer of 2010, few would have envisaged the role he was about to play in the Canaries’ bid for promotion to the Premier League. John has emerged as one of England’s brightest goalkeeping talents, producing countless displays that have helped propel his club to English football’s Holy Grail.

Exclusive

Interview

with

John Ruddy

AUTUMN 2011 17

Norwich’s promotion is

all the more remarkable

given that they began the

2009/10 season in League

One, suffering a 7-1 hammering on the

season’s opening day at the hands of

Colchester at Carrow Road.

Since Paul Lambert took the helm – the

same manager that orchestrated the 7-1

thrashing that day – the Canaries’ rise has

been meteoric: they now become the

first club since Manchester City in 2000

to secure back-to-back

promotions into the

Premier League.

After promotion

was finally clinched

after a 1-0 victory at

Portsmouth, GK1 reader

John Ruddy put the

club’s achievement into

perspective: “Promotion

is massive. The whole city

had been buzzing going

into the season’s run-in

and now that it’s finally

happened, it’s a dream.

Certainly from a player’s

point of view it’s a dream

to be competing in the Premier League

this year, and obviously the management

and coaching staff feel the same.”

John is no stranger to the big stage

having spent five years at Everton.

Norwich fans, however, have been made

to endure a six-year absence from the

Premier League, and John is quick to point

out the importance of promotion to those

related to the club off the pitch.

“The fans will be delighted to have

teams like Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool

and Arsenal come to our stadium. And

financially it’s massively rewarding for

the club. The people in the boardroom

deserve a lot of credit. They have pumped

a lot of their own money into the club and

are now getting reward for it. It’s brilliant

for the whole area, not just the city of

Norwich but the region as a whole.”

Simeon Jackson’s goal at Fratton Park

on May 2nd 2011 will live long in the

hearts and minds of the Norwich City

faithful. John was more than happy to lift

the lid on the team’s celebrations that day,

shedding some light on the team spirit at

the club.

“We stayed down in Portsmouth.

We were due to fly back but the Gaffer

decided to stay down. We went out, had

a few drinks and - as there has been all

season –there was a great camaraderie

between all players and staff. It was nice

to be able to enjoy the moment, although

for most of us it hadn’t really sunk in

properly. It was quite a surreal feeling.”

Norwich have made a strong start to

their 2011/12 campaign, drawing in their

consecutive opening 2 games before

going down bravely to 2 late goals at

Stamford Bridge, but John modestly

downplays his own recent form when

pressed on the Canaries’ clamour for

potential international honours: “No, I’m

not thinking about that at all. My main

aim is to stay as number one at Norwich

– it’s as simple as that.” John may not be

expecting a call from Fabio Capello, but

with Ben Foster joining Paul Robinson in

taking an indefinite England sabbatical,

a first full call-up for the St Ives-born

stopper may be around

the corner.

Despite producing

an impressive 11 clean

sheets in 2010/11, Ruddy

remains determined

to improve: “I want to

perform better than I

did last season. I said to

other people recently

that I didn’t feel I had

a game where I played

really well last year. That’s

disappointing for me

from a personal point of

view, and yet we still got

promoted so there are a

lot of positives to take out of that season.

I’ll take those positives into this year and

hopefully I’ll help us stay in the Premier

League which is primarily the main aim.”

I’m not thinking about an England

call-up. My main aim is to stay as number one at Norwich – it’s as simple as that.

Matt ‘Indiana’ Jones

Paradise FoundThis nation’s goalkeeping balance of payments in recent years has been in severe deficit - all about imports with very few GK1 talents being exported to the continent and beyond.

One keeper bucking that

trend is Matt Jones - a

talented gloveman who

swapped his native

Potteries for a spell in New York before

landing at the Portuguese First Division

club CD Santa Clara.

“Portugal is one of the great footballing

nations, so for me to begin my professional

career here is a great platform to begin

from. The standards are very high,” says the

trail-blazing 24-year-old.

Surprisingly, Matt has not been plying his

trade in the footballing hotbeds of Lisbon

or Porto... but on the stunningly beautiful

islands of the Azores, 930 miles west of

Lisbon, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

League Of His Own“As far as I know, I am the only English

player in the whole of Portugal, which was

shocking to me at first. Having said that,

there is such a dramatic difference in both

the culture, language and playing styles.

I can see why it is difficult for an English-

based player to succeed over here.”

Matt believes English players are yet

to be forgiven since the days of Graeme

Souness at Benfica. Similar spells in Portugal

did not work out so well for players such

as Michael Thomas, Scott Minto and Brian

Deane.

“As nice as it would be to have some

English company over here, on the flip side

it is a great way for me to get noticed.

“I’ve worked hard and played pretty well

most of the time, so it’s been very easy for

me to get noticed, which can only be good

for my career,” says Matt, whose two-year

contract at Santa Clara ended in May.

So how do the locals refer to our

Englishman abroad? “On the day I signed,

we did the customary photo shoot and my

shirt had ‘Matt Jones’ on the back rather

than ‘Jones’! And no matter how hard I try to

explain, everyone, the players, the fans and

the manager all call me Matt Jones!”

“I’ve been out here for over 2 years now.

It took me quite a long time to pick up the

Portuguese language. Culture-wise it’s

18 AUTUMN 2011

obviously so much more chilled here than

my time over in the States. It’s very relaxed

and calm but the language was what I had

to work on.”

Have It!So what does a goalkeeper, who’s keen to

communicate with his defence, learn to

shout first? Perhaps “Keepers!” or maybe

“Get out!” ?

“Tira” which roughly translated

means “Clear it..Get Rid..Have it!”

Thankfully, after over 2 years here, I can

pretty much say what I want to on and

off the field.”

Sadly CD Santa Clara’s progress

has been less successful. Always the

nearly-men, the proud club has made

an annual habit of missing out on

promotion to the Primeira Liga...much

to the amusement of their closest

rivals Maritimo, based on the island of

Madeira.

“We missed out on promotion two

years running and finished 2010/11 in

mid-table,” reflects Matt.

“A new coach came in and he

brought in 18 new players, chopped and

changed the team, and I found myself

on the bench for a spell which was

obviously frustrating. As a goalkeeper

you’re pretty much never going to

have the chance to come on for 10

minutes and impress. You know, like any

professional, all I’ve ever wanted to always

do is play.”

Je Ne Regret Rien?So does he regret embarking on these

travels - and would he recommend others to

try their hand abroad?

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing to be

honest. It’s been a good place for me to

come and play football. I’ve made some

great friends; we have one or two nights out

or maybe head for the beach, but the pace

of life here means it’s really easy just to focus

on the football.

“I’m surprised there aren’t any other

English players over here. You get a lot of

good players that just drop out of the game

at home. Why not try your luck here? You

can come over here and get another chance

to play.”

So what about the lifestyle in this

tranquil paradise? Presumably different to

the hustle-and-bustle of NYC?

“It’s couldn’t be more different! The diet is

very healthy: lots of fish and rice. Everything

is very fresh - no hot dogs, no fries and the

portions are a lot smaller!

Punched Out“The football is pretty different too. It’s very

technical. You’ve got to be an athlete as

much as a player. It’s tactical. Here they let

the ball do the work.”

But tactics for a keeper are surely similar

the world over? Isn’t it just about stopping

goals?

“Ultimately yes, but their style of keeping

is very different. When I first arrived they had

no idea what I was doing. When I was a kid I

was taught by Frank Barber, the goalkeeper

coach at Wigan, and he had a unique way

of teaching. They punch it a lot more here. I

was always taught - if you can catch it, catch

it. Over here they punch it to just get rid of

it.”

Bound for AmericaAt 14, Matt left his boyhood heroes at Port

Vale and headed for four years at Premier

League West Bromwich Albion. “That was

great experience for me. Sadly, they said

they didn’t think I was going to be good

enough to play in the Premier League so

they let me go.”

Like so many youngsters released by a

club, his future as a professional hung in the

balance.

However this dark cloud was to come

with a silver lining.

“I had a couple of trials at other clubs

but nothing really came of it. I was just

starting to think about playing semi-

pro and maybe going to university in

England.

