AUTUMN 2011 THE MAGAZINE FOR THE GOALKEEPING PROFESSION Craig SAVE OF THE SEASON? The greatest saves of all time GK1 looks at the top 5 saves in the history of the game Coaching Corner The art of saving penalties Equipment Precision, Uhlsport & Sells Goalkeeper Products Kid Gloves The stars of the future On the Move Summary of the latest GK transfers Also featuring: Alex McCarthy, Reading FC John Ruddy, Norwich City Alex Smithies, Huddersfield Town Bob Wilson OBE Business Pages Key developments affecting the professional ‘keeper Exclusive interviews with: Gordon Banks OBE Gary Bailey Kasper Schmeichel TM £4.50
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AUTUMN 2011
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE GOALKEEPING PROFESSION
GORDONCraig
SAVE OF THE SEASON?
The greatest saves of all timeGK1 looks at the top 5 saves in the history of the game
How did he do that? 4The greatest saves of all time Exclusive Interview: 6Safe as the Banks of EnglandGordon BanksCoaching corner 10 Featuring:Science fiction or science fact - an indispensible guide to saving a spot kick Learning the trade - just4keepersNews in brief 15Exclusive Interview: 16Ruddy brilliantJohn RuddyParadise found 18Matt Jones
Well done Bob 20Bob Wilson’s charity bike ride On the move 22 All the latest transfer newsKid Gloves 26The stars of the futureWhere are they now? 30Ian FeuerThe Business Pages 31Featuring: Neil Doncaster - crucial SPL voteOutside the box 32Ex-England stopper Gary BaileyEssential Equipment 36The latest goalkeeping productsPrecision Goalkeeping 38with Kasper Schmeichel
CONTENTS
How did he do that?GK1 asks a select group of the nation’s top goalkeeping coaches for their Top 5 great saves of all time.
AUTUMN 2011 5
GK1 headquarters
and as per
usual, opinions
were flying back and forth across the
office as to the greatest save of all time.
Prompted by Craig Gordon’s miraculous
save for Sunderland against Bolton, we were
extolling the virtues of a host of famous
saves, some old, some new.
Enter, GK1 editor Andy Evans to restore
order before concluding there’s only one
solution!
And so to kick off your latest edition, GK1
has surveyed a group of top goalkeeping
coaches to bring you the Top Five jaw-
dropping, eye-bulging, gravity-defying
saves of all time.
(In reverse order:)
Gregory Coupet: Barcelona v
Lyon, Champions League, 1999
After just two minutes at the Nou
Camp the Lyon keeper pulled
out one of the all-time great stops as he
first acrobatically headed an unintended
lobbed backpass by a defender onto his
own crossbar, and then immediately parried
a close header by the arriving Barcelona
striker Rivaldo. Ridiculous really. www.
youtube.com/watch?v=iieYg7Sm8FM
Peter Schmeichel: Rapid
Vienna v Manchester United,
Champions League, 1996
Similar in several ways to our
winner. Schmeichel pulled off a save to
rank alongside Banks’ legendary stop
from Pele in the World Cup in 1970 as
United beat Rapid Vienna 2-0 to go into
the quarter finals of the European Cup. He
went down to his right and defied logic
by scooping the ball up and somehow
over the bar from Rapid’s Rene Wagner.
Banks once said: “It was as good as mine
against Pele.’’ Sorry Gordon, but our
judges beg to differ! www.youtube.com/
watch?v=UZvJ8GT73rM
Craig Gordon: Sunderland
v Bolton, Premier League
December 2010
With just a few seconds left
at the end of the first half Bolton won
a corner. Gary Cahill headed into the
danger area before Zat Knight smacked
a shot towards a gaping goal from little
more than three yards out. Goal? With the
Scottish keeper stranded following the
penalty box pinball you’d have thought
so. Yet with the Bolton fans starting to
celebrate, the mighty Scot managed to
incredibly stretch a giant arm backwards,
put it under the ball, and scoop the ball
out from under the bar. www.youtube.
com/watch?v=PqAmG3xK9_Y
Jim Montgomery: Sunderland v
Leeds United, FA Cup Final 1973
Jim’s effort would have to come
close to winning, were this a
‘double-save’ competition. The first save is
good, but the second has near paranormal
qualities. Commentator Brian Moore takes
a while to realise it’s not a goal. Monty’s
efforts coupled with Ian Porterfield’s goal
combined to cause one of the great FA Cup
upsets of all time. www.youtube.com/
watch?v=PZmFoo4payA
Gordon Banks. England v Brazil
World Cup 1970
Turn the page for more…
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=ngE9RCAdWaE
5
4
3
2
1
Craig Gordon’s wonder save against Bolton, December 2010
AUTUMN 20116
Safe as the Banks of EnglandDuring England’s glory years, the No1 jersey belonged to Gordon Banks OBE. For some, possibly the game’s finest exponent of the art of goalkeeping. Banks has received endless accolades - not to mention a World Cup winners’ medal - but he knows he’ll always be best remembered not for one season, one tournament or even one game - but for one save...that just happened to be the greatest save of all time!
Hot and Bothered“Everything that day was in Brazil’s favour.
It was a midday kick off. The only shadows
were around your feet and it was 102 degrees
out on a rock-hard pitch. In the team-talk,
Alf (Ramsey) told us to keep possession and
hold off from sprinting until the final third
otherwise we’d be dead by half time.”
From the start, Banks watched on as
the World Cup holders struggled to cope
with the flair and pace of the tournament
favourites, Brazil.
Yet even prior to that great day, the
Brazilians had the upper-hand, thanks to
some under-hand tactics from the locals.
“Brazil had been in town for a couple of
weeks, handing out little flags, meeting and
greeting the locals,” recalls Banks, who kept
for his country on 73 occasions.
“And the night before the game, local
fans stopped the traffic outside our hotel at
about 2am and of course all the car horns
started. It took the police a couple of hours
to restore peace and quiet by which time we
were all wide awake! Then they came back
again and did the same thing.”
“A bit naughty but to be honest, it didn’t
make any difference in the end. On the day
we played superbly.”
Don’t Look UpBanks was to make save after save to keep
England level - a consummate athlete at the
peak of his powers. Just ten minutes into
the game, the attack and its fabled outcome
began with the Brazilian captain Carlos
Alberto.
“He was such an amazing player. He
fizzed this beautiful pass with the outside
of his right foot, to Jairzinho. In a flash, he
ghosted past Terry Cooper towards the
by-line. For a moment it looked like he’d
over-run it. If he managed to get the cross in
I knew we were in trouble. He looked up and
so did I...and quickly wished I hadn’t!”
“Rivelino was charging in from the left,
Pele was sprinting through the middle and
that little fella Tostão was unmarked on the
near post!”
Like so many great keepers, Banks relied on
his positional instincts, making his way across
the goalmouth in the blink of an eye as Pele
rose to send a bullet header goalwards.
The reason why this awe-inspiring effort
seemingly never grows old has much to do
with the need for anticipation. It wasn’t a
knee-jerk instinctive save from a point-blank
shot. Everything Banks did that day came
from a split-second conscious ability to judge
exactly what he needed to do to keep his team
level.
“I never used to stand on my line, always
two or three yards off it. Thank goodness. I
looked at his take-off point and his balance
to help work out which way the header was
going. That’s when I also heard him shout
‘Gol’!”
“I knew straight away I’d have to guess
how high the ball would bounce off the
rock-hard surface whilst at the same time
reaching behind me.”
Watching the save back in real time does
little justice to Banks’ efforts. Only in slow
motion can you consider the acrobatic ability,
the calculations necessary, the instincts and
the amazing distance covered...all in the blink
of an eye.
“I just thought it was a goal. I’d managed
to get the top of my thumb to it,” recalls the
73-year-old, who now travels to Liverpool to
sit on the weekend Pools Panel.
“Because I was diving backwards, the
bottom half of my body swung around
and I ended up facing almost backwards...
and that’s when I saw the ball bouncing
away.
“Moore-o (Bobby Moore) came and
clipped me on the top of the head. Tostão
had his hands in the air then started
clapping. Pele had his hand in the air, almost
asking how that had happened,”... a question
no one has ever really answered.
Best Laid Plans“We created more chances and should have
won. In fact, that was the first time I started
to believe that we could go on and win the
World Cup again...and I thought we’d see
Brazil again in the final. That time, they’d be
the ones who were nervous.”
Sadly, Banks’ plans were to be foiled days
later by a severe stomach upset, confining
him to hotel quarters while a two-nil lead
became a 3-2 defeat to West Germany.
“Of course I was disappointed. I think I
was a better keeper in ‘70 than in ‘66. I was
in my thirties, all the experience I’d gained
for England and at club level and I was in
such good form; supremely confident in my
abilities. It felt like it was my time and I know
that spread to the players around me.”
Banks with Brazil legend Pele
AUTUMN 20118
Wonder GlovesAs the Pele save had proven, if it was save-
able, Banks was your man.
More than four decades later, the
memories are undiminished, the pride still
there and the recollections saved for a lucky
few.
But our chat reveals a chapter of the
story lost in the midst of time regarding the
gloves he wore that day.
“In the heat of the Mexican sun, the
players wore as little as possible. The
keeper’s attire couldn’t have been more
simple - cotton shirt, ordinary shorts and a
cap if the sun shone,” remembers Gordon.
In England, keepers only wore gloves if
it was wet! Little woollen ones at that! That
was until a week or so before the Brazil
match.
“I was lying in bed watching a football
match in my hotel room and saw this
Mexican keeper had these big gloves on,”
remembers Banks.
“I went straight to Alf (Ramsey) and asked
if I could go into town to find some. Off I
went and found some at a local sports shop.
The palms and the backs of the fingers were
covered in those pimples you find on a table
tennis bat! I popped them on at training the
next day and they were terrific.
“Because we were at altitude, the ball
was moving about a bit and so my handling
wasn’t what it needed to be.
“Five minutes with these gloves on and
I couldn’t drop a thing. They were brilliant
and sent my confidence through the roof
and they’re the ones you see me wearing in
Guadalajara.
“To be honest I couldn’t wait to get home
to see if I could flog a few pairs,” he joked.
LegacyIt wasn’t really until England’s GK1 returned
home that the fascination with THAT save
became apparent.
“Every time I was interviewed on TV or
by the newspapers, the question about the
save came up over and over again.”
So does he tire of discussing it?
“I can’t afford to! No, seriously, I’m very
proud to have made the save especially
as it was nil-nil at the time. Like they say,
sometimes saving a goal’s as important as
scoring one.”
So often these days polls are dominated
by recent players, recent goals, recent
teams...yet in some ways it’s the legacy
of Banks’ moment which is the most
significant.
“I suppose it’s the internet which keeps
the interest these days. Kids can listen to
their dads, well their grand-dads, then log
on and read about it and play it over again
and make their own judgements.
“I’m sure it helps that the header was
from Pele. He was the very best I ever saw,
built to play football with such a great brain.
“We didn’t talk about it at the time, just
shook hands as we left the field. It never
really cropped up again until we got home.”
Years later, the Brazilian legend came
over to the UK to collect yet another award
- and not for the first time explained why his
memories of the day are so clear.
“I’ve played all over the globe, won
World Cups, scoring more than 1000 goals.
But every time I come here to England, the
only thing people ask me about is Gordon
Banks!”
Banks on Today’s KeepersGK1: So who does Gordon Banks
enjoying watching these days?
GB: “I get down to the Britannia Stadium
when I can to see Stoke (He’s the Hon. Club
President ) and sometimes to Leicester. Joe
Hart is a terrific talent. He’s had a tough
time of late, but he’s young and he’ll be
great for England in years to come.
“I’m not surprised to see Craig Gordon’s
save in the Top 5. He’s a special talent
and that was a real reflex save from very
close range and he had to fetch the
ball almost from behind him. He’s of
an age where he’ll keep on improving
and Scotland have got themselves an
excellent talent there. Reina’s another
terrific keeper I’d pay to go and see.”
Science Fict or Science
FACT
Some say it’s an art, others insist it’s a precise discipline. Either way, this month, GK1 looks at the evidence to see if there really is an indispensible guide to saving a spot kick.
Learning the tradeFounded in 1999 by former Everton goalkeeper, Ray Newland, Just4keepers is now established as one of the country’s leading coaching courses for young goalkeepers. And it’s not just based in the UK: they have over fifty dedicated coaches working in seven countries.
One of those coaches is Dave
Bennett who runs courses
in the Shropshire area. “I
started in July 2009 with
the first class in Shrewsbury, now I’ve got
four in Shrewsbury, one in Welshpool and
one in Wrexham,” explains Dave. “The
courses run for an hour per week in each
location teaching kids between the ages
of seven and sixteen.”
It’s obviously a format that’s
working. Since they started,
Just4keepers has had over 200 young
goalkeepers picked up by professional
clubs. “If the parents and managers of
the clubs are wise enough it’s an ideal
grounding,” he says. “Lack of proper
specific coaching from an early age is
a common complaint from keepers -
the younger the kids come to us, the
better it is. Firstly they get an idea if
they really want to be a goalkeeper
and secondly they improve far quicker
when they’re young.”
While their success rate of placing
youngsters at league clubs is without
question, Just4keepers is more
than just a breeding ground for
professionals. Dave is keen to point out that
the courses are there to provide coaching to
any child, regardless of ability. “The balance
is that we’re always going to have kids
coming to us that aren’t going to make it,”
Dave reveals. “Ray’s ethos from day one was
if they want to come and learn, you’re there
to teach them. Yes it’s great that there’s
the list on the website with the lads that
have gone on to bigger and better things,
however, just as important for me are the
ones who are never going to achieve that,
who come every week with a smile on their
face because they love every minute of it.”
This grassroots approach of making
goalkeeping as accessible as possible is
obviously something Dave feels passionate
about. Ask him about his greatest
achievement and it isn’t the latest recruit
to a league club. “I’ve got a lad in Wrexham
who fourteen months ago could hardly
catch a ball,” he says. “His mum came up
to me and said she didn’t know what to do
with him, they’d asked him to play in goal
because he’s a big lad, huge for his age. They
thought great he can go in goal but he had
absolutely no ability – now fourteen months
later they say if he continues the way he
has he’ll be going to Wrexham’s centre of
excellence for trials. That gives me more
pleasure than seeing the better kids getting
taken on by league clubs.”
The coaching philosophy is central to the
success of Just4keepers. Their view is that
kids will only learn and improve if they are
enjoying themselves and so every session
with every child, whatever their age
and ability, is designed to be that
way. “Our whole ethos is based on the
kids having a good time but being
disciplined when they need to be so
they can learn,” insists Dave. “I’ve had
some great achievements but most
importantly the kids always say how
much they enjoy it and that’s the
biggest part of it. If they enjoy it they’ll
be more confident.”
It’s not just about coaching
technique and fitness - Dave also
believes it’s crucial to work on the
mental side of the game from an early
age. “I always drum it into them, you’re
in a team but you’re on your own,” he
says. “You’ve got to be strong mentally
and I do pride myself with working on
that side of the game. I always equate it to
being a golfer or a tennis player. If a centre
forward loses the ball, the midfield is behind
you, if a midfielder misses a tackle, they
have the defence to rely on. If a defender
makes a mistake they have the goalkeeper
but if you make the mistake there’s nobody
behind you - you look round but there’s
nobody there, you’re on your own.”
COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING CORNER COACHING NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN
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Ruddy brilliant
When John Ruddy joined Norwich City from Everton in the summer of 2010, few would have envisaged the role he was about to play in the Canaries’ bid for promotion to the Premier League. John has emerged as one of England’s brightest goalkeeping talents, producing countless displays that have helped propel his club to English football’s Holy Grail.
Exclusive
Interview
with
John Ruddy
AUTUMN 2011 17
Norwich’s promotion is
all the more remarkable
given that they began the
2009/10 season in League
One, suffering a 7-1 hammering on the
season’s opening day at the hands of
Colchester at Carrow Road.
Since Paul Lambert took the helm – the
same manager that orchestrated the 7-1
thrashing that day – the Canaries’ rise has
been meteoric: they now become the
first club since Manchester City in 2000
to secure back-to-back
promotions into the
Premier League.
After promotion
was finally clinched
after a 1-0 victory at
Portsmouth, GK1 reader
John Ruddy put the
club’s achievement into
perspective: “Promotion
is massive. The whole city
had been buzzing going
into the season’s run-in
and now that it’s finally
happened, it’s a dream.
Certainly from a player’s
point of view it’s a dream
to be competing in the Premier League
this year, and obviously the management
and coaching staff feel the same.”
John is no stranger to the big stage
having spent five years at Everton.
Norwich fans, however, have been made
to endure a six-year absence from the
Premier League, and John is quick to point
out the importance of promotion to those
related to the club off the pitch.
“The fans will be delighted to have
teams like Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool
and Arsenal come to our stadium. And
financially it’s massively rewarding for
the club. The people in the boardroom
deserve a lot of credit. They have pumped
a lot of their own money into the club and
are now getting reward for it. It’s brilliant
for the whole area, not just the city of
Norwich but the region as a whole.”
Simeon Jackson’s goal at Fratton Park
on May 2nd 2011 will live long in the
hearts and minds of the Norwich City
faithful. John was more than happy to lift
the lid on the team’s celebrations that day,
shedding some light on the team spirit at
the club.
“We stayed down in Portsmouth.
We were due to fly back but the Gaffer
decided to stay down. We went out, had
a few drinks and - as there has been all
season –there was a great camaraderie
between all players and staff. It was nice
to be able to enjoy the moment, although
for most of us it hadn’t really sunk in
properly. It was quite a surreal feeling.”
Norwich have made a strong start to
their 2011/12 campaign, drawing in their
consecutive opening 2 games before
going down bravely to 2 late goals at
Stamford Bridge, but John modestly
downplays his own recent form when
pressed on the Canaries’ clamour for
potential international honours: “No, I’m
not thinking about that at all. My main
aim is to stay as number one at Norwich
– it’s as simple as that.” John may not be
expecting a call from Fabio Capello, but
with Ben Foster joining Paul Robinson in
taking an indefinite England sabbatical,
a first full call-up for the St Ives-born
stopper may be around
the corner.
Despite producing
an impressive 11 clean
sheets in 2010/11, Ruddy
remains determined
to improve: “I want to
perform better than I
did last season. I said to
other people recently
that I didn’t feel I had
a game where I played
really well last year. That’s
disappointing for me
from a personal point of
view, and yet we still got
promoted so there are a
lot of positives to take out of that season.
I’ll take those positives into this year and
hopefully I’ll help us stay in the Premier
League which is primarily the main aim.”
I’m not thinking about an England
call-up. My main aim is to stay as number one at Norwich – it’s as simple as that.
Matt ‘Indiana’ Jones
Paradise FoundThis nation’s goalkeeping balance of payments in recent years has been in severe deficit - all about imports with very few GK1 talents being exported to the continent and beyond.
One keeper bucking that
trend is Matt Jones - a
talented gloveman who
swapped his native
Potteries for a spell in New York before
landing at the Portuguese First Division
club CD Santa Clara.
“Portugal is one of the great footballing
nations, so for me to begin my professional
career here is a great platform to begin
from. The standards are very high,” says the
trail-blazing 24-year-old.
Surprisingly, Matt has not been plying his
trade in the footballing hotbeds of Lisbon
or Porto... but on the stunningly beautiful
islands of the Azores, 930 miles west of
Lisbon, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!
League Of His Own“As far as I know, I am the only English
player in the whole of Portugal, which was
shocking to me at first. Having said that,
there is such a dramatic difference in both
the culture, language and playing styles.
I can see why it is difficult for an English-
based player to succeed over here.”
Matt believes English players are yet
to be forgiven since the days of Graeme
Souness at Benfica. Similar spells in Portugal
did not work out so well for players such
as Michael Thomas, Scott Minto and Brian
Deane.
“As nice as it would be to have some
English company over here, on the flip side
it is a great way for me to get noticed.
“I’ve worked hard and played pretty well
most of the time, so it’s been very easy for
me to get noticed, which can only be good
for my career,” says Matt, whose two-year
contract at Santa Clara ended in May.
So how do the locals refer to our
Englishman abroad? “On the day I signed,
we did the customary photo shoot and my
shirt had ‘Matt Jones’ on the back rather
than ‘Jones’! And no matter how hard I try to
explain, everyone, the players, the fans and
the manager all call me Matt Jones!”
“I’ve been out here for over 2 years now.
It took me quite a long time to pick up the
Portuguese language. Culture-wise it’s
18 AUTUMN 2011
obviously so much more chilled here than
my time over in the States. It’s very relaxed
and calm but the language was what I had
to work on.”
Have It!So what does a goalkeeper, who’s keen to
communicate with his defence, learn to
shout first? Perhaps “Keepers!” or maybe
“Get out!” ?
“Tira” which roughly translated
means “Clear it..Get Rid..Have it!”
Thankfully, after over 2 years here, I can
pretty much say what I want to on and
off the field.”
Sadly CD Santa Clara’s progress
has been less successful. Always the
nearly-men, the proud club has made
an annual habit of missing out on
promotion to the Primeira Liga...much
to the amusement of their closest
rivals Maritimo, based on the island of
Madeira.
“We missed out on promotion two
years running and finished 2010/11 in
mid-table,” reflects Matt.
“A new coach came in and he
brought in 18 new players, chopped and
changed the team, and I found myself
on the bench for a spell which was
obviously frustrating. As a goalkeeper
you’re pretty much never going to
have the chance to come on for 10
minutes and impress. You know, like any
professional, all I’ve ever wanted to always
do is play.”
