Reading this takes me back to, as a young boy, a conversation I had with my Grandfather, must have been in late 1950's or early 60's.Paul ITFC wrote:Leicester White wrote:
What was it with Ipswich and short keepers? How tall was Paul Cooper? Used to play in goal for my junior school team because I was the tallest (hated it as wanted to be more regularly involved in play) ... distinctly remember a long feature on Paul Cooper on Football Focus and how he saved so many penalties.
Paul Cooper was 5 foot 11 so certainly not tall for a keeper-he actually made his debut for us at Elland Road in your last home game of the 1973/74 title winning season.
He did get a reputation for saving penalties.
He told me about the great goalkeeper, England international Sam Hardy, who played from around 1910 t0 1925. played for Liverpool, Villa and Forest.
My Grandfather saw him play many times when these teams were visiting Huddersfield, Bradford City, and Bradford Park Avenue during this period, except for the war years when football was organized differently, that was when when Leeds City got kicked out of the league.
Sam Hardy only 5ft 9ins. played the game years ahead of his time. Read the game well and came off his line so often he didn't have to make last ditch saves. If he did he was so quick, didn't have to haul all those extra lbs around to get down to the ball.
What is it about the Chesterfield area? Some great goalkeepers from there, Hardy, Banks, and Shilton come to mind, