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Who’d be a goalkeeper?
It’s the most vulnerable position in the game, one mistake can eradicate memories of impossible saves and stopping spot kicks. Your team mates can get away with errors, they can even claim to be unlucky if they happen to put one in their own net (Richard Dunne apart) but if you’re between the sticks and you make a howler, there’s only one result – an eternal memory of the incident in question.
My first memory of watching an England game was as a young lad in 1961 when England hammered the Scots at Wembley and of course this generated the never to be forgotten ‘what’s the time? – Nine past Haffey!’ and Scottish goalkeepers have been living up to his reputation ever since! Poor Frank emigrated to Australia the following year, though any connection to his Wembley nightmare was strongly denied!
England goalkeepers can’t claim immunity from the disease either. Who will ever forget David Seaman’s gross error of judgement against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup quarter final against Brazil? Still he had form here, bringing back memories of Nayim’s last minute winner for Zaragoza from the half way line in the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup. Forget the string of magnificent saves in his career, he will be ever remembered for two fatal mistakes.
The latest batch of England custodians are not without history either with Rob Green’s spilling Clint Dempsey’s speculative effort into the back of his net in the 2010 World Cup match against USA leading to a host of one liners being posted on the internet. Croatia also seem to induce errors with England goalkeepers with Paul Robinson’s howler in the Euro 2008 qualifiers when Gary Neville’s back pass hit a divot and bobbled over him. This had been preceded by Scott Carson in the Wembley game when he could only parry Kranjcar’s effort from 30 yards into the back of his net. And why is David James nicknamed ‘Calamity’?
The Premier League also has its fair share of memories with Stan Collymore’s lame effort at Ewood Park bouncing over Tim Flowers’ shoulder as he bent down to collect the ball. He blamed a divot (of course) but it was his own markings on the six yard line that diverted the ball. Manchester United have never replaced Peter Schmeichel and Sir Alex recruited an Italian Massimo Taibi who didn’t last long after Matt le Tissier’s less than powerful drive slipped between his legs; Taibi blamed his studs!
Peter Enkelmann cocking up a throw in and letting it hit his studs before going into his goal drove Villa supporters mad and Liverpool supporters will never forget Jersey Dudek’s comic error dropping a headed back pass against Man United at Anfield. Fortunately he redeemed himself in Istanbul in 2005!
So we arrive at this year’s howler and my own current hero Tim Howard; not less than four weeks ago I was referring to his bizarre wind assisted 90 yard goal against Bolton Wanderers on a stormy night at Goodison. Sadly that is now forgotten following Wigan’s extraordinary goal at the DW Stadium on Saturday. Phil Neville had deflected Victor Moses’ shot and taken the sting out of the effort and the ball lamely bounced towards our Tim who amazingly missed the yellow pill which somehow ended in his net. ‘It hit a divot’ claimed some. ‘It was the spin on the modern ball’ claimed others; I even heard ‘It was a Doosra!’ from one commentator. Whatever it was it took the gloss off Everton’s improving form and only added to the catalogue of goalkeeping errors that keep manufacturers of football howlers DVDs in business! And what position did I play when I first started the game and played for the school team? Why goalkeeper of course and I’ve got my own list of personal howlers! So who’d be a goalkeeper?
Posted by Everton fan Steve Mahon
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