Goalkeepers

[Section_31]

Did anyone actually ever want to be a goalie when they were a kid? My cousin did but his reasoning was that if he made the Premiership, he could earn lots of money without having to run around. He currently works in flooring.

 

Can count on one hand how many decent ones I've seen in the last 20 years, but spotting one who's - not even good - but just not absolute shite, is getting rarer and rarer.

 

It's a funny position, and seems like it's becoming even more of an after thought.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Goalie was my position.

 

Used to play there for school teams after becoming inspired by watching an episode of Blue Peter featuring a training session with Andy Goram!

 

There's some decent keepers about, still.

 

But it's a thankless position. One single mistake is fatal, with keepers being more accountable for their mistakes than any other position on the pitch.

 

Often, it's one mistake = a goal conceded, which can have a huge effect on the result, with the keeper not really getting a chance to right his wrong. The mistake is final. Whereas a striker who misses a sitter will often get a chance to remedy that, by getting other opportunities to score in the game.

 

Proper pressure position.

[VladimirIlyich]

I played in goal a few times as a kid but in my formative years this usually meant standing round in the freezing cold with a paper thin top and no goalie gloves,unlike now.

If all the gear they have now was around then,they all look like they are preparing for an Isle of Man TT race,then i might have fancied it more.

I'm not tall enough anyway.

[Jonny83]

When I was a kid both in PE and in kickabouts in our free time, teams would generally choose to stick their shittest player in goal in the absence of a volunteer who actually wanted to play there. Even if they were a complete short-arse.

 

I speak from first hand experience. On both counts.

[AL66GOLF]

Yeah - played theremost of my life.

you could save everything for 89 mins, drop a cross on a shitty wet day and get blamed for the team losing even though your "star striker" couldn't score from 2 yards and missed a penalty!

 

I never let it bother me though!!!!!!!

[Bjornebye]

On the odd occasion playing heads and volleys but not nearly as often as the lads I played with because i'm arguably the best footballer ever. 

 

get in goal you fucking gimps 

[Fi!]

I did play as keeper for a couple years due to my beyond shit ball control skill. It is usually the worse position in unorganised football. (At my place it is very hard to get any organised football)

 

Sometime your team is so much better than the other that the ball rarely even get close the penalty box. And you will be keeping a clean sheet while taking a nap. The other times will be your team is so much worse that every attack from the opponent results in a 1v1 situation.

[TheHowieLama]

The next generation of American keepers is going to be astounding.

[Clem H Fandango]

Spent 2 out of 5 years at school playing in goal. The other 3 years were spent playing cm as captain, lb, lm, ac.

 

Upon leaving school i chose to stay in goal as most people are too shit scared of having a ball kicked at them.

 

I find it odd that people i have played with can only play one position? the game is the same all over the pitch.

[Jairzinho]

Never played in goal, usually played right wing in a 4-2-4/4-4-2. Think our manager at the time was trying to copy Kenny's Blackburn side. One day the left back was out injured and somehow the conclusion was that I should fill in there. Got myself sent off within about quarter of an hour, which at Under 10 level is pretty impressive as you generally need to kill someone to get booked. Think I probably would just refuse to play if I'd been asked to go in goal.

[Hand Shandy]

I was a goalkeeper. Too lazy to run about...

 

Started playing for my local adult Saturday team when I was 13, which was 'interesting' given the standard wasn't brilliant and the centre forwards (they weren't called anything fancy like strikers in those days) were generally big fucking lumps.

 

Thankfully my centre backs were pretty protective - in fact one of them got sent off for lamping someone who clattered into me.

 

I used to love it - throwing myself about and looking a hero when you made a save. I didn't care enough to be too fussed when I dropped a bollock!

[Tony Moanero]

Spent 2 out of 5 years at school playing in goal. The other 3 years were spent playing cm as captain, lb, lm, ac.

 

Upon leaving school i chose to stay in goal as most people are too shit scared of having a ball kicked at them.

 

I find it odd that people i have played with can only play one position? the game is the same all over the pitch.

Sadly, I couldn't play of them, and always hoped I would find a pair of Dead Shot Keen's old boots.

[moof]

Obviously I was a striker. Flash, glory hunting cunt. I was shit hot as well.

[nimrod]

Yeah - played theremost of my life.

you could save everything for 89 mins, drop a cross on a shitty wet day and get blamed for the team losing even though your "star striker" couldn't score from 2 yards and missed a penalty!

 

I never let it bother me though!!!!!!!

Yeah, had that happen to me, spent most of the rainy day match picking old bed springs out of the mud, those ex-rubbish tips, converted into playing fields!

No gloves, tried to catch high corner, the inevitable happened. As they said, I should have back handed it over the bar.

[DanDanShaw]

I always wanted to be a keeper because David James gave me his signed shirt when I was about 4.  I used to play there for school and the local team but like people have said it's a bulshit position. 