Je Ne Regret Rien?So does he regret embarking on these
travels - and would he recommend others to
try their hand abroad?
“I wouldn’t have changed a thing to be
honest. It’s been a good place for me to
come and play football. I’ve made some
great friends; we have one or two nights out
or maybe head for the beach, but the pace
of life here means it’s really easy just to focus
on the football.
“I’m surprised there aren’t any other
English players over here. You get a lot of
good players that just drop out of the game
at home. Why not try your luck here? You
can come over here and get another chance
to play.”
So what about the lifestyle in this
tranquil paradise? Presumably different to
the hustle-and-bustle of NYC?
“It’s couldn’t be more different! The diet is
very healthy: lots of fish and rice. Everything
is very fresh - no hot dogs, no fries and the
portions are a lot smaller!
Punched Out“The football is pretty different too. It’s very
technical. You’ve got to be an athlete as
much as a player. It’s tactical. Here they let
the ball do the work.”
But tactics for a keeper are surely similar
the world over? Isn’t it just about stopping
goals?
“Ultimately yes, but their style of keeping
is very different. When I first arrived they had
no idea what I was doing. When I was a kid I
was taught by Frank Barber, the goalkeeper
coach at Wigan, and he had a unique way
of teaching. They punch it a lot more here. I
was always taught - if you can catch it, catch
it. Over here they punch it to just get rid of
it.”
Bound for AmericaAt 14, Matt left his boyhood heroes at Port
Vale and headed for four years at Premier
League West Bromwich Albion. “That was
great experience for me. Sadly, they said
they didn’t think I was going to be good
enough to play in the Premier League so
they let me go.”
Like so many youngsters released by a
club, his future as a professional hung in the
balance.
However this dark cloud was to come
with a silver lining.
“I had a couple of trials at other clubs
but nothing really came of it. I was just
starting to think about playing semi-
pro and maybe going to university in
England.
“Then, out of the blue I got a call
from Sacred Heart University which is in
Connecticut. They told me they could
offer me a four-year scholarship. I’d get my
education at an American university and
get to play. It couldn’t have been better. I
had nothing else on offer so I just went.
“I got bigger and physically stronger
and that really helped. But it was really
my confidence that improved so much.
I picked up a lot of awards and it made
me fall back in love with football again,”
said Matt who graduated with a first-class
degree in business management, before
embarking on his travels to the Azores.
Future’s BrightThose entrepreneurial skills have been
put on hold for the time being whilst he
concentrates on doing his best in Portugal.
“Every kid out there, including me,
dreams of playing football for a living and
for me to be given a chance to do this is
a great honour. And if you can’t get lucky
breaks at home, then be brave enough to
look further a field.”
Since our interview, Matt has turned
down interest from clubs in the UK to
prolong his career in the Portuguese
League, signing for União da Madeira.
From one sun-swept Portuguese island to
another, Matt’s adventure overseas looks set
to continue.
19AUTUMN 2011
AUTUMN 2011 21
In our last issue of GK1, Bob Wilson
talked to us about The Willow
Foundation and his plans to raise
money for the charity by paying
all 20 Premier League clubs a visit on
a marathon bike ride. GK1 is delighted
to report that Arsenal legend Bob
completed the 500 mile, 11 day cycle,
raising more than £300,000 for The
Willow Foundation along the way.
Bob, who incredibly turns 70 this year,
hopes his cycle experience will inspire others
to get involved. His personal diary and
photo diary of the 11 day cycle challenge,
which set off from Fulham’s Craven Cottage,
visited all London clubs on day one, before
heading north and finishing at Newcastle’s St
James’ Park, plus an extra visit to Scotland’s
Hampden Park, can also be viewed on the
website listed below. His challenge was
both empowering and rewarding and Bob
hopes it will act as a catalyst for further cycle
challenges up and down the country.
“Every pound raised for Willow is making
a positive difference to the lives of young
people living with life threatening conditions
such as cancer, motor neurone disease,
cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and organ
failure. Willow’s special days help them
and their families rebuild lost confidence
and restore some normality to their lives
away from the pressures of hospital visits
and treatment. With your support we can
help create many more precious, positive
memories of family life even in the most
difficult of circumstances“. Bob Wilson OBE,
Life President, Willow Foundation.
Congratulations, Bob, on your fantastic
achievement from everyone at GK1!
For details on the Charity Cycle Challenge
visit www.bobwilsonsoccercycle.com or
for more information about the Willow
Foundation visit www.willowfoundation.
org.uk or telephone 01707 259777.
Well done Bob
All photos by Tom Bunning
Above: Arriving at St James’ Park, NewcastleBelow: Leaving Craven Cottage, Fulham
Above: Arriving at Hampden Park, GlasgowBelow: At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea
AUTUMN 201122
Summer 2011. Would this transfer window finally deliver the much anticipated flurry
of goalkeeper transfer activity that had been so missing in the previous 3 windows?
moveOn the
With Manchester
United, City,
Liverpool and
Spurs definitely in
the hunt for either a number 1 or 2
goalkeeper, and with well-documented
uncertainties at The Emirates, an
astonishing 46 goalkeepers available as
free transfers on the ‘PFA List’, plus the
activity surrounding all of the midlands
Premier League clubs, it seemed that
Summer 2011 would have many of the
country’s goalkeepers packing their
glove bags and heading for pastures
new..
Tottenham were first to officially pounce,
ending the speculation over the future of
Brad Friedel by snapping up the 40-year-
old American on a free transfer ahead of
rivals Liverpool. Friedel signed a 2-year
contract and is expected to compete with
Heurelho Gomes for the number 1 shirt
as Stipe Pletikosa returned to Spartak
Moscow following his unsuccessful loan.
Pletikosa also spent an unsuccessful
fortnight on trial at Celtic. Carlo Cudicini,
meanwhile, signed a one-year extension to
his contract at White Hart Lane. Liverpool
are closely monitoring the situation at
Stoke City, where Dane Tomas Sørensen is
unhappy at the option year that the Potters
have taken tying him to the club for a
further season. The Potters also planned for
the future by recruiting 16-year-old Austria
Under 17 keeper Daniel Bachmann from
Austria Vienna.
After months of speculation and
following the retirement of veteran stopper
Edwin van der Sar, Manchester United
announced the signing of David De Gea
from Atlético Madrid for a reported fee of
€21million. The 20-year-old arrives at Old
Trafford with a big reputation from his first
full season, having helped Spain Under 21s
win the European Championships in June.
United’s Tomasz Kuszczak was expected
to leave Old Trafford in search of regular
first team football, in particular as the Old
Trafford club have been impressed with
Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard
who signed from Aalesund in January.
Whilst publicly Arsene Wenger continues
to deny any intent to recruit a goalkeeper
in this window, his young keepers remain in
demand. Hull City failed in their pursuit of
a permanent move for Vito Mannone, who
had joined the Tigers in January on loan,
whilst James Shea returned to The Emirates
following a loan spell at Southampton.
Blackburn Rovers have released Welsh
international Jason Brown (pictured),
who spent time on loan at Leyton Orient
and Cardiff City last season, and have
allowed Frank Fielding to turn his loan
move to Derby County into a permanent
one. Despite being courted by Rovers
throughout the summer, former Liverpool
and Fulham ‘keeper Tony Warner packed
his bags and set out for a new challenge
‘Down Under’, joining New Zealand side
Wellington Phoenix.
