<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
The halcyon days of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were apparently a boom time in England’s glorious history of great goalkeepers. From the benchmark that was the great Gordon Banks and his understudy, Peter Springett, to the rotation of Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton in the 70’s and early 1980’s, England always had a top class goalkeeper.
As Chris Woods and then David Seaman continued the tradition, despite every other pundit claiming the English goalkeeper was a dying breed,&nbsp; but until Seaman’s retirement from England duty in 2002, that looked an empty prediction. Since then England’s number one has rotated between David James, Paul Robinson, Scott Carson, with sporadic appearances from Robert Green, Ben Foster, Chris Kirkland and Joe Hart. An unusual situation after decades of stability between the sticks, which clarifies a pressing issue for Capello. Just who can he trust with the number one shirt?

<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100304_WST_16382_DavidJames-GoalKeeper.webp&amp;width=450&amp;height=338" alt="" width="450" height="338"></figure></div>
The obvious choice is David James, but the situation at Portsmouth has had far reaching consequences. James found himself in a situation were Portsmouth wouldn’t play him as it would trigger a clause in his contract rewarding him with an extension. Of course, being the goalkeeper of a side marooned at the foot of the Premiership table and with a worrying tendency to implode under pressure, is James really the best English goalkeeper?
Euro 2004 saw James’ performances came under criticism after admitting he hadn’t studied French set pieces, when England were undone by 5 minutes of madness in the opening game of the tournament. A penalty from Henry and a free kick from Zidane saw England collapse and ultimately end up with the harder run of the tournament.
Yet since those rickets, consistency has returned to his game and as one of English footballs more eloquent footballers, James would be one of the three goalkeepers for me and probably keep the No.1 shirt unless his form completely collapses before the end of the season.The other two places are realistically up for grabs.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100304_WST_16382_joehartPA3012_468x329.webp&amp;width=468&amp;height=329" alt="" width="468" height="329"></figure></div>
To all intents and purposes, the stand out English goalkeeper of the Premiership season has been Joe Hart and what a season. He’s certainly been one of the key reasons that Birmingham City have had such a successful season so far. In fact,I was stunned that Hart didn’t make his second appearance for England in Wednesday nights friendly against Egypt. I’ve been very impressed with his form throughout the season and felt for him when Manchester City splashed out big bucks to bring Shay Given to Eastlands in January 2009.
One criticism that seemingly comes Hart’s way from some quarters is his age. It seems a perennial English trait that players are perpetually too young to play for their country. Hart has plenty of international experience, with his time with the Under-21 squad even scoring a penalty for his country. Yes, it may not be the same level of intensity, but competition experience is invaluable, what ever level it is achieved at. The future England custodian of the gloves for me and a shoe in for the second goalkeeping place.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100304_WST_16382_scott-carson_1117613c.webp&amp;width=460&amp;height=288" alt="" width="460" height="288"></figure></div>
The final place is the one that several people have a real chance of grabbing, but I’ll rule out the three who I wouldn’t consider. Poor Scott Carson, another one who was touted as the future of English goalkeeper until a wet night at Wembley in 2007 that saw the end of the dreadful Steve Mclaren reign. Critics blamed the pitch, oblivious to the wonderful football that Croatia played. Tactically inept and with his powers of spin unable to cover his failings, Mclaren went down taking Carson’s England career with it.
He’s never recovered and several high profile mistakes last season saw his hopes of an England recall all but disappear. Carson simply hasn’t had any luck with certain mistakes perhaps over analysed in the media but I think this World Cup has come too soon for him. Add to that with him not playing Premiership football as well&nbsp; coupled with not being the best English goalkeeper in the Championship and it’s doubtful he’ll get a sniff unless bubonic plague strikes the England goalkeeper set up.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100304_WST_16382__42359654_lennon_pa.webp&amp;width=416&amp;height=300" alt="" width="416" height="300"></figure></div>
Chris Kirkland is another that time has not been kind to. Touted as the next great England keeper,&nbsp; injuries stalled his career development and it is only in the last couple of seasons that he has managed to get a consistent level of appearances together. The irony of goalkeeping was shown in no clearer light than on November 22nd when Kirkland conceded 9 goals in Wigan’s mauling at the hands of&nbsp; Tottenham.
Remarkably, without Kirkland, Spurs would have probably scored more, he saved a further 7 shots on target. Classed as injury prone, despite playing over 80 league games in his last 3 seasons, Kirkland has fallen behind Hart and would currently be 5th in my opinion. At 28, time is certainly not against him, but it’ll be a major surprise if he gets back to England duty.
Ben Foster currently can’t get on Manchester United’s bench which says it all and he is a real pickle at Old Trafford. Bags of potential but I don’t care how good you are, playing for Manchester United reserves occasionally isn’t anywhere near the level of getting in to the England set up. I’ve a real fear that he could disappear like Richard Wright did after joining Arsenal and then a disjointed spell at Everton. Now back at Ipswich Town, his is a career of real missed chances.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100304_WST_16382_eng-goal-415x355.webp&amp;width=415&amp;height=355" alt="" width="415" height="355"></figure></div>
Which brings me to my final two choices. Paul Robinson and Robert Green.&nbsp; Last night Capello seemed to give Green the chance to prove he could be part of the squad by playing the whole 90 minutes of the friendly. This seemingly would draw a curtain on Paul Robinson’s chances of making the squad unless James, Hart or Green falls injured.&nbsp; Green didn’t really have much to do and he has certainly been fairly consistent over the last 3 seasons at West Ham United.
So overall I think Capello will pick James, Green and Hart with Robinson as 4th choice on stand by. The wild card would be Chris Kirkland but overall, I think Fabio will stick with the devil he knows but what do you think??

