List the best keepers we've ever had in the lower divisions.

[Londonboy 242]

4 hours ago, Lee Sinnott2 said:

Pogliacomi. He stopped the opposition from scoring...

He was a good un, although he did have a couple of top centre halfs in front of him for that level in Clint and Onesize...oh for anything like that quality nowadays...

Edited February 17 by Londonboy

[GrahamHughes 12]

Gary Kelly,Les Pogliacomi definitely the two that stand out for me on permanent contracts.Lee Grant,Paul Rachubka both impressed on loan that I recall.

[BP1960 3,137]

1 hour ago, Summerdeep said:

I'd like to give an honourable mention to Barry Gordine.

 

He had the difficult task of replacing David Best in 1968-69, but did well despite the team finishing in 24th place in the old Div 3 and being relegated. In 1969-70 he had another excellent season, despite the side being engaged in a desperate struggle to avoid having to apply for re-election. When one of the football magazines (I think it was Shoot) published their best Div 4 line up for that season, they selected Gordine as their keeper.

 

It all went wrong in the 1970-71 promotion season. Frizzell signed a goalie called Maurice Short from Middlesbrough, who displaced Gordine from the side at the start of the campaign. Short however proved absolutely hopeless, and Gordine won back his place after half a dozen matches, continuing to impress: in a 1-0 win at high-flying Chester in November, Jim Williams described him as 'safe as the Bank of England' in his match report (that was in the era before Quantitative Easing, LOL). A few weeks later, he had his one bad game in a 2-4 home defeat by Southport (where he gave away the opening goal) and within days Frizzell had signed Harry Dowd from Man City, who stepped straight into the side for the next match and remained first choice keeper for the next three years.

 

Gordine only made one more appearance for Latics, covering for Dowd in a match at Darlington in Feb '71. Not only that, but he never made another appearance in professional football for any team, despite being only 22 in 1971. From what I can remember, he definitely had the potential to have played at a higher level than Div 3 or Div 4, and can only guess that he might have had problems with his attitude and application to the game. Maybe there was also a personality clash with Frizzell, who clearly didn't see him as first choice keeper for the 70-71 season, and was very quick to drop him after the Southport match.

 

Gordine was one of our smallest keepers, but maybe the most agile

Harry Dowd was excellent .

[Flemboy 472]

Harry Dowd.

 

[League one forever 1,303]

The best all round keepers in my time  are either Hallworth or Ripley. Most of the others were great shot stoppers, but couldn’t catch a cold. The above had fantastic distribution, commanded their box well and made saves that made you think - ‘how has he got to that’ 

[BP1960 3,137]

53 minutes ago, Flemboy said:

Harry Dowd.

 

 

Not the tallest, but great on taking crosses as he was so strong under pressure. Lawlor is far  taller but  so weak in comparison.

[BP1960 3,137]

Peter McDonnell signed from Livepool was probably the best at taking crosses I've seen.

He used to collect the ball with one knee high. Attackers soon learned not to go anywhere near him.  A simple effective ploy I don't think is in the coaching manuals

[kev1969 30]

Did he break his leg in one game seem to remember....Not  something we see much now thank goodness. 

[bigfatjoe1 603]

1 hour ago, BP1960 said:

Peter McDonnell signed from Livepool was probably the best at taking crosses I've seen.

He used to collect the ball with one knee high. Attackers soon learned not to go anywhere near him.  A simple effective ploy I don't think is in the coaching manuals

Wasn't there a story about him, a very loyal female supporter and an encounter on a train?

 

Good keeper who is often overlooked when looking back. 

[bigfatjoe1 603]

2 hours ago, League one forever said:

The best all round keepers in my time  are either Hallworth or Ripley. Most of the others were great shot stoppers, but couldn’t catch a cold. The above had fantastic distribution, commanded their box well and made saves that made you think - ‘how has he got to that’ 

If we're talking higher divisions then, like McDonnell, Hallworth is often overlooked. Very consistent keeper. Commanded his area and fancied himself as a central striker. Also, a nice bloke. Met him and his wife in China Town one Saturday night.

 

Of course, no one was better than Andy Goram. He was a class act (first time round). If Gorton hadn't been a lunatic, i think he'd have achieved a great deal.

 

 

[Chaddyexile84 419]

5 minutes ago, bigfatjoe1 said:

If we're talking higher divisions then, like McDonnell, Hallworth is often overlooked. Very consistent keeper. Commanded his area and fancied himself as a central striker. Also, a nice bloke. Met him and his wife in China Town one Saturday night.

 

Of course, no one was better than Andy Goram. He was a class act (first time round). If Gorton hadn't been a lunatic, i think he'd have achieved a great deal.

 

 

Did Hallworth regress at all? I didn’t see him up until the prem and seem to recall Gerrard deposed him (despite his horror shows against both Spurs and Liverpool when he thought he was a midfielder).

 

Then in our first game back in the Championship (division 1) I remember him walking to the edge of the box to pick up a dead ball and someone behind shouting

 

”Bloody hell Hallworths come off his line”

Edited February 17 by Chaddyexile84

[Wee Bobby 16]

John Boy. Billy Johnstone had his ankle broken but then we also sold George Kinnell and Frank Large for big profits to Sunderland and Leicester. With David Best and Ken Knighton coming in we would have gone up with Billy Johnstone also fit.

[Wee Bobby 16]

Ripley saving 2 penalties in injury time against Millwall takes some beating.

[Littlemoor Lad 76]

2 hours ago, BP1960 said:

Peter McDonnell signed from Livepool was probably the best at taking crosses I've seen.

