The shortest goalkeeper in top-flight history

Look who The Guardian think it may be.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...EWbsu7Ivvr5trgJ1CNUPsuuejM_jMsy0ttFK5Qong8sEs

 

A rey't goalie was our Clive. Irrespective of his height, he was very brave and one of the
best shot stoppers that ever played for the Reds.

 

He certainly was .

 

Didn't he once head a brick thrown at him ( at Bradford ) story has it...
.. he never flinched.... Lol

 

I thought that was Bobby Horn v Chelsea.

 

Still laugh when I think that at one stage we had Ian Wardle as Clive's understudy. An even shorter keeper, but still a good stopper, shame he broke his leg pretty much ending his career.

 

Remember that. It was Robbie Earle that broke his leg when playing for Port Vale around 1990
if I remember correctly. We were behind our goal that day and it sounded like someone
snapping a stick in two. Truly sickening.

Couldn't believe how antiquated Vale Park was, a veritable mixture of old and new.
Remember Super John played very well there some years later when I think we won 3-0.

 

The best keeper I have ever seen play us for in my time watching (35 years) in my opinion. Also a lovely guy as I have also met him in person a couple of times.

It was a mistake to release him in a similar way as it was to release Paul Futcher who also went on to perform well for a few seasons having been given a free transfer from Barnsley.

It was a pleasure to watch players of that quality play for us as a young fan as I was back then.

 

One of the best keepers I have seen for us, if he'd been six inches taller he would have been a world-beater...

 

Whilst I agree he was a great Goalie. My only issue was he was a bit of a liner. But we've had plenty of those. Good goalies n"all. But for all round ability I would have to go with Muller no. 1. Watson second then a toss up between Steele and Baker. Thinking back aloud to missen, we've probably had a lot more decent/good goalies than bad. Bobby horn was a great shot stopper but like a lot of goalies, making spectacular saves doesn't make you a great one. Positioning to make it easier is the better quality. Pat Jennings being the master in my eyes. ( Them massive hands helped mindst. )

 

but surely the relevant measurement for any goalkeeper is the length of his arms - the bigger the 'wingspan' the better the goalie?

 

He broke his leg Port vale ( away ) .Steve Cooper stepped up to wear the green shirt.
0 0 remember that cold midweek evening .
We stopped to ask a couple with a child in a pram directions to ground.
He jumped in car.
i can still remebering his wife screaming where the **** u going.
" im going to match with these Barnsley lads "
Quality memories watching tarn .

 

Me too, the sound was simply awful. Coops had a decent game in the nets.

 

I'm in a minority of one, as I wasn't that bothered about Baker as a goalkeeper. For all his impressive saves, he never left his line to come for a cross. Then again, I never really rated Dave Watson, either, as he persistently came for crosses and missed them leaving an open goal for the opposition.
I'm a real rebel!

 

Peter Springett was decent when we were down in the doldrums. Saved us from many a hammering.

 

Apart from heading the crosses from corners instead of catching them.Clean sheat for team

 

To be fair it all depends who your back four are too .

 

I agree with most of that and Ted Burgin was by far the best of any goalkeeper I ever saw play in games I actually attended. He was an absolute acrobat of a goalie and made up for lack of inches by his spectacular athleticism. He played for Sheffield United, but had the misfortune to be displaced by another shortish keeper in Alan Hodkinson (5'9") and went to Doncaster Rovers briefly and then on to Leeds United in a swap for United's keeper, Willie Nimmo. Leeds were so poor during Burgin's years there that it was often the opposition versus Ted. He went on to play for Rochdale and was probably the most significant reason (along with the goals of Reg Jenkins) that Rochdale got to the final (yes, FINAL) of the former League Cup, in which they were beaten by Norwich City.

One name which should be also on that list, as he was also 5'7", as Tony Godfrey, who played for Southampton (I am now trying to be sure that they were top flight during the years he played for them - not sure). Godfrey went on to play many games for Aldershot.

Strange breed, keepers. Those in the north-east will tell you of an amazing keeper, who played for Annfield Plain in Durham. One of the best, but his handicap was that he wore glasses and was either unable, or unwilling to try contact lenses. He had his glasses held on with an elastic band and was a match-winner, until someone had the idea of breathing on his glasses when a corner was being taken!! Happy Days!!