“Then, out of the blue I got a call

from Sacred Heart University which is in

Connecticut. They told me they could

offer me a four-year scholarship. I’d get my

education at an American university and

get to play. It couldn’t have been better. I

had nothing else on offer so I just went.

“I got bigger and physically stronger

and that really helped. But it was really

my confidence that improved so much.

I picked up a lot of awards and it made

me fall back in love with football again,”

said Matt who graduated with a first-class

degree in business management, before

embarking on his travels to the Azores.

Future’s BrightThose entrepreneurial skills have been

put on hold for the time being whilst he

concentrates on doing his best in Portugal.

“Every kid out there, including me,

dreams of playing football for a living and

for me to be given a chance to do this is

a great honour. And if you can’t get lucky

breaks at home, then be brave enough to

look further a field.”

Since our interview, Matt has turned

down interest from clubs in the UK to

prolong his career in the Portuguese

League, signing for União da Madeira.

From one sun-swept Portuguese island to

another, Matt’s adventure overseas looks set

to continue.

19AUTUMN 2011

AUTUMN 2011 21

In our last issue of GK1, Bob Wilson

talked to us about The Willow

Foundation and his plans to raise

money for the charity by paying

all 20 Premier League clubs a visit on

a marathon bike ride. GK1 is delighted

to report that Arsenal legend Bob

completed the 500 mile, 11 day cycle,

raising more than £300,000 for The

Willow Foundation along the way.

Bob, who incredibly turns 70 this year,

hopes his cycle experience will inspire others

to get involved. His personal diary and

photo diary of the 11 day cycle challenge,

which set off from Fulham’s Craven Cottage,

visited all London clubs on day one, before

heading north and finishing at Newcastle’s St

James’ Park, plus an extra visit to Scotland’s

Hampden Park, can also be viewed on the

website listed below. His challenge was

both empowering and rewarding and Bob

hopes it will act as a catalyst for further cycle

challenges up and down the country.

“Every pound raised for Willow is making

a positive difference to the lives of young

people living with life threatening conditions

such as cancer, motor neurone disease,

cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and organ

failure. Willow’s special days help them

and their families rebuild lost confidence

and restore some normality to their lives

away from the pressures of hospital visits

and treatment. With your support we can

help create many more precious, positive

memories of family life even in the most

difficult of circumstances“. Bob Wilson OBE,

Life President, Willow Foundation.

Congratulations, Bob, on your fantastic

achievement from everyone at GK1!

For details on the Charity Cycle Challenge

visit www.bobwilsonsoccercycle.com or

for more information about the Willow

Foundation visit www.willowfoundation.

org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.

Well done Bob

All photos by Tom Bunning

Above: Arriving at St James’ Park, NewcastleBelow: Leaving Craven Cottage, Fulham

Above: Arriving at Hampden Park, GlasgowBelow: At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea

AUTUMN 201122

Summer 2011. Would this transfer window finally deliver the much anticipated flurry

of goalkeeper transfer activity that had been so missing in the previous 3 windows?

moveOn the

With Manchester

United, City,

Liverpool and

Spurs definitely in

the hunt for either a number 1 or 2

goalkeeper, and with well-documented

uncertainties at The Emirates, an

astonishing 46 goalkeepers available as

free transfers on the ‘PFA List’, plus the

activity surrounding all of the midlands

Premier League clubs, it seemed that

Summer 2011 would have many of the

country’s goalkeepers packing their

glove bags and heading for pastures

new..

Tottenham were first to officially pounce,

ending the speculation over the future of

Brad Friedel by snapping up the 40-year-

old American on a free transfer ahead of

rivals Liverpool. Friedel signed a 2-year

contract and is expected to compete with

Heurelho Gomes for the number 1 shirt

as Stipe Pletikosa returned to Spartak

Moscow following his unsuccessful loan.

Pletikosa also spent an unsuccessful

fortnight on trial at Celtic. Carlo Cudicini,

meanwhile, signed a one-year extension to

his contract at White Hart Lane. Liverpool

are closely monitoring the situation at

Stoke City, where Dane Tomas Sørensen is

unhappy at the option year that the Potters

have taken tying him to the club for a

further season. The Potters also planned for

the future by recruiting 16-year-old Austria

Under 17 keeper Daniel Bachmann from

Austria Vienna.

After months of speculation and

following the retirement of veteran stopper

Edwin van der Sar, Manchester United

announced the signing of David De Gea

from Atlético Madrid for a reported fee of

€21million. The 20-year-old arrives at Old

Trafford with a big reputation from his first

full season, having helped Spain Under 21s

win the European Championships in June.

United’s Tomasz Kuszczak was expected

to leave Old Trafford in search of regular

first team football, in particular as the Old

Trafford club have been impressed with

Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard

who signed from Aalesund in January.

Whilst publicly Arsene Wenger continues

to deny any intent to recruit a goalkeeper

in this window, his young keepers remain in

demand. Hull City failed in their pursuit of

a permanent move for Vito Mannone, who

had joined the Tigers in January on loan,

whilst James Shea returned to The Emirates

following a loan spell at Southampton.

Blackburn Rovers have released Welsh

international Jason Brown (pictured),

who spent time on loan at Leyton Orient

and Cardiff City last season, and have

allowed Frank Fielding to turn his loan

move to Derby County into a permanent

one. Despite being courted by Rovers

throughout the summer, former Liverpool

and Fulham ‘keeper Tony Warner packed

his bags and set out for a new challenge

‘Down Under’, joining New Zealand side

Wellington Phoenix.

Fellow Lancastrians Wigan Athletic

captured Ali Al-Habsi from neighbours

Bolton Wanderers for a fee in the region

of £4million, and have also handed a new

contract to veteran Mike Pollitt. Bolton

Wanderers, on the other hand, have tied

Hungarian keeper Adam Bogdan (pictured)

to a new two-year contract to compete with

Jussi Jaaskelainen for the number 1 shirt.

Irishman Trevor Carson, who spent the

final months of the season at Brentford,

Jason Brown

AUTUMN 2011

has returned to the Stadium of Light to be

joined by compatriot Keiren Westwood,

who has joined Sunderland as a free agent

from Coventry City. Manager Steve Bruce

has cited first choice Craig Gordon’s injury

at the back end of last season as the reason

behind the move for cover, with Gordon

not expected to be back playing until

September.

Staying in the North East, Charlton

Athletic stopper Rob Elliott eventually

joined Newcastle United on deadline day

for an undisclosed fee, and will be vying for

the first team spot with Steve Harper and

Dutchman Tim Krul.

Another Dutchman will feature among

the ranks of Premier League stoppers next

season, as Dorus De Vries has opted to

join Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free

transfer rather than remain with newly

promoted Swansea City. Wolves have

released Adriano Basso, who had joined

the club in January on a short term deal.

The loss of De Vries left Swans manager

Brendan Rodgers on the lookout for 3

experienced keepers to help with their

first season in the Premier League. First to

arrive was legendary Benfica keeper, José

Moreira (pictured), who joined the Swans

for an undisclosed fee after ten years with

the Portuguese club. He was followed

by the £1.4 million purchase of Dutch

International Michel Worm, and of German

keeper Gerhard Tremmel, who was a free

agent having left Red Bull Salzburg. Of the 2

other newly promoted sides, QPR rewarded

Paddy Kenny and Radek Cerny with new

contacts and snapped up Brian Murphy

following his departure from Ipswich.

Norwich City offered a new contract to John

Ruddy, with Declan Rudd providing back-

up and Jed Steer allowed to join Yeovil

Town on loan.

Wolves’ Black country rivals West Brom

were firmly entrenched in the ‘keeper

merry-go-round, as Scott Carson has

been allowed to leave for

Bursaspor, after fellow England

international Robert Green

turned down the move to last

season’s Champions League club. Carson’s

departure reinforced the Baggies need

for a first choice goalkeeper, and having

also failed with a bid for Robert

Green, they finally secured

Ben Foster on a season’s

loan from relegated

Birmingham City, with

former Hull City stopper

Boaz Myhill heading in the opposite

direction. In addition, Marton Fulop

was signed from Ipswich to provide

experienced cover for Foster.