He used to collect the ball with one knee high. Attackers soon learned not to go anywhere near him.  A simple effective ploy I don't think is in the coaching manuals

Remember Oggy and Platt as the first keepers when my Latics journey began, then McDonnell who

ended up at Morecambe?

[Summerdeep 26]

^ Whatever Platt's strengths were, they certainly didn't include an ability to save penalties. Look at his performance in this 1976 match at Bolton (at 4:38 and 6:18).

 

https://youtu.be/FwV1nrgP5uc

 

 

Also at Liverpool 1977, at the 3:40 mark:

 

https://youtu.be/cGFBSdm1VNM

 

[Sparkleking 115]

John Platt and Peter McDonnell were the two keepers when I first started watching under Jimmy Frizzell.  They didn't exactly alternate the number 1 spot, but they did seem to swap over quite regularly.  It was similar with Hallworth and Rhodes 10 years later.  Does anyone remember Winston Dubose, an American if I remember correctly.  I saw him play once (maybe a Cup game) and I never saw him play again.

[disjointed 2,259]

2 minutes ago, Sparkleking said:

John Platt and Peter McDonnell were the two keepers when I first started watching under Jimmy Frizzell.  They didn't exactly alternate the number 1 spot, but they did seem to swap over quite regularly.  It was similar with Hallworth and Rhodes 10 years later.  Does anyone remember Winston Dubose, an American if I remember correctly.  I saw him play once (maybe a Cup game) and I never saw him play again.

I seem to remember Dubose playing in a night game, also he was shite. 

[Sparkleking 115]

Just now, disjointed said:

I seem to remember Dubose playing in a night game, also he was shite. 

Yes, it was a night match when I saw him.  Leyland DAF Trophy or whatever it was called then perhaps.

[Littlemoor Lad 76]

11 minutes ago, Sparkleking said:

John Platt and Peter McDonnell were the two keepers when I first started watching under Jimmy Frizzell.  They didn't exactly alternate the number 1 spot, but they did seem to swap over quite regularly.  It was similar with Hallworth and Rhodes 10 years later.  Does anyone remember Winston Dubose, an American if I remember correctly.  I saw him play once (maybe a Cup game) and I never saw him play again.

Plenty of us 50 somethings on here 

How can we ever forget?

[Bristolatic 2,887]

Peter McDonnell used to use one foot for dead ball kicks and the other foot when clearing from his hands. Nigel Batch at Grimsby did too. PMcD was a very good keeper. 

 

Also David Best, Jon Hallworth, Andy Rhodes, Harry Dowd, Chris Ogden, Jimmy Rollo, John Hardie (unlucky to be around at the same time as Rollo) plus many more from way back when.

 

But the best for me would be Goram (first time around), Iverson, Ripley and Pogliacomi.

 

I'd even take the Johny Placide we had before his mother died (his form really suffered after that). He made some incredible saves, commanded the box and had excellent distribution. Heart stopping at times, admittedly.

 

The worst? Blayney, Miskelly, Budtz and the two loans that Shez had lumped on him.

 

Lawlor isn't the worst by far, but his confidence could well be shot. Worth giving Bilboe a shot IMO.

[Littlemoor Lad 76]

3 minutes ago, Bristolatic said:

Peter McDonnell used to use one foot for dead ball kicks and the other foot when clearing from his hands. Nigel Batch at Grimsby did too. PMcD was a very good keeper. 

 

Also David Best, Jon Hallworth, Andy Rhodes, Harry Dowd, Chris Ogden, Jimmy Rollo, John Hardie (unlucky to be around at the same time as Rollo) plus many more from way back when.

 

But the best for me would be Goram (first time around), Iverson, Ripley and Pogliacomi.

 

I'd even take the Johny Placide we had before his mother died (his form really suffered after that). He made some incredible saves, commanded the box and had excellent distribution. Heart stopping at times, admittedly.

 

The worst? Blayney, Miskelly, Budtz and the two loans that Shez had lumped on him.

 

Lawlor isn't the worst by far, but his confidence could well be shot. Worth giving Bilboe a shot IMO.

No real surprise with a rice paper thin defense infront of him

[Sparkleking 115]

If this thread is turning into a "worst ever" thread, then what about poor John Keeley...pun intended.  The guy was great when playing against us for Brighton, but he had a nightmare when he signed for us, in more ways than one.  Without digging out my fanzines, in the space of a couple of months didn't his house get burgled, his wife left him, and he ran over his cat on his driveway?  On top of that (or because of that) he had a torrid time on the field and was soon destined not to play for us again.  I think he cost us £250k as well, big money for us then (and now!).

[Flemboy 472]

2 hours ago, Wee Bobby said:

Ripley saving 2 penalties in injury time against Millwall takes some beating.

Still piss  myself  at the Millwall fan who videod  it in the Chaddy when he said ..you couldn't f**king make this up

 

[Andyt84 16]

John Keeley was terrible both times I saw him play.  

[Mr Banks, Zone 3 16]

4 hours ago, BP1960 said:

Peter McDonnell signed from Livepool was probably the best at taking crosses I've seen.

He used to collect the ball with one knee high. Attackers soon learned not to go anywhere near him.  A simple effective ploy I don't think is in the coaching manuals

I'm pretty sure that ploy was actually in my Bob Wilson's Book Of Goalkeeping when I was a kid , it was standard practice in those days to give the keeper some protection and something I always practiced. I totally agree about Peter McDonnell, he was one of my first Latics heroes.