 

I got the blame for giving away a penalty in the inter-league cup final, when the centre back had played a gob shite back pass which their striker got hold of.  They scored the pen, we lost and everybody gave me shit.  I don't think I've played in since.

 

It's much better playing right back, it turns out I'm much better at it and you don't get half as much shit when you make a mistake.  I never have a go at the keeper though.  I'm pretty sure Reina started off as a right winger didn't he?

[Sweeney287]

I was a goalkeeper. Too lazy to run about...

 

Started playing for my local adult Saturday team when I was 13, which was 'interesting' given the standard wasn't brilliant and the centre forwards (they weren't called anything fancy like strikers in those days) were generally big fucking lumps.

 

Thankfully my centre backs were pretty protective - in fact one of them got sent off for lamping someone who clattered into me.

 

I used to love it - throwing myself about and looking a hero when you made a save. I didn't care enough to be too fussed when I dropped a bollock!

Sums me up perfectly, especially the first line!

 

I did have a dabble at CB due to my height and even managed to score (my one and only goal in a competitive match) but soon got rumbled that I was generally shit with the ball at my feet so back I went!

[Saintslfc13]

I played all across the midfield, preferred the center though. Only played a few years organised as after middle school my focus was solely on American football (where I played offensive/defensive line). How does a lineman sized person play midfield in proper football you may ask? I was actually pretty good at controlling the ball, passing, and shooting with both feet (though better with my right foot). My main issue was size, I wasn't exactly fit for proper football where it's continuous movement whereas in American football I could be quick for the 7-10 seconds the play was going and then take a brief rest and go again. Also being a child who didn't watch the highest level of the professional game much at the age I had started playing organised I didn't know enough mentally to be able to do some of the things I can now do in a pick-up game, even against much fitter players.

 

Always wished I found a love for association football as a small child as opposed to American football (I normally tell people they're tied for my favorite sport but if I'm honest, association football probably edges it) but it's a consequence of being an American I suppose. As far as worthless info goes I used to piss off all the Mexican kids on my HS Football team when I would play proper football against them in off-season training by being able to do things they couldn't.

[Nunavut Patrick]

I grew up in Holland and was put in the goal because I was the tallest and I had a bad habit of hacking down players who ran by me.

 

I played three years and was decent, our team won tournaments and we travelled to play teams in Utrect and Amsterdam.

 

Then my family moved to Canada and I didn't play at all through high school. Got back into it at a pub league and they needed goalies. Ended up playing in the main league for the city in the second division for a few years but with a young family and working ten hours a day and travelling (some of our games were 90 minutes away) i just went to rec league.

 

I loved being a keeper as the whole field of play was in front of you. Playing on shit fields you do let some howlers on from odd bounces and the six yard box, if it rained, was a fucking pond.

 

I still remember the best game I ever played was near the end of the season we were playing our main rivals, we won 3-2 but I stopped a penalty, two very good free kicks, a one on one and other numerous chances. Only year I was on a team that won anything in footie.

 

i also played goalie in ice hockey and that was fucking mental.

[Fi!]

It seems like most people here are Europeans. You really don't get to play much football in Asia. Probably that's why Asian team just suck at world stage.

[Ne Moe Imya]

I started out a CM but once I started to grow was moved back to CB, sort of a slowish giant who read the game well. A shit version of Hyypia, if you will.

 

Always wondered how I might have done as a keeper; at 6'5" I had the build but never the inclination. My 7-year old loves playing in goal, maybe he'll turn out to have some talent for it (though he might not quite have the genetic ability - his mother, while quite a looker, is a bit of a shortarse and terrible at sport).

 

[Lee909]

Play as a keeper, who the hell wanted to play in goal?

 

Goalkeeper was the position of the shittiest of the shit.

[Hand Shandy]

Play as a keeper, who the hell wanted to play in goal?

 

Goalkeeper was the position of the shittiest of the shit.

Not true. I was good outfield too, playing right back, centre mid and even up front on the odd occasion.

 

I enjoyed playing in goal though - I always saw it as an opportunity to look good by making other cunts look stupid when I saved something I shouldn't have got anywhere near.

[Lee909]

Weirdo

 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Any keepers have a weak side?

 

I was good to my left. Could dive at all heights. But put it to my right and it was more of a flop than a dive.

 

Which is strange as I'm right handed too.

 

Same when I played outfield too. I had stints in midfield and upfront, but ended up at the back eventually. Right footed, played right back (not a bombing on full back, hell no!) but felt far more comfortable playing left back.

 

Strange.

[DanDanShaw]

Play as a keeper, who the hell wanted to play in goal?

 

Goalkeeper was the position of the shittiest of the shit.

I was a keeper until I'd say about 4 years ago and now I get paid to play right back for Daisy Hill (only £70 a game like, but still)

 

Our keeper plays outfield for our 5-a-side team and he's easily the best player.