The ChampionshipOf the teams dropping out of the Premier

League, Blackpool allowed Paul Rachubka

to join Leeds United on a two-year deal,

where he has been reunited with former

manager Simon Grayson, whilst Matt Gilks

finally agreed a new contract with the club

after protracted negotiations.

Having signed Frank Fielding and Adam

Legzdins from Burton Albion, Derby County

look set to offload former ‘Hammer, Steven

Bywater, who had ended the season on loan

at Cardiff City. Derby’s twenty-one-year-old

Ross Atkins (pictured) has linked up with

23

Adam Bogdan (courtesy of Bolton Wanderers FC)

José Moreira (courtesy of Swansea City FC)

Ross Atkins (courtesy of Burton Albion FC)

24 AUTUMN 2011

On the move

former Ram Paul Peschisolido, joining Burton

Albion on loan.

Coventry City turned to Northampton

Town’s Chris Dunn and Scunthorpe United’s

Joe Murphy to fill the void left by Keiren

Westwood’s defection to Sunderland,

whilst elsewhere in the Midlands Sven

Goran Eriksson was reunited with Kasper

Schmeichel in a £1.25 million swoop from

Leeds United. Leeds fought off competition

from Everton to sign Preston keeper Andy

Lonergan, whilst across Yorkshire, Hull City

released Matt Duke and signed Hungarian

Peter Gulacsi on loan from Liverpool.

Coventry old boy Arran Lee-Barrett

(pictured) was rewarded for his fine form at

the end of the season for Ipswich, by signing

an improved two-year contract extension at

Portman Road, whist the Tractor Boys lost

Irishman Brian Murphy, who opted to leave

the club despite the offer of a new contract.

Portsmouth failed to offer new terms to

Darryl Flahavan (pictured) who made the

short hop down the south coast to join AFC

Bournemouth, whilst former Bournemouth

keeper Jon Stewart was reunited with

former boss Eddie Howe at Burnley, signing a

one-year contract after a trial period. Another

South Coast ‘Old Boy, Paul Smith, previously

with newly promoted Southampton, was

allowed to join Middlesbrough on loan from

Nottingham Forest in mid-season, and has

subsequently made the move permanent.

The Teesiders also offered a two-and-a-half-

year contract to 18-year-old Connor Ripley

in January, who joined the club following his

release from Blackburn Rovers.

Of the other Championship newcomers,

Peterborough United have made Paul

Jones’ loan move from Exeter City

permanent.

League 1Amongst League 1 clubs, Charlton

Athletic were particularly active in the

goalkeeping department. In preparation

for the departure of Rob Elliott, the Addicks

signed Ben Hamer from Reading and

goalkeeper John Sullivan on a free transfer

from Millwall. The latter has signed a two-

year deal at the Valley, having enjoyed a

successful loan spell at the club last season.

Relegated Preston North End were

forced into the transfer market following

the departure of Andy

Lonergan, and opted to

sign former loanee Iain

Turner on a one-year

contract after he rejected

the offer of a new deal at

Everton.

In the Steel City,

Sheffield United’s highly

rated England Under 18

‘keeper George Long was

rewarded with his first

professional contract and

made his debut for the

Blades on the last day of

the season against to-be

promoted Swansea City.

Long has since established

himself as 2nd choice

for the Blades this term.

Across the city, Nicky Weaver was rewarded

with a new two-year deal at Wednesday.

Chesterfield signed goalkeeper Greg

Fleming on a 12-month deal after he was

released by Oldham in January, paving the

way for Mansfield Town to swoop for Shane

Redmond after his release from the Spirites.

Walsall have signed Notts County

goalkeeper David Grof on a one-year

contract after the Hungarian impressed

during a trial spell, and also handed veteran

goalkeeper and club stalwart Jimmy Walker

a new one-year deal. The 37-year-old

returned to the League One club in October,

having spent 11 years with them earlier in

his career.

Tranmere Rovers have completed the

signing of goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams

on a two-year contract to replace Kiwi-

bound Tony Warner; whilst across Lancashire

Oldham Athletic have signed former

Accrington Stanley goalkeeper Alex Cisak

on a two-year contract. Despite being out

of contract the Latics have paid Stanley a

compensation fee for the 22-year-old as he

is under 24 years of age.

Elsewhere, Hartlepool United’s Scott

Flinders has signed a one-year extension to

his current contract, despite serious interest

Arran Lee-Barrett (courtesy of Action Images)

Darryl Flahavan (courtesy of AFC Bournemouth)

AUTUMN 2011 25

from other clubs; Exeter signed goalkeeper

Lenny Pidgeley following his departure

from Bradford City and promoted Stevenage

signed Gillingham keeper Alan Julian on a

free transfer.

League 2Following the disappointment of their

relegation, Bristol Rovers have signed

goalkeepers Scott Bevan and Lance

Cronin. Bevan, 31, has signed a two-year

deal at the Memorial Stadium following his

departure from Torquay, whilst the Pirates

snapped up Gillingham goalkeeper Lance

Cronin. Cronin, 25, was allowed to leave the

Gills after making just seven appearances in

his only season at Priestfield.

Gillingham in turn have made a double

swoop, signing former Dover goalkeeper

Ross Flitney, 27, who is reunited with

boss Andy Hessenthaler, and Argentine

goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga on a two-year

deal. Gazzaniga, 19, was released by Spanish

La Liga outfit Valencia at the start of the

summer having passed through their youth

system.

Torquay United boss Martin Ling has

signed Falkirk goalkeeper Robert Olejnik

to replace Scott Bevan, and have moved to

re-sign their former goalkeeper Martin Rice

from Truro City. Former Austrian Under-21

international Olejnik, 24, spent four years

at Falkirk. Swindon Town also dealt in the

foreign market, completing the signing

of Italian goalkeeper Mattia Lanzano.

The 20-year-old, who was with Italian side

US Gavorrana 1930 last season, joins the

Robins on a two-year deal.

Northampton have completed the

signing of goalkeeper Freddy Hall on

a one-year contract. Former Bermuda

international Hall was most recently with

United States minor league side Bermuda

Hogges. Additionally, the Cobblers brought

in Chelsea goalkeeper Sam Walker in a

season-long loan deal.

Oxford United have signed former

Chester, Hereford and Bury goalkeeper

Wayne Brown on a one-year deal. The

34-year-old spent last season with South

African side SuperSport United.

Plymouth Argyle have signed goalkeeper

Jake Cole after a successful trial at Home

Park. Cole was released by Barnet boss

Lawrie Sanchez in May after making 97

starts for the club since initially joining on

loan in March 2009.

Crewe Alexandra have completed a

deal to bring former Leeds United keeper

goalkeeper Alan Martin to Gresty Road on

a one-year deal, after a successful season

north of the Border at Ayr United.

Summarising the rest of the moves:

Accrington signed former Hamilton

goalkeeper Sean Murdoch on a one-

year contract; Bradford City have signed

unattached goalkeeper Matt Duke on a

two-year deal, and also brought in Liverpool

reserve keeper Martin Hansen on a one-

month loan. Rotherham United have also

used the loan system, signing goalkeeper

Conrad Logan (pictured) on a six-month

deal from Leicester City. Aldershot Town

have bagged goalkeeper Ross Worner

on a free transfer. Worner, 21, made 11

appearances for Charlton Athletic last

season and has agreed a two-year deal.

Barnet offered terms to former Portsmouth

goal keeper Liam O’Brien, whilst Rushden

& Diamonds have signed goalkeeper Simon

Evans on non-contract terms.

SPLIn Scotland, St. Mirren moved to recruit

Graeme Smith on a free transfer from St.

Johnstone, where he will compete with

former Shamrock Rovers stopper Alan

Mannus for a first team spot. St Mirren were

forced into the market in order to replace

Paul Gallacher, who returned to former

club Dunfermline. Aberdeen, who lost

Stuart Nelson to Notts County and Jamie

Langfield to a serious illness, drafted in

David Gonzalez on loan from Manchester

City with Jason Brown as cover. Celtic have

brought Newcastle United goalkeeper

Fraser Forster back to the club on a

season’s loan, whilst Old Firm rivals Rangers

tied Allan McGregor down to a new six-

year deal. Allan will do battle for the number

one jersey with Neil Alexander (pictured),

who also signed a new contract last winter.

Conrad Logan

Neil Alexander saving a Frank Lampard penalty

takes a look at the stars of the future

26 AUTUMN 2011

There’s a long way to go to match the

talent factories at Manchester United

and Liverpool but Sheffield United’s

impressive Academy system has fostered

a burgeoning reputation to be reckoned

with…and another name to look out for.

The latest success

story to follow

in the footsteps

of England’s Kyle

Walker and Phil

Jagielka is 17-year-

old ‘keeper George

Long. The lifelong

Blade has attracted

the attentions of

numerous Premier

League clubs and now

enjoys the title of the

club’s youngest ever

1st team custodian!

It’s been ‘Roy of

The Rovers’ stuff for

the Sheffield-born

youngster who started

going to watch his red

and white heroes with his uncle as a star-

struck 10-year-old. A few short years on and

it’s George Long who is starting to forge the

headlines in the steel city.

So far he’s played twice for United’s

first team – including a memorable debut

in May 2011 in the Blades’ Championship

defeat at promoted Swansea – and received

international recognition last April, playing

in England U18s 1-1 draw away to Italy.

More recently, the 6’ 4” stopper received

rave reviews as the Blades squeezed past

a battling Burton Albion side, 2-1 in the

Johnstone’s Paint

Trophy.

An amazing twelve

months was capped

with an appearance in

the FA Youth Cup Final

against Manchester

United. A Man-of-the-

Match appearance

in the first leg at

Bramall Lane kept

the tie deadlocked at

2-2 before their cup

run came to an end

with a 4-2 defeat at

Old Trafford.

This month, GK1

goes One-on-One

with George Long.

GK1: You were born on Bonfire Night so

you’ll be used to shocks and surprises!

Over the past 12 months, which one was

your favourite?

GL: “The real highlight for me was the first

leg of the Youth Cup final. We’d beaten the

likes of Aston Villa on the way to the final

against Man United so it was a great time to

put in a Man of the Match performance.

To be honest, it’s a night I’ll never forget.

Having been a kid watching in the stands, to

be out there in front of 30,000 Blades will be

a memory I’ll cherish. And a full house at an

Under 18s game – you don’t get that too often.

I have always supported United so it’s

great to finally get to play for them. Our

family are Blades through and through.”

GK1: When was it you realized you were a

goalkeeper in the making?

GL: “To be honest, I didn’t start in net. I was

playing for a Sunday League team and at

school and I was a centre-forward. I was

top scorer for a few years and I wasn’t bad.

But one week, the Sunday team needed a

‘keeper. (GK1: Where have we heard this

before?!) Someone threw me the gloves and

I played okay and that was that. I’ve been

there ever since! I was always a big lad and

my mum and dad encouraged me to stay in

net so that was it really. I never came out.”

“Once I’d played in net for the academy,

then that’s when it starts getting serious.

It was nice having a bit of a breather and

playing out of net for my school. But I was

training three times a week and a game on

the Saturday so playing up front soon got

knocked on the head! My mum and dad, in

particular my dad, just encouraged me to

train as much as I could.

AGE: 17HEIGHT: 193cmWEIGHT: 79kgGLOVES: Sells Wrap Elite

BOOTS: Nike Tiempo Legends

INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Joe Hart

CLUB SUPPORTED: Sheffield United

BIGGEST INFLUENCE: Parents

FAVOURITE BAND/ARTIST: Chase &

Status

GEORGE LONG

George LongCourtesy of Sheffi

eld United FC

AUTUMN 2011

GK1: When did you realize you may make

it as a professional player?

GL: “During my under 15 season we had

one game against Nottingham Forest and

I remember doing really well in that and

thinking – ‘right, let’s kick on from here’.

Then I had a really good season with the

Under 16s and it went from strength to

strength really. “

GK1: Last season you made it to the

bench on numerous occasions, then came

the debut at Swansea.

GL: “Yeah, 13 times on the bench in total

then I got my start at Swansea. I was kept

pretty busy and early on things went well.

To be honest Swansea were in great form by

then and we had quite a young side out so it

was hard. But I really enjoyed it and it was a

great time to make my debut.”

GK1: Were you nervous at all?

GL: “I wasn’t bad. It’s just another game and

you can’t allow yourself to get too intimidated.

You’ve just got to concentrate and get your

mind on the game. And once you’ve made

your first save you’re into it and that’s it.”

GK1: What do you consider to be your

strengths?

GL: “I’d say shot stopping and one-on-one

situations. I quite enjoy them, coming out

and making blocks. “

GK1: So United have produced some

talented young players of late. But did

you expect to do well in the youth Cup?

GL: “Not that well! We just played it game

by game starting at Cheltenham. Then once

we had beaten Leicester I thought we could

go on and really do something. In the final

I think we all believed we could win it. After

getting a two-all draw at home we thought

we were in with a chance. But they were just

too strong for us at Old Trafford.”

GK1: The Blades Academy has brought

through some fine players of late. Is there

another batch coming through which

people should look out for?

GL: “Yes we’ve had the likes of Jagielka,

Walker, Naughton and Quinny (Stephen

Quinn) in recent years. The great thing is the

club are willing to give you a chance in the

first team.

“Now we’ve got some terrific players

coming through. Harry McGuire and Jordan

Slew have been regulars this season,

although Jordan’s just gone to Blackburn

(for a reported £1m) so it’s a great incentive

for all of us to work hard.”

GK1: Has there been any interest in you

from other clubs since the Youth Cup run?

GL: “I’m told Fulham put a bid in for me,

Harry and Jordan. But I think I may get more

first team opportunities here at the Lane. If

you move to a bigger club you just are way

down the pecking order and probably get

forgotten about. I definitely see my future

here. In the next few seasons my main aim

is getting in our first team and staying there

hopefully. As long as I keep training hard

and impressing the gaffer there are going to

be opportunities. You know if Simmo (Steve

Simonsen) gets injured then the gaffer knows

I am in a position to jump straight in. “

GK1: The Blades are riding high in League

One. Very different to the frustrations of

last year and relegation?

GL: “The mood is so much more upbeat

this year in the changing room and at

training. Everyone is raring to go and get

out there on a Saturday and play. Last year

we had quite a lot of loan players, which

didn’t help our cause too much. This season

Danny Wilson has come in and made a big

difference. He’s a top manager. You can see

that in training and the practice games. He

knows his stuff. He’s a breath of fresh air. He’s

motivated the players really well.”

GK1: Who have been the biggest

influences on your career at Bramall

Lane?

GL:“I’ve had two goalkeeper coaches who

have really helped me. Lee Kendall was

a big part in my development and now

Paul Crichton is our ‘keeper coach - both

of them have been really instrumental in

helping me become a better keeper. I’m

now mentally fitter and stronger than I was.

Stepping up to the first team you’ve got to

make a lot of mental improvements. I am

sharper.”

GK1: Do you have a favourite goalkeeper?

GL: “I’ve always watched Paddy Kenny and

he was great at Sheffield United. I always

wanted to be like him. I still think he’s very

underrated. And of course, it’s difficult to

look beyond Joe Hart. He’s at the top of his

game and a ‘keeper you’d want to be like.”

GK1: Will you stay with United long term?

GL: “I just want to play at the highest level I

can and I’d love that to be with United.”

GK1: As well as The Blades, you’ve worn

Three Lions on your shirt!

GL: “Yes. I made my Under 18 debut against

Italy towards the end of last season and I

really enjoyed that. It was a great experience

traveling abroad to play for your country.

I’ve been put on stand by for an Under 19’s

game against Holland so hopefully there

are plenty more of those to come if I keep

playing well. It was really good playing

under Noel Blake.”

27

Long saving from Manchester United’s Ravel Morrison in 2011 FA Youth Cup Final - Getty Images

AUTUMN 201128

2011 will be a year to remember for

Reading’s Alex McCarthy. Having played

a significant part in the Royals’ push for

promotion, he has also found himself

involved in the

England U-21

set-up. “It’s been

a massive year

for me, I couldn’t

have planned it

any better,” says

McCarthy. “I went

out on loan last

season and played

45 games for Yeovil.

This season just gone

I’d spent a lot of time

sitting on the bench

but then an injury to

Adam Federici gave

me a chance to have a

run in the first team.’

The injury to Federici in the middle

of February not only gave McCarthy his

chance of regular first team football but also

a chance to test himself against Premier

League opposition. In the fifth round of

the FA Cup Reading were drawn away at

Everton, a game they went on to win 1-0

- thanks in no small part to an excellent

display from the 21-year-old. “It was

unbelievable, I’d never been to Goodison

Park before,” reveals McCarthy. “Playing

there in a full stadium was incredible, and

to knock them out and go through was

even better. It was a great experience but

more importantly, it proved that we could

compete with Premier League teams.”

And they were given the chance to prove

themselves again against Premier League

opposition in the quarter-final. This time it

was away at Manchester City and despite

losing 1-0, it was again another impressive

performance from Reading and McCarthy.

“I thought we played really well,” says

McCarthy. “Man City had all their top players

playing so to do well and only lose 1-0 was

a great achievement. We were obviously

disappointed to go out but we had had a

good run in the cup and the way we played

gave everyone a boost – after that game we

went on to win our next six league games.”

That run put Reading firmly in the play-

off picture but unfortunately for McCarthy it

also signalled the end

of his run in the first

team. “I had always

had it in my mind

that as soon as Adam

returned that he’d go

straight back into the

first team because

he had done so well

before the injury,”

admits McCarthy.

“But there was also

part of me that

was disappointed

because while I was

playing for the first

team we had lost

just one league

game and we were

on a really good run.”

So far so good for McCarthy, whose

season culminated with his inclusion

in the England Under-21 squad for the

European Championships in Denmark. It

was a disappointing display from England,

who bowed out in the competition’s group

stages as McCarthy watched on from the

substitute’s bench. With Reading having

narrowly missed out on promotion, 2011/12

looks set to be a crunch year for McCarthy,

for both club and country.

Tottenham Under-18s goalkeeper Jordan

Archer has had good time of it of late.

Facing the prospect of a career as a semi-

pro at 16, Jordan has since been taken

on by Tottenham, where he’s established

himself as the Academy side’s GK1.

“I started out at Charlton as a 10-year-

old, but got released at 14 for being too

small,” says Jordan, something that is hard

to imagine looking at him now. “I had a late

growth spurt, and now I’m 6’3”. They let a

couple of us go. I had been out for a year

with a knee injury. During that time they

brought in a goalkeeper from Arsenal that

was huge at the time and towered over me.

He’s still the same size now and I’ve been

lucky to grow a lot since.”

Most young players let go by clubs at

14 are forced to accept that a career in the

professional game may not be for them,

but despite being without a club for over a

year, Jordan was fortunate enough to earn

himself a trial at his local club: Tottenham.

“I linked up with my old coach and

rejoined a local Sunday League side I’d been

at before Charlton, and ended up spending

18 months there. Halfway through the U16s

season he took me on trial at Spurs, and

they signed me on a scholarship. It was a six-

week trial, quite thorough. I was delighted

to be taken on.”

Despite growing up in the Walthamstow

area, as a youngster Jordan took a liking to

the Lily Whites’ North London arch rivals.

“I grew up as an Arsenal fan, but went to

school in the Tottenham area.” He is now

very much a Tottenham man, emerging as a

key figure in the U18s set up.

“In my 1st season initially I was just

training and not involved with the youth

team, but in the second half of my first

season I managed to establish myself as

number one and make the GK1 jersey

my own. I think I went onto play 9 league

Jordan Archer

AGE: 18HEIGHT: 191cmWEIGHT: N/AGLOVES: Sells Wrap EliteBOOTS: Adidas PredatorsINSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Joe HartCLUB SUPPORTED: ArsenalBIGGEST INFLUENCE: Academy GK coach Perry Slater and my motherFAVOURITE ARTIST: Drake & Lil Wayne

JORDAN ARCHER

Alex McCarthy

AGE: 21HEIGHT: 193cmWEIGHT: 80kgGLOVES: PumaBOOTS: Puma King

INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Petr Cech

CLUB SUPPORTED: Chelsea

BIGGEST INFLUENCE: Mum and Dad

FAVOURITE BAND/ARTIST: Nicki Minaj

ALEX McCARTHY

AUTUMN 2011 29

games that season.”

Jordan’s continued good form was

rewarded with a call-up to the Scotland

U19 side, despite being born and bred in

Walthamstow.

“My grandparents are Scottish on my

mum’s side. My goalkeeper coach asked

me what I thought about it and I felt it’d

be good experience. I’ve played Scotland

U19. There was a friendly at the start of last

season against Malta and we just recently

played two games in Denmark at the end

of the 2010/11 season. It’s been great to get

international experience.”

Jordan doesn’t rule out the prospect of

representing England at some stage in his

career too, with both his English and Scottish

heritage of importance to him. He counts

England’s current GK1, Joe Hart, as one of the

goalkeepers in the game he looks up to.

“I’m a big fan of Joe Hart, not just as a

goalkeeper but the way he carries himself.

He plays with a smile on his face, and that’s

the way I prefer to be. Some of the keepers

I’ve worked with are so tense and uptight

before a game, and I can’t understand it. I

prefer to be relaxed, have a few jokes with

the goalkeeper coach and other keepers. As

soon as the whistle goes, you’re focussed,

but before I prefer to unwind and loosen up.

I don’t get nervous.”

Jordan exudes confidence, but retains an

element of humility when asked to list his

strengths and weaknesses as a keeper, often

keen to underline his need for more match

practice. “My main strength, according to

my coaches, is my ability to come and take

crosses. But I do need more experience, I

suppose that is a weakness. I’ve trained with

the first team keepers five or six times, but

last season there were quite a few keepers

on the books so my opportunities were

limited. Hopefully next season it will be a

more regular occurrence.”

Jordan was a regular for the Tottenham

U18s last season, but Spurs fell at the first

hurdle of the youth game’s most prestigious

tournament, the FA Youth Cup. “We went out

in the 3rd Round to Barnsley, we lost 3-1. We

went 1 down early on, they sat back and we

ended up conceding two from set-pieces. It

was disappointing to go out so early. We had

a squad that could have gone far. But we’d lost

a few of the second years to the development

squad and I’m not sure the younger lads had

enough time to gel before we got underway.

We didn’t really look like a team.”

Now fit and raring to go for the

2011/12 season, things looks rosy for the

Tottenham stopper, who cannot help but

set himself goals and outline ambitions

when pressed on his hopes for the future:

“I want to continue to be involved with the

international set-up, get as many games

under my belt as possible, and possibly go

out on loan. Training with the first team and

getting regular football at a League 2 or

League 1 club would be ideal for me.”

Unlike many young goalkeepers,

Huddersfield’s Alex Smithies didn’t have

to wait too long for his first-team chance.

At just seventeen, due to injuries and a

sending off, he found himself thrown in

at the deep end. That

was back in 2007 and

since then he’s played

over 100 games for

his hometown club.

“I’m fortunate that I

was given the chance

so soon,” admits

Smithies. “It’s not

very often that

goalkeepers get such

a chance so early in

their career because

it’s unlikely that a

manager is going to

trust an unproven

keeper. I’d barely

played any youth

team games and

wasn’t ready for it but gave it my best.”

Smithies is now firmly established as

the regular first choice for Huddersfield

but unfortunately his 2010/11 season was

disrupted by injury. “The previous season I

played every minute of every game, I played

55 games,” he says. “Last year it felt like I was

having niggle after niggle, and I just found

it hard to stay fit. A lot of players go through

this and it’s just one of those things, it’s

good to learn to deal with it, it’s good to

learn how to be out of the team.”

A torn cartilage meant Smithies was

going to understand all about sitting on

the sidelines. The 21-year-old picked up

the injury at the beginning of January and

following surgery missed two months of

the season. “After a couple of days I just

thought: get your head round it and work

hard,” reveals Smithies. “Obviously the

harder I worked in the rehab the quicker I

was going to be back, it was up to me to get

fit and up to me not to worry about the fact

that I was injured. No player goes through

their career without having an injury and I’m

going to be no different so it was good for

me to learn to deal with it.”

Huddersfield have endured back-to-back

promotion heartbreak, falling at the Play-Off

semi-final stage against Millwall in 2010

and missing out in the final itself against

Peterborough in 2011. Smithies, however,

is convinced that Huddersfield have what it

takes to go all the

way in the coming

season: “We will be

in the mix. We’ve

definitely got the

players capable of

getting out of this

league and we feel

we can win it if we

get a run together.”

And if they do

manage to get

promoted the success

will be all the sweeter

for Smithies. He’s a local

lad and has only ever

wanted to play for one

club. “I live ten minutes

from the ground,” says Smithies. “I played for

the schoolboy team from eight and used to

go to all the games. All I wanted to do as a kid

was play for Huddersfield because it was the

team I was going to watch every week. I knew

all my friends and family loved the club - my

first goal was to play for Huddersfield.”

Alex Smithies

AGE: 21HEIGHT: 191cmWEIGHT: 84kgGLOVES: NikeBOOTS: Nike CTR360 MaestriINSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Peter Schmeichel/Joe HartCLUB SUPPORTED: Huddersfield TownBIGGEST INFLUENCE: GK Coach at Huddersfield Town, John VaughanFAVOURITE BAND/ARTIST: Jay-Z

ALEX SMITHIES

30 AUTUMN 2011

Where are they now?

Ian Feuer

Feuer leaves his family behind

to follow his dream, playing a

brand of ‘football’ alien to most

of his peers. He goes on to beat

the odds, and European scepticism, to

be a pioneer for American soccer heroes,

meeting his future wife in Belgium and

ultimately playing for West Ham United.

Even more fitting is that he is now

California-based and operating daily in the

spotlight of the biggest club in the United

States. Goalkeeper coach for LA Galaxy,

Feuer is spreading the lessons learned to the

burgeoning Major League Soccer scene.

Talking on the phone from the Galaxy’s

headquarters, Feuer, now 40, looks back

on his time at the Hammers as one of the

happiest of his life. He had to have two takes,

however, to realise his Upton Park ambitions.

After a spell in 1994/95 without a game,

he was to get a second chance six years

later again under Harry Redknapp. After a

brief stay at Cardiff City, he finally made his

Boleyn bow.

“It was an amazing time,” he said. “For me

as a kid I always dreamt of just playing in

the professional league in England. It was

my main target. And I would have played

anywhere but to play for a team like West

Ham was special.

“I remember my debut against Derby.

We won 2-1 and I had a decent game. It was

special to play with guys like Rio Ferdinand,

Paolo Di Canio and Joe Cole. That was a great

experience to say you have played and trained

with those players. Harry was great for me.”

Feuer also played around 100 games

for Luton Town, having joined them when

they were then a second-tier club. But the

experience at West Ham left its mark. “I have

a real affection for the club. It is a blue-collar

club and the fans appreciate people who are

hard-working and do their best.”

Feuer’s first spell at Chadwell Heath

coincided with Ludek Miklosko’s long stay,

and he has only positive words for the man

he would spend hours with on the practice

pitches.

“What a good guy he was and a great

role model, I learned so much from him and

he inspired me.”

The roles have been reversed, with

Feuer turning from trainee to mentor at the

Galaxy. He has had a big hand in helping

former Bradford City stopper Donovan

Ricketts become Major League Soccer’s

leading No1 last season.

At 6’6 Ricketts may be the main man in

MLS keeping but he still has to give way to

his coach, not least with Feuer standing an

inch taller. “The first day we met, I was sitting

down. He came in and I stood up. He just

gave me this look!”

Height competitions aside, Feuer is

fulsome in praise. “He has been amazing for us.

He has come on leaps and bounds. For him to

work as hard as he does at his age is great.”

He still keeps tabs on England, even if

the father-of-three’s commitment to his

own Premier Goalkeeping Academy takes

much of his time. He is a huge fan of Robert

Green, a keeper he knows personally and

someone for whom he has the “utmost

respect. “I use Robert as an example of total

professionalism. He is a gentleman and is an

amazing keeper.”

Feuer is hoping for something special

this season. Why not an MLS Cup for the

Galaxy and promotion for the Hammers? He

would then love the two to meet for a game

after that.

“I will be watching and rooting for the

club to get back straight away,” he declared.

Sounds like the perfect Hollywood ending.

With thanks to Rob Pritchard at West Ham

United FC.

Born:20 May 1971, Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesPosition: GoalkeeperClubs played for:Club Brugge; Molenbeek; Los Angeles Salsa; West Ham United; Peterborough; Luton Town; New England Revolution; Rushden & Diamonds; Colorado Rapids; Wimbledon; Derby County; Tranmere Rovers; Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ian Feuer’s football story reads something like a Hollywood film. Here’s the pitch.

In the late 1980s, Las Vegas-born Feuer travels alone to Alabama aged just 16 for a

Harald Schumacher soccer school. There, the German great advises the impressive

keeper, already well on the way to his full 6’7 height, to head across the pond.

BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS

The business pages

Proposed changes to the

Scottish Premier League could

see the number of teams in

Scotland’s top flight reduced

from twelve to ten. The proposals are just

part of a restructuring plan that has been

put forward by SPL Chief Executive, Neil

Doncaster. The SPL last had ten teams ten

years ago, but the new format would add

a play-off for the team finishing second

bottom as well as automatic relegation for

whoever finishes bottom.

“It’s a plan for Scottish football, it’s not

just concentrating on a handful of clubs

or just the top division it’s ensuring all 42

clubs have a far better environment going

forward,” Doncaster explains. “The various

elements of the plan are to go to a ten team

top division and twelve team championship.

It’s about merging the two leagues into one

entity with an earlier season start date and

a play-off competition between the Premier

League and the Championship where

you have two potential promotion and

relegation slots.”

In order to implement the restructuring

there will need to be a vote of the SPL clubs.

While most of the clubs are supportive,

there are still some yet to be convinced,

including those who would actually prefer

the league expanded to fourteen teams.

“There are various reasons why the clubs

took the view that they preferred the

ten team set-up,” says Doncaster. “If you

go to fourteen teams that doesn’t create

any money that you can push down to

the second tier. Secondly you still retain

a split, you end up with 36 games in the

top half and 36 games in the bottom part.

The bigger problem you’ve got is for those

teams in seventh and eighth after the split,

they’ve got fourteen fixtures - over half a

season - with nothing to play for.”

Without question the single biggest issue

for teams relegated from the SPL is finance.

Currently when they drop into the Scottish

Football League they receive around

£375,000 over two years, the new proposal

would see up to £2.8 million being paid

over four years. “One of the fundamental

problems we have is to make sure when

clubs get relegated they don’t face financial

Armageddon,” insists Doncaster. “That’s

the real challenge and that’s what the plan

partly addresses. A key aspect of this is

it’s about making sure the second tier of

Scottish football is properly funded so that

when clubs are relegated financially they

can still cope.”

To suggest that the main focus of the

restructuring appears to be aimed at the

well being of relegated SPL teams would

be wrong. Doncaster firmly believes the

proposals will benefit the whole of the

Scottish Football League. “It’s not just about

protecting the relegated clubs. For example,

a really good club like Falkirk with a fantastic

community operation and a great academy

having to face some serious questions

about whether they can afford to run that

academy going forward. So it’s far more

fundamental than looking after members,

it’s about looking after the fabric of Scottish

football.”

Also part of the proposals is a plan for

a winter break. The winter break was first

introduced in Scotland in 1998 to try to

minimise the number of games lost to

the weather. However, the SPL scrapped

the winter break in 2003 but the severity

of recent winters has put the idea back

on the agenda. “The details of the winter

break still need to be worked through,”

explains Doncaster. “The ideal time is clearly

after the new year fixtures. Whether you

have some sort of flexible winter break to

accommodate the sort of weather we’ve

had in the last couple of years remains to

be seen but further discussion on that will

happen. An earlier start to the season is

something we need to look at both from

the point of view of clubs in Europe and

improving the coefficient but also making it

more enjoyable for the supporters.”