Fellow Lancastrians Wigan Athletic
captured Ali Al-Habsi from neighbours
Bolton Wanderers for a fee in the region
of £4million, and have also handed a new
contract to veteran Mike Pollitt. Bolton
Wanderers, on the other hand, have tied
Hungarian keeper Adam Bogdan (pictured)
to a new two-year contract to compete with
Jussi Jaaskelainen for the number 1 shirt.
Irishman Trevor Carson, who spent the
final months of the season at Brentford,
Jason Brown
AUTUMN 2011
has returned to the Stadium of Light to be
joined by compatriot Keiren Westwood,
who has joined Sunderland as a free agent
from Coventry City. Manager Steve Bruce
has cited first choice Craig Gordon’s injury
at the back end of last season as the reason
behind the move for cover, with Gordon
not expected to be back playing until
September.
Staying in the North East, Charlton
Athletic stopper Rob Elliott eventually
joined Newcastle United on deadline day
for an undisclosed fee, and will be vying for
the first team spot with Steve Harper and
Dutchman Tim Krul.
Another Dutchman will feature among
the ranks of Premier League stoppers next
season, as Dorus De Vries has opted to
join Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free
transfer rather than remain with newly
promoted Swansea City. Wolves have
released Adriano Basso, who had joined
the club in January on a short term deal.
The loss of De Vries left Swans manager
Brendan Rodgers on the lookout for 3
experienced keepers to help with their
first season in the Premier League. First to
arrive was legendary Benfica keeper, José
Moreira (pictured), who joined the Swans
for an undisclosed fee after ten years with
the Portuguese club. He was followed
by the £1.4 million purchase of Dutch
International Michel Worm, and of German
keeper Gerhard Tremmel, who was a free
agent having left Red Bull Salzburg. Of the 2
other newly promoted sides, QPR rewarded
Paddy Kenny and Radek Cerny with new
contacts and snapped up Brian Murphy
following his departure from Ipswich.
Norwich City offered a new contract to John
Ruddy, with Declan Rudd providing back-
up and Jed Steer allowed to join Yeovil
Town on loan.
Wolves’ Black country rivals West Brom
were firmly entrenched in the ‘keeper
merry-go-round, as Scott Carson has
been allowed to leave for
Bursaspor, after fellow England
international Robert Green
turned down the move to last
season’s Champions League club. Carson’s
departure reinforced the Baggies need
for a first choice goalkeeper, and having
also failed with a bid for Robert
Green, they finally secured
Ben Foster on a season’s
loan from relegated
Birmingham City, with
former Hull City stopper
Boaz Myhill heading in the opposite
direction. In addition, Marton Fulop
was signed from Ipswich to provide
experienced cover for Foster.
The ChampionshipOf the teams dropping out of the Premier
Long saving from Manchester United’s Ravel Morrison in 2011 FA Youth Cup Final - Getty Images
AUTUMN 201128
2011 will be a year to remember for
Reading’s Alex McCarthy. Having played
a significant part in the Royals’ push for
promotion, he has also found himself
involved in the
England U-21
set-up. “It’s been
a massive year
for me, I couldn’t
have planned it
any better,” says
McCarthy. “I went
out on loan last
season and played
45 games for Yeovil.
This season just gone
I’d spent a lot of time
sitting on the bench
but then an injury to
Adam Federici gave
me a chance to have a
run in the first team.’
The injury to Federici in the middle
of February not only gave McCarthy his
chance of regular first team football but also
a chance to test himself against Premier
League opposition. In the fifth round of
the FA Cup Reading were drawn away at
Everton, a game they went on to win 1-0
- thanks in no small part to an excellent
display from the 21-year-old. “It was
unbelievable, I’d never been to Goodison
Park before,” reveals McCarthy. “Playing
there in a full stadium was incredible, and
to knock them out and go through was
even better. It was a great experience but
more importantly, it proved that we could
compete with Premier League teams.”
And they were given the chance to prove
themselves again against Premier League
opposition in the quarter-final. This time it
was away at Manchester City and despite
losing 1-0, it was again another impressive
performance from Reading and McCarthy.
“I thought we played really well,” says
McCarthy. “Man City had all their top players
playing so to do well and only lose 1-0 was
a great achievement. We were obviously
disappointed to go out but we had had a
good run in the cup and the way we played
gave everyone a boost – after that game we
went on to win our next six league games.”
That run put Reading firmly in the play-
off picture but unfortunately for McCarthy it
also signalled the end
of his run in the first
team. “I had always
had it in my mind
that as soon as Adam
returned that he’d go
straight back into the
first team because
he had done so well
before the injury,”
admits McCarthy.
“But there was also
part of me that
was disappointed
because while I was
playing for the first
team we had lost
just one league
game and we were
on a really good run.”
So far so good for McCarthy, whose
season culminated with his inclusion
in the England Under-21 squad for the
European Championships in Denmark. It
was a disappointing display from England,
who bowed out in the competition’s group
stages as McCarthy watched on from the
substitute’s bench. With Reading having
narrowly missed out on promotion, 2011/12
looks set to be a crunch year for McCarthy,
for both club and country.
Tottenham Under-18s goalkeeper Jordan
Archer has had good time of it of late.
Facing the prospect of a career as a semi-
pro at 16, Jordan has since been taken
on by Tottenham, where he’s established
himself as the Academy side’s GK1.
“I started out at Charlton as a 10-year-
old, but got released at 14 for being too
small,” says Jordan, something that is hard
to imagine looking at him now. “I had a late
growth spurt, and now I’m 6’3”. They let a
couple of us go. I had been out for a year
with a knee injury. During that time they
brought in a goalkeeper from Arsenal that
was huge at the time and towered over me.
He’s still the same size now and I’ve been
lucky to grow a lot since.”
Most young players let go by clubs at
14 are forced to accept that a career in the
professional game may not be for them,
but despite being without a club for over a
year, Jordan was fortunate enough to earn
himself a trial at his local club: Tottenham.
“I linked up with my old coach and
rejoined a local Sunday League side I’d been
at before Charlton, and ended up spending
18 months there. Halfway through the U16s
season he took me on trial at Spurs, and
they signed me on a scholarship. It was a six-
week trial, quite thorough. I was delighted
to be taken on.”
Despite growing up in the Walthamstow
area, as a youngster Jordan took a liking to
the Lily Whites’ North London arch rivals.
“I grew up as an Arsenal fan, but went to
school in the Tottenham area.” He is now
very much a Tottenham man, emerging as a
key figure in the U18s set up.
“In my 1st season initially I was just
training and not involved with the youth
team, but in the second half of my first
season I managed to establish myself as
number one and make the GK1 jersey
my own. I think I went onto play 9 league
Jordan Archer
AGE: 18HEIGHT: 191cmWEIGHT: N/AGLOVES: Sells Wrap EliteBOOTS: Adidas PredatorsINSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Joe HartCLUB SUPPORTED: ArsenalBIGGEST INFLUENCE: Academy GK coach Perry Slater and my motherFAVOURITE ARTIST: Drake & Lil Wayne
JORDAN ARCHER
Alex McCarthy
AGE: 21HEIGHT: 193cmWEIGHT: 80kgGLOVES: PumaBOOTS: Puma King
INSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Petr Cech
CLUB SUPPORTED: Chelsea
BIGGEST INFLUENCE: Mum and Dad
FAVOURITE BAND/ARTIST: Nicki Minaj
ALEX McCARTHY
AUTUMN 2011 29
games that season.”
Jordan’s continued good form was
rewarded with a call-up to the Scotland
U19 side, despite being born and bred in
Walthamstow.
“My grandparents are Scottish on my
mum’s side. My goalkeeper coach asked
me what I thought about it and I felt it’d
be good experience. I’ve played Scotland
U19. There was a friendly at the start of last
season against Malta and we just recently
played two games in Denmark at the end
of the 2010/11 season. It’s been great to get
international experience.”
Jordan doesn’t rule out the prospect of
representing England at some stage in his
career too, with both his English and Scottish
heritage of importance to him. He counts
England’s current GK1, Joe Hart, as one of the
goalkeepers in the game he looks up to.
“I’m a big fan of Joe Hart, not just as a
goalkeeper but the way he carries himself.
He plays with a smile on his face, and that’s
the way I prefer to be. Some of the keepers
I’ve worked with are so tense and uptight
before a game, and I can’t understand it. I
prefer to be relaxed, have a few jokes with
the goalkeeper coach and other keepers. As
soon as the whistle goes, you’re focussed,
but before I prefer to unwind and loosen up.
I don’t get nervous.”
Jordan exudes confidence, but retains an
element of humility when asked to list his
strengths and weaknesses as a keeper, often
keen to underline his need for more match
practice. “My main strength, according to
my coaches, is my ability to come and take
crosses. But I do need more experience, I
suppose that is a weakness. I’ve trained with
the first team keepers five or six times, but
last season there were quite a few keepers
on the books so my opportunities were
limited. Hopefully next season it will be a
more regular occurrence.”
Jordan was a regular for the Tottenham
U18s last season, but Spurs fell at the first
hurdle of the youth game’s most prestigious
tournament, the FA Youth Cup. “We went out
in the 3rd Round to Barnsley, we lost 3-1. We
went 1 down early on, they sat back and we
ended up conceding two from set-pieces. It
was disappointing to go out so early. We had
a squad that could have gone far. But we’d lost
a few of the second years to the development
squad and I’m not sure the younger lads had
enough time to gel before we got underway.
We didn’t really look like a team.”
Now fit and raring to go for the
2011/12 season, things looks rosy for the
Tottenham stopper, who cannot help but
set himself goals and outline ambitions
when pressed on his hopes for the future:
“I want to continue to be involved with the
international set-up, get as many games
under my belt as possible, and possibly go
out on loan. Training with the first team and
getting regular football at a League 2 or
League 1 club would be ideal for me.”
Unlike many young goalkeepers,
Huddersfield’s Alex Smithies didn’t have
to wait too long for his first-team chance.
At just seventeen, due to injuries and a
sending off, he found himself thrown in
at the deep end. That
was back in 2007 and
since then he’s played
over 100 games for
his hometown club.
“I’m fortunate that I
was given the chance
so soon,” admits
Smithies. “It’s not
very often that
goalkeepers get such
a chance so early in
their career because
it’s unlikely that a
manager is going to
trust an unproven
keeper. I’d barely
played any youth
team games and
wasn’t ready for it but gave it my best.”
Smithies is now firmly established as
the regular first choice for Huddersfield
but unfortunately his 2010/11 season was
disrupted by injury. “The previous season I
played every minute of every game, I played
55 games,” he says. “Last year it felt like I was
having niggle after niggle, and I just found
it hard to stay fit. A lot of players go through
this and it’s just one of those things, it’s
good to learn to deal with it, it’s good to
learn how to be out of the team.”
A torn cartilage meant Smithies was
going to understand all about sitting on
the sidelines. The 21-year-old picked up
the injury at the beginning of January and
following surgery missed two months of
the season. “After a couple of days I just
thought: get your head round it and work
hard,” reveals Smithies. “Obviously the
harder I worked in the rehab the quicker I
was going to be back, it was up to me to get
fit and up to me not to worry about the fact
that I was injured. No player goes through
their career without having an injury and I’m
going to be no different so it was good for
me to learn to deal with it.”
Huddersfield have endured back-to-back
promotion heartbreak, falling at the Play-Off
semi-final stage against Millwall in 2010
and missing out in the final itself against
Peterborough in 2011. Smithies, however,
is convinced that Huddersfield have what it
takes to go all the
way in the coming
season: “We will be
in the mix. We’ve
definitely got the
players capable of
getting out of this
league and we feel
we can win it if we
get a run together.”
And if they do
manage to get
promoted the success
will be all the sweeter
for Smithies. He’s a local
lad and has only ever
wanted to play for one
club. “I live ten minutes
from the ground,” says Smithies. “I played for
the schoolboy team from eight and used to
go to all the games. All I wanted to do as a kid
was play for Huddersfield because it was the
team I was going to watch every week. I knew
all my friends and family loved the club - my
first goal was to play for Huddersfield.”
Alex Smithies
AGE: 21HEIGHT: 191cmWEIGHT: 84kgGLOVES: NikeBOOTS: Nike CTR360 MaestriINSPIRATIONAL PLAYER: Peter Schmeichel/Joe HartCLUB SUPPORTED: Huddersfield TownBIGGEST INFLUENCE: GK Coach at Huddersfield Town, John VaughanFAVOURITE BAND/ARTIST: Jay-Z
ALEX SMITHIES
30 AUTUMN 2011
Where are they now?
Ian Feuer
Feuer leaves his family behind
to follow his dream, playing a
brand of ‘football’ alien to most
of his peers. He goes on to beat
the odds, and European scepticism, to
be a pioneer for American soccer heroes,
meeting his future wife in Belgium and
ultimately playing for West Ham United.
Even more fitting is that he is now
California-based and operating daily in the
spotlight of the biggest club in the United
States. Goalkeeper coach for LA Galaxy,
Feuer is spreading the lessons learned to the
burgeoning Major League Soccer scene.
Talking on the phone from the Galaxy’s
headquarters, Feuer, now 40, looks back
on his time at the Hammers as one of the
happiest of his life. He had to have two takes,
however, to realise his Upton Park ambitions.
After a spell in 1994/95 without a game,
he was to get a second chance six years
later again under Harry Redknapp. After a
brief stay at Cardiff City, he finally made his
Boleyn bow.
“It was an amazing time,” he said. “For me
as a kid I always dreamt of just playing in
the professional league in England. It was
my main target. And I would have played
anywhere but to play for a team like West
Ham was special.
“I remember my debut against Derby.
We won 2-1 and I had a decent game. It was
special to play with guys like Rio Ferdinand,
Paolo Di Canio and Joe Cole. That was a great
experience to say you have played and trained
with those players. Harry was great for me.”
Feuer also played around 100 games
for Luton Town, having joined them when
they were then a second-tier club. But the
experience at West Ham left its mark. “I have
a real affection for the club. It is a blue-collar
club and the fans appreciate people who are
hard-working and do their best.”
Feuer’s first spell at Chadwell Heath
coincided with Ludek Miklosko’s long stay,
and he has only positive words for the man
he would spend hours with on the practice
pitches.
“What a good guy he was and a great
role model, I learned so much from him and
he inspired me.”
The roles have been reversed, with
Feuer turning from trainee to mentor at the
Galaxy. He has had a big hand in helping
former Bradford City stopper Donovan
Ricketts become Major League Soccer’s
leading No1 last season.
At 6’6 Ricketts may be the main man in
MLS keeping but he still has to give way to
his coach, not least with Feuer standing an
inch taller. “The first day we met, I was sitting
down. He came in and I stood up. He just
gave me this look!”
Height competitions aside, Feuer is
fulsome in praise. “He has been amazing for us.
He has come on leaps and bounds. For him to
work as hard as he does at his age is great.”
He still keeps tabs on England, even if
the father-of-three’s commitment to his
own Premier Goalkeeping Academy takes
much of his time. He is a huge fan of Robert
Green, a keeper he knows personally and
someone for whom he has the “utmost
respect. “I use Robert as an example of total
professionalism. He is a gentleman and is an
amazing keeper.”
Feuer is hoping for something special
this season. Why not an MLS Cup for the
Galaxy and promotion for the Hammers? He
would then love the two to meet for a game
after that.
“I will be watching and rooting for the
club to get back straight away,” he declared.
Sounds like the perfect Hollywood ending.
With thanks to Rob Pritchard at West Ham
United FC.
Born:20 May 1971, Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesPosition: GoalkeeperClubs played for:Club Brugge; Molenbeek; Los Angeles Salsa; West Ham United; Peterborough; Luton Town; New England Revolution; Rushden & Diamonds; Colorado Rapids; Wimbledon; Derby County; Tranmere Rovers; Wolverhampton Wanderers
Ian Feuer’s football story reads something like a Hollywood film. Here’s the pitch.
In the late 1980s, Las Vegas-born Feuer travels alone to Alabama aged just 16 for a
Harald Schumacher soccer school. There, the German great advises the impressive
keeper, already well on the way to his full 6’7 height, to head across the pond.
BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS
The business pages
Proposed changes to the
Scottish Premier League could
see the number of teams in
Scotland’s top flight reduced
from twelve to ten. The proposals are just
part of a restructuring plan that has been
put forward by SPL Chief Executive, Neil
Doncaster. The SPL last had ten teams ten
years ago, but the new format would add
a play-off for the team finishing second
bottom as well as automatic relegation for
whoever finishes bottom.
“It’s a plan for Scottish football, it’s not
just concentrating on a handful of clubs
or just the top division it’s ensuring all 42
clubs have a far better environment going
forward,” Doncaster explains. “The various
elements of the plan are to go to a ten team
top division and twelve team championship.
It’s about merging the two leagues into one
entity with an earlier season start date and
a play-off competition between the Premier
League and the Championship where
you have two potential promotion and
relegation slots.”
In order to implement the restructuring
there will need to be a vote of the SPL clubs.
While most of the clubs are supportive,
there are still some yet to be convinced,
including those who would actually prefer
the league expanded to fourteen teams.
“There are various reasons why the clubs
took the view that they preferred the
ten team set-up,” says Doncaster. “If you
go to fourteen teams that doesn’t create
any money that you can push down to
the second tier. Secondly you still retain
a split, you end up with 36 games in the
top half and 36 games in the bottom part.
The bigger problem you’ve got is for those
teams in seventh and eighth after the split,
they’ve got fourteen fixtures - over half a
season - with nothing to play for.”
Without question the single biggest issue
for teams relegated from the SPL is finance.
Currently when they drop into the Scottish
Football League they receive around
£375,000 over two years, the new proposal
would see up to £2.8 million being paid
over four years. “One of the fundamental
problems we have is to make sure when
clubs get relegated they don’t face financial
Armageddon,” insists Doncaster. “That’s
the real challenge and that’s what the plan
partly addresses. A key aspect of this is
it’s about making sure the second tier of
Scottish football is properly funded so that
when clubs are relegated financially they
can still cope.”
To suggest that the main focus of the
restructuring appears to be aimed at the
well being of relegated SPL teams would
be wrong. Doncaster firmly believes the
proposals will benefit the whole of the
Scottish Football League. “It’s not just about
protecting the relegated clubs. For example,
a really good club like Falkirk with a fantastic
community operation and a great academy
having to face some serious questions
about whether they can afford to run that
academy going forward. So it’s far more
fundamental than looking after members,
it’s about looking after the fabric of Scottish
football.”
Also part of the proposals is a plan for
a winter break. The winter break was first
introduced in Scotland in 1998 to try to
minimise the number of games lost to
the weather. However, the SPL scrapped
the winter break in 2003 but the severity
of recent winters has put the idea back
on the agenda. “The details of the winter
break still need to be worked through,”
explains Doncaster. “The ideal time is clearly
after the new year fixtures. Whether you
have some sort of flexible winter break to
accommodate the sort of weather we’ve
had in the last couple of years remains to
be seen but further discussion on that will
happen. An earlier start to the season is
something we need to look at both from
the point of view of clubs in Europe and
improving the coefficient but also making it
more enjoyable for the supporters.”
SPL clubs to vote on change
One of the fundamental
problems we have is to make sure when clubs get relegated they don’t face financial Armageddon
Neil Doncaster
AUTUMN 2011 31
In a leagueof his own!
Former England GK1 Gary Bailey explores the secrets of leadership which make Sir Alex the best manager in the world!
OUTSIDE THE BOX
AUTUMN 2011 33
Famed for his golden locks and
dashing good looks, Gary
Bailey has sailed seamlessly
from goalmouth to pundit’s
chair - becoming the voice of football on
the African continent.
Born in Suffolk but brought up in
South Africa, this former England GK1 and
self-confessed workaholic shares his time
between the Supersport TV studios, various
business interests and a growing reputation
as the most sought after motivational
speaker in Africa.
Now the 52-year-old, who played just
short of 400 times for Manchester United,
is turning his hand to writing - with his
second book due out at the end of the
year.
In a rare break from the office, Gary
speaks to GK1 (from the beach in Cape
Town - and apparently it’s 35 degrees!)
about the difference between good and
great managers.
“I wanted to explore how the greats
survive, thrive and provide exemplary
leadership,” explains Gary, who studied a
physics degree in his spare time during
nine seasons at The Theatre of Dreams.
“I’ve seen first hand the leadership
skills shown by great man managers.
Football management at the highest level
is probably the most stressful job in the
world today. One third of Premier League
managers get sacked every season. In what
other business would that happen?”
Gary, who took a Business Masters
after leaving Manchester, now feels the
time is right to combine his own personal
experiences with the business lessons he’s
learnt from the likes of Richard Branson - put
together to help managers in all walks of life
do their jobs better.
So how would you explain the magic
which a select band of managers seem to
possess?
“For a start off it’s all to do with
combining toughness and humility. You
need two main abilities: ‘professional will’
and ‘personal humility’. Sir Alex has both
these qualities in abundance. He comes
across as tough but he is also one of the
nicest, most caring guys you could ever
meet. When I retired he looked after me and
was very concerned about my future.
“A lot of managers don’t bother. He does
it naturally. I think it has a lot to do with
his own upbringing. Sam Allardyce, Harry
Redknapp and all the these top managers
have a rivalry with Sir Alex but also have
huge respect.
“Even Arsene Wenger has warmed to him
over the years. He is tough and will let you
battle against him but so many ex-players
like Beckham will still talk well of him. So
that’s the first point about being tough but
humble.”
Schmeichel“The second thing is emotional intelligence
- or in another word, empathy. You need to
be able to observe, evaluate and respond.
You shouldn’t just walk into an office and sit
down and work. When you walk into a room
there may be people who are going through
a crisis in their lives and know what’s going
on. And again Sir Alex is very good at
observing the players.
“I remember when Peter Schmeichel was
low on confidence and going through a
tough time. Mid-season, Sir Alex told him to
take a few weeks off and go on holiday with
his wife. It was a big call at the time, but Sir
Alex could see he wasn’t up to it.
“That’s great leadership, to look at the
people around you and know they are not
able to perform to the level you need - and
then find a way to help!
“When Peter came back he’d run through
walls for Sir Alex. “
Keep it Positive“I’ve studied so many business models but
at the end of the day some of the basics are
the most powerful. Then there’s something
called Appreciative Inquiry - which is
a business school term really for being
positive.
“You will always have problems. If you
as an individual focus on the problems,
your life will be full of problems. At work, if
you are always looking at the 1% that goes
wrong and not the 99% that is good, then
you will create a negative mindset in
the workforce.
“Instead focus on the good and
create a positive mindset as a leader. So
be positive as opposed to running your
players down. “
Plan Ahead“And finally there’s Destiny. It’s critical
to plan effectively for a great destiny.
Your future will arrive sooner than you
think and it’s important to make time
to think ahead and prepare for your
destiny.
“Sir Alex was brilliant at this. He
knew he couldn’t afford to go out and
buy the very best players in the world so
he set up the academy. It was a practical,
positive solution to a problem he faced. And
he went and found Beckham and Giggs and
Scholes and the rest is history.
“For some time things didn’t go well for
him at United. I think what saved him, if
indeed he was under pressure, was that he
had a wonderful youth squad and plans in
place for his destiny - another clear sign of
great leadership.”
Culture Club“I think a lot of managers have many of his
qualities but no one that I know of will have
every one of his qualities.
“He made it his business to know
everyone at the club; made sure he went
to see all the kids play at the levels; got to
understand each of them.
If you are always looking at the
1% that goes wrong and not the 99% that is good, then you will create a negative mindset in the workforce.
AUTUMN 2011
“I don’t think his genius lies in any one
aspect but I think it comes from him being
good at all aspects that pertain to being a
football manager.
“The players he brings in always learn
to fit in with the culture of the club and
so they follow the Giggs/Scholes mantra
of hard work, 110% on the pitch, never let
you down. Not every manager is able to
create that culture within his club: his choice
of people around him, his staff and how
he gets such dedication from his staff. It’s
because he is a caring person.
“For example I saw him at the airport a
few years ago. I hadn’t seen him in a long
while and he offered me a lift. I didn’t want
to intrude but he insisted and said he’d got
the driver outside.
“Now to be fair he didn’t need to do that.
He had his wife with him and he had things
to do. But that’s a different side to him. He
took me into central London from Heathrow
and got his driver to drop me off.”
Tough LoveGary’s examples also call upon the teachings
of another footballing knight, the late Sir
Bobby Robson.
“Had it not been for Maradona’s ‘Hand of
God’, which was just plain cheating, England
could well have won the World Cup. Again
in 1990 when England had such a good
qualifying run, he went close,” recalls the
keeper who wore the Three Lions between
1978 and 1986.
“All those players that worked with him
will tell you all about what a really caring
person he was. He had an amazing way
of showing you where you could improve
without belittling you in the process.
“Some managers can make you feel
belittled and other managers can inspire
you to get out there and show them just
how good you are.
“Sir Bobby and Sir Alex are those men
and it matters whether you are a caring
manager or just in it for what you can get
out of the player.”
For many observers, Gary’s two England
caps would have been a far greater haul
had he not faced the stiffest competition
from two greats in Peter Shilton and Ray
Clemence.
Calling TimeGary’s mental fortitude was tested when
serious injury meant an end to his club and
international dreams at just 28.
“The end wasn’t so bad really. Maybe I’d
got into the United team too early, but by
28 I’d clocked up nearly 400 league matches
in a team that was desperate for success.
We were always so nearly there. Added to
that pressure, the burden of not becoming
England’s regular keeper started to make life
very frustrating.
“In ‘85 we had a team that should have
walked the league. We had a great side and
we blew it somewhere along the line.
“If I had been at a smaller club and then
moved to United at 28 I would have been
34
AUTUMN 2011 35
galvanised and excited. But I’d taken a
battering for 8 years.
“You base your game on confidence and
when you are not thought of as the number
1 keeper and you are not winning trophies
people start to question and you constantly
have to try and prove it’s not the goalkeeper
that’s to blame - and it’s very tough.
“I spent a year or so on the bench after
the injury,” recalls Gary who until then had
missed just 7 games in 7 years.
“The knee got worse and it was obvious
it was time to move on.
“Sir Alex couldn’t do enough for me.
He was fantastic. There was a genuineness
about the man that surprised me. I had
always imagined managers to be quite
heartless in those situations. I remember
thinking at that time what a special man he
was.
“There was no point wondering what
I was losing out on. I am damn lucky to
have played for the best club in the world.
I played at a hell of a young age and I had
experienced some amazing things and it
was time to move onto a new challenge,”
recalls Gary, who won FA Cup winners
medals in 1983 and 1985.
“Yes, I could have achieved more and
maybe I could have gone on to get a
hundred caps for England but it didn’t
happen so there’s absolutely no point in
worrying about it. It was time to move on.”
New ChallengeIn the two years that followed, Gary won
five trophies back in South Africa with the
famous Kaiser Chiefs of Johannesburg,
before the knee ligaments finally called a
premature end to his career.
“When they said I couldn’t play any more,
I was determined not to think what I was
missing out on. I turned it all around and
thought it is what it is and it’s time to move
onto a new challenge. There is just no point
worrying about it and thinking I could have
achieved more. “
Giving BackThroughout his career, Gary has had an
acute social conscience. Every week, during
his time at United, he was involved in
various social projects, benefiting the poorer
parts of Manchester.
One of his proudest achievements
has been the key role he played as an
ambassador in South Africa’s successful bid
to host the 2010 World Cup.
And his first book saw Gary giving his
help and advice on a subject many miles
from football.
Divorce“I’d witnessed the terrible impact of divorce
on kids first hand,” says Gary. “I’ve no doubt
that those parents didn’t intend to bring this
pain on their children,” explains Gary, whose
own 18-year marriage hit the rocks in 2006.
“Equally, I have no doubt that the
damage is an inevitable consequence if
parents lose sight of what their kids need
during the turmoil.”
Keen to make sure his three kids didn’t
get caught in the middle, he worked hard
to find amicable solutions to potentially
damaging conflict areas. Four years on, and
his book ‘Divorce for Dads’ continues to offer
the benefit of that experience and help dads
make the right choices for their kids.
“I’d seen the damage inflicted on children
during a divorce, and how the support
structures from both family and friends only
seem to inflame the situation. I felt there
needed to be something easy to read and
an accessible book that outlined a solution
that would protect the children as much as
possible.
“It’s written from a dad’s perspective, but
it isn’t just aimed at dads. If your brother
or son or colleague is going through a
divorce then the book will give you all the
information and advice you need to help
them to get it right for their kids. And, if
you’re a mum, it’ll help you to understand
what’s going on for your kids’ dad,” says
Gary.
Kids First“I have a social conscience and it makes me
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