The England Outsiders#1 The Goalkeepers - World Soccer Talk

The England Outsiders#1 The Goalkeepers

>In the annals of English Football, goalkeepers have always held a certain mystique throughout its history. When you think of great English goalkeepers, the names of Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence come to mind. Generally, the modern opinion is that you need to be a little mad to be keeper. That opinion was born by the performances of one man, William “Fatty” Foulkes.
For a goalkeeper who played over a century ago to be still remembered is some achievement. I find it quite remarkable that a player who has hardly any living person alive to remember his performances can still invoke images of his giant frame and eccentric behavior.

Foulkes’ career started in local non-league football, playing for Blackwell Town in 1893 and was snapped up shortly afterwards by Sheffield United. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship as Sheffield United became one of the stronger sides in the fledgling Football League. United hit a purple period during the period Foulkes spent at Bramall Lane and Foulkes became something of a celebrity.
Standing 6’4″, Foulkes was staggeringly tall for the time, when the average male height was 5’7″, his towering frame became something of an impassable obstacle. With his presence in the sticks, Sheffield United finished runners-up twice, won the league and reached 3 F.A. Cup Finals, winning two of them.Yet Foulkes’ behavior began to become more erratic as his celebrity star rose. He became known for walking off the pitch if he felt the defenders weren’t playing well enough and dealt with troublesome strikers by picking them up and throwing them in the net.
 The F.A.Cup Final of 1902 saw the game finish 2-2, but Foulkes was so incensed by Southampton’s equaliser, as he felt it was offside. Despite being in the nude, Foulkes chased the referee who had to hide in a broom cupboard to save himself.
In the replay, Foulkes put in a man of the match performance to keep Southampton at bay in a 2-1 win for the Blades. Yet behind the glory, Foulkes had become increasingly reliant on alcohol to simply get him through the day and his performances for United started to slide.
As his drinking increased, so did his legendary bouts of bad temper and during the 1904-05 season, his personality clashes with team mates, club officials and even fans saw the club run out of patience with him. Making only 10 appearances after 289 in the previous 10 seasons, United realised they could cope without him.
Chelsea came calling in the summer of 1905 and a transfer fee of £50 saw him travel south to become club captain of the Blues. Chelsea were making their football league debut and the signing of Foulkes was designed as both a footballing and business decision. By signing Foulkes, Chelsea knew they would get more bodies in the ground and Foulkes’ reputation certainly preceded him.
Chelsea also introduced ball boys to stand behind Foulkes to try and emphasis the goalkeepers size and a debut season saw Chelsea 3rd, just missing out on promotion behind the Champions, Bristol City and in their fourth season under the name, Manchester United.
Yet Foulkes, regardless of his status and celebrity at Stamford Bridge, he pined for a return to north of England. For one last hurrah, Bradford City offered him a return leaving Chelsea before the end of the 1905-06 season for one match.
The following year saw his final season at Valley Parade as the League added 4 new clubs in its expansion to two league of 20 teams.As with Chelsea, Bradford had banked on Foulkes to draw the crowds and the side often played in front of crowds in excess of 25,000. As final season’s go, Bradford made a good fist of it, but Foulkes must have been galled to see Chelsea gain promotion without him.
As time went by, Foulkes earned a living as a carnival show in Blackpool and on tour around the UK but his drinking eventually caught up with him and he passed away through cirrhosis of the liver in 1914, aged only 42. His grave can be found in Burngreave cemetery, Sheffield. 95 years on, his name still conjures images of a giant of man keeping goal for Sheffield United, terrorising strikers everywhere.
<ul>
<li>411 League and Cup Appearances for Sheffield United, Chelsea and Bradford City</li>
<li>First ever captain of Chelsea in their debut season in the Football League</li>
<li>1 cap for England in 1897 v Wales</li>
<li>1 League Championship medal (1897-98) 
</li>
<li>2 F.A. Cup winners medals (1898-1899 &amp; 1901-02) 
</li>
<li>1 F.A. Cup losers medal (1900-01)</li>
</ul>

Legends Of English Football: #9 Fatty Foulkes - World Soccer Talk

Legends Of English Football: #9 Fatty Foulkes

Latest news from Ray Clemence. Find out about all the news related to Ray Clemence on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Ray Clemence"

General

The England Outsiders#1 The Goalkeepers

General

Legends Of English Football: #9 Fatty Foulkes