SPL clubs to vote on change

One of the fundamental

problems we have is to make sure when clubs get relegated they don’t face financial Armageddon

Neil Doncaster

AUTUMN 2011 31

In a leagueof his own!

Former England GK1 Gary Bailey explores the secrets of leadership which make Sir Alex the best manager in the world!

OUTSIDE THE BOX

AUTUMN 2011 33

Famed for his golden locks and

dashing good looks, Gary

Bailey has sailed seamlessly

from goalmouth to pundit’s

chair - becoming the voice of football on

the African continent.

Born in Suffolk but brought up in

South Africa, this former England GK1 and

self-confessed workaholic shares his time

between the Supersport TV studios, various

business interests and a growing reputation

as the most sought after motivational

speaker in Africa.

Now the 52-year-old, who played just

short of 400 times for Manchester United,

is turning his hand to writing - with his

second book due out at the end of the

year.

In a rare break from the office, Gary

speaks to GK1 (from the beach in Cape

Town - and apparently it’s 35 degrees!)

about the difference between good and

great managers.

“I wanted to explore how the greats

survive, thrive and provide exemplary

leadership,” explains Gary, who studied a

physics degree in his spare time during

nine seasons at The Theatre of Dreams.

“I’ve seen first hand the leadership

skills shown by great man managers.

Football management at the highest level

is probably the most stressful job in the

world today. One third of Premier League

managers get sacked every season. In what

other business would that happen?”

Gary, who took a Business Masters

after leaving Manchester, now feels the

time is right to combine his own personal

experiences with the business lessons he’s

learnt from the likes of Richard Branson - put

together to help managers in all walks of life

do their jobs better.

So how would you explain the magic

which a select band of managers seem to

possess?

“For a start off it’s all to do with

combining toughness and humility. You

need two main abilities: ‘professional will’

and ‘personal humility’. Sir Alex has both

these qualities in abundance. He comes

across as tough but he is also one of the

nicest, most caring guys you could ever

meet. When I retired he looked after me and

was very concerned about my future.

“A lot of managers don’t bother. He does

it naturally. I think it has a lot to do with

his own upbringing. Sam Allardyce, Harry

Redknapp and all the these top managers

have a rivalry with Sir Alex but also have

huge respect.

“Even Arsene Wenger has warmed to him

over the years. He is tough and will let you

battle against him but so many ex-players

like Beckham will still talk well of him. So

that’s the first point about being tough but

humble.”

Schmeichel“The second thing is emotional intelligence

- or in another word, empathy. You need to

be able to observe, evaluate and respond.

You shouldn’t just walk into an office and sit

down and work. When you walk into a room

there may be people who are going through

a crisis in their lives and know what’s going

on. And again Sir Alex is very good at

observing the players.

“I remember when Peter Schmeichel was

low on confidence and going through a

tough time. Mid-season, Sir Alex told him to

take a few weeks off and go on holiday with

his wife. It was a big call at the time, but Sir

Alex could see he wasn’t up to it.

“That’s great leadership, to look at the

people around you and know they are not

able to perform to the level you need - and

then find a way to help!

“When Peter came back he’d run through

walls for Sir Alex. “

Keep it Positive“I’ve studied so many business models but

at the end of the day some of the basics are

the most powerful. Then there’s something

called Appreciative Inquiry - which is

a business school term really for being

positive.

“You will always have problems. If you

as an individual focus on the problems,

your life will be full of problems. At work, if

you are always looking at the 1% that goes

wrong and not the 99% that is good, then

you will create a negative mindset in

the workforce.

“Instead focus on the good and

create a positive mindset as a leader. So

be positive as opposed to running your

players down. “

Plan Ahead“And finally there’s Destiny. It’s critical

to plan effectively for a great destiny.

Your future will arrive sooner than you

think and it’s important to make time

to think ahead and prepare for your

destiny.

“Sir Alex was brilliant at this. He

knew he couldn’t afford to go out and

buy the very best players in the world so

he set up the academy. It was a practical,

positive solution to a problem he faced. And

he went and found Beckham and Giggs and

Scholes and the rest is history.

“For some time things didn’t go well for

him at United. I think what saved him, if

indeed he was under pressure, was that he

had a wonderful youth squad and plans in

place for his destiny - another clear sign of

great leadership.”

Culture Club“I think a lot of managers have many of his

qualities but no one that I know of will have

every one of his qualities.

“He made it his business to know

everyone at the club; made sure he went

to see all the kids play at the levels; got to

understand each of them.

If you are always looking at the

1% that goes wrong and not the 99% that is good, then you will create a negative mindset in the workforce.

AUTUMN 2011

“I don’t think his genius lies in any one

aspect but I think it comes from him being

good at all aspects that pertain to being a

football manager.

“The players he brings in always learn

to fit in with the culture of the club and

so they follow the Giggs/Scholes mantra

of hard work, 110% on the pitch, never let

you down. Not every manager is able to

create that culture within his club: his choice

of people around him, his staff and how

he gets such dedication from his staff. It’s

because he is a caring person.

“For example I saw him at the airport a

few years ago. I hadn’t seen him in a long

while and he offered me a lift. I didn’t want

to intrude but he insisted and said he’d got

the driver outside.

“Now to be fair he didn’t need to do that.

He had his wife with him and he had things

to do. But that’s a different side to him. He

took me into central London from Heathrow

and got his driver to drop me off.”

Tough LoveGary’s examples also call upon the teachings

of another footballing knight, the late Sir

Bobby Robson.

“Had it not been for Maradona’s ‘Hand of

God’, which was just plain cheating, England

could well have won the World Cup. Again

in 1990 when England had such a good

qualifying run, he went close,” recalls the

keeper who wore the Three Lions between

1978 and 1986.

“All those players that worked with him

will tell you all about what a really caring

person he was. He had an amazing way

of showing you where you could improve

without belittling you in the process.

“Some managers can make you feel

belittled and other managers can inspire

you to get out there and show them just

how good you are.

“Sir Bobby and Sir Alex are those men

and it matters whether you are a caring

manager or just in it for what you can get

out of the player.”

For many observers, Gary’s two England

caps would have been a far greater haul

had he not faced the stiffest competition

from two greats in Peter Shilton and Ray

Clemence.

Calling TimeGary’s mental fortitude was tested when

serious injury meant an end to his club and

international dreams at just 28.

“The end wasn’t so bad really. Maybe I’d

got into the United team too early, but by

28 I’d clocked up nearly 400 league matches

in a team that was desperate for success.

We were always so nearly there. Added to

that pressure, the burden of not becoming

England’s regular keeper started to make life

very frustrating.

“In ‘85 we had a team that should have

walked the league. We had a great side and

we blew it somewhere along the line.

“If I had been at a smaller club and then

moved to United at 28 I would have been

34

AUTUMN 2011 35

galvanised and excited. But I’d taken a

battering for 8 years.

“You base your game on confidence and

when you are not thought of as the number

1 keeper and you are not winning trophies

people start to question and you constantly

have to try and prove it’s not the goalkeeper

that’s to blame - and it’s very tough.

“I spent a year or so on the bench after

the injury,” recalls Gary who until then had

missed just 7 games in 7 years.

“The knee got worse and it was obvious

it was time to move on.

“Sir Alex couldn’t do enough for me.

He was fantastic. There was a genuineness

about the man that surprised me. I had

always imagined managers to be quite

heartless in those situations. I remember

thinking at that time what a special man he

was.

“There was no point wondering what

I was losing out on. I am damn lucky to

have played for the best club in the world.

I played at a hell of a young age and I had

experienced some amazing things and it

was time to move onto a new challenge,”

recalls Gary, who won FA Cup winners

medals in 1983 and 1985.

“Yes, I could have achieved more and

maybe I could have gone on to get a

hundred caps for England but it didn’t

happen so there’s absolutely no point in

worrying about it. It was time to move on.”

New ChallengeIn the two years that followed, Gary won

five trophies back in South Africa with the

famous Kaiser Chiefs of Johannesburg,

before the knee ligaments finally called a

premature end to his career.

“When they said I couldn’t play any more,

I was determined not to think what I was

missing out on. I turned it all around and

thought it is what it is and it’s time to move

onto a new challenge. There is just no point

worrying about it and thinking I could have

achieved more. “

Giving BackThroughout his career, Gary has had an

acute social conscience. Every week, during

his time at United, he was involved in

various social projects, benefiting the poorer

parts of Manchester.

One of his proudest achievements

has been the key role he played as an

ambassador in South Africa’s successful bid

to host the 2010 World Cup.

And his first book saw Gary giving his

help and advice on a subject many miles

from football.

Divorce“I’d witnessed the terrible impact of divorce

on kids first hand,” says Gary. “I’ve no doubt

that those parents didn’t intend to bring this

pain on their children,” explains Gary, whose

own 18-year marriage hit the rocks in 2006.

“Equally, I have no doubt that the

damage is an inevitable consequence if

parents lose sight of what their kids need

during the turmoil.”

Keen to make sure his three kids didn’t

get caught in the middle, he worked hard

to find amicable solutions to potentially

damaging conflict areas. Four years on, and

his book ‘Divorce for Dads’ continues to offer

the benefit of that experience and help dads

make the right choices for their kids.

“I’d seen the damage inflicted on children

during a divorce, and how the support

structures from both family and friends only

seem to inflame the situation. I felt there

needed to be something easy to read and

an accessible book that outlined a solution

that would protect the children as much as

possible.

“It’s written from a dad’s perspective, but

it isn’t just aimed at dads. If your brother

or son or colleague is going through a

divorce then the book will give you all the

information and advice you need to help

them to get it right for their kids. And, if

you’re a mum, it’ll help you to understand

what’s going on for your kids’ dad,” says

Gary.

Kids First“I have a social conscience and it makes me

feel like I want to contribute to the world

and I just thought maybe I can help others

through the process of divorce.

“I have got a simple approach to life. It

doesn’t bother me how big my house is or

how big my car is. The divorce book was

really a way for me to help others.

“I believe it is a circle, the more I help

others, the more the universe gives back to

me so at the end of the day it does seem to

work that way.

“There are massive social needs here in

South Africa and I would like to think I can

help.”

So as the sun dips down over the Atlantic

Ocean, so far, so good. But looking back,

would he have done anything different?

“Yeah, if I had my time again I would

never have been a goalkeeper!” he grins.

Surprising then that his goalkeeping

father Roy, who won a league title with Sir

Alf Ramsey at Ipswich, threw him the gloves.

“He didn’t want me to be a keeper. He

wanted me to be a cricketer - and I found

out pretty quickly why! It’s the toughest

position in the world of sport today. I don’t

think there is any other position that is as

lonely and as pressurised. I mean how do

you play in a position where everyday the

only upside of your job is that you don’t

make a mistake? You walk out of there and

if you keep a clean sheet you go ‘thank

heavens’ for that.”

AUTUMN 201136

KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT

Sells Goalkeeper Products Wrap SeriesAs per the rumour in our last issue, Sells Goalkeeper Products will

this month launch their new Wrap Series for 2011. The new series

of roll finger gloves features seven models to suit all climates and

conditions.

The Wrap Elite Aqua (pictured) is the flagship model of the Sells range

and a huge favourite with professionals right across the globe.

The 2011 version features the waterproof Aquastem fabric together with

the ever popular Adhesion Ultra latex which provides unrivalled grip in wet

conditions. The glove has a bandage wrist and has gone back to a traditional side

seam and Velcro closure.

Sells will launch three additional glove ranges in the next twelve months, Total

Contact, Axis 360 and Silhouette. With a further 125 new products on their way, Sells,

the brand for which Pro Direct Sport is the exclusive UK Distributor, looks set to remain at

the leading edge in goalkeeping technology.

Sells Wrap Elite Exosphere out now.

For more information visit www.sellsgoalkeeperproducts.com

SelsportExtreme PurityThe 2011/12 Selsport range sees the introduction of a new

top end range of products, consisting of four fantastic deep

embossed backhand gloves. The Extreme has been developed

to combine the unrivalled comfort and grip which has become

synonymous throughout the Selsport range with clean lines

and advanced shaped backhand which aids the hands natural

curvature. By including the top level ULTRA Supa Soft Adhesion

latex and trusted trilock wrist strap the XTR provides top level

pros a perfect balance with a new level of grip and flexibility

with all round comfort.

Selsport Extreme White out now.

For more information visit www.selsport.com

AUTUMN 2011 37

KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KITKIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT

ReuschKeon Deluxe G1The Reusch Keon Deluxe G1 is a new addition to the 2011

range. The vibrant lime green colour option is this year’s

promotional colour and has already been seen several times in

this year’s Champions League as both Milan keepers wore the

gloves in featured games against Spurs. Julio Cesar also wore

the gloves when Inter Milan won the FIFA World Club Cup back

in December. The Keon Deluxe G1 is Reusch’s top of the range

glove without finger protection and has many outstanding

features which offer superb grip, comfort and performance.

Keon Deluxe G1 out now.

For more information visit www.reusch.com

UhlsportCerberus Absolutgrip Fingerbett

The new Uhlsport Cerberus Absolutgrip Fingerbett features

a unique ergonomically shaped finger bed ensuring each

finger remains stable and does not slip. Available from May

2011, Uhlsport endorsees such as Pepe Reina and Hugo

Lloris are already taking advantage of the new patented

Absolutgrip Plus grip foam which gives them advanced

cushioning and outstanding grip in all weather conditions.

Cerberus Absolutgrip Fingerbett out now.

For more information visit www.uhlsport.com

A new force in the market Precision Goalkeeping has launched itself into the goalkeeping market in recent months with a host of big name signings and gloves being sold in stores up and down the UK. GK1 caught up with David Sanderson to find out about the rapid rise of the forward thinking brand.

Precision Goalkeeping National

Sales manager, David

Sanderson, who spent 15

years with Uhlsport before

joining Precision Training said: “We

might be a relatively new brand but we

have a long history and heritage in the

goalkeeping market.

“Our team spent a long period

testing the first range of gloves with

Burnley’s Brian Jensen and when

we launched them the “Beast” wore

them against Chelsea in the Premioer

League at Turf Moor in 2010.

“From that moment on the brand,

that is part of Britain’s fastest growing

sports brand Precision Training, has

gone from strength to strength.

“In less than a year we have

launched a second range of gloves

designed by brand ambassador

Kasper Schmeichel and are now being

worn up and down the UK by senior

professionals, academy keepers and at

grass roots.

“We have worked very closely with

all of the keepers to produce a glove

that can perform at the highest level

of the game and they will be heavily

involved in the future development of

the Precision Goalkeeping ranges.”

Schmeichel, 24, said: “I am delighted to

have signed a partnership with Precision

Goalkeeping.

“I had a number of other options but

after testing the gloves I was overwhelmed

by the quality and performance of the

gloves, particularly the grip.

“As a goalkeeper it is vitally important

that you trust the gloves you are wearing

and I couldn’t be happier with them.”

Schmeichel will be wearing a negative

cut glove made from supersoft latex,

adorned with the Danish flag and coloured

white, black and gold.

Recently, Sunderland AFC goalkeeper

Keiren Westwood has joined the ever

expanding stable, he said; “Despite

being a relatively new brand they

already have a great reputation

amongst the goalkeepers.

“As soon as I tried the new range

I knew they were the right gloves for

me – superb grip in all conditions and

a perfect fit.”

Sanderson commented; “The aim

of Precision Training was to be able

to provide grass roots players the

opportunities to train and play like the

professionals and the Goalkeeping

range is no different.

“We are certainly very excited about

the future development of the brand

with even more keepers expected to

be wearing them throughout the UK.”

For further information on Precision

Training please visit:

http://www.precisiontraining.uk.com

Kasper Schmeichel

KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT

38 AUTUMN 2011

AUTUMN 2011

KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT KIT

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World in Motion ltd is one of the UKs leading sports management companies offering a fully integrated management and

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the future, the company has been encouraged to supply the market with a magazine, GK1, tailor-made for the goalkeeping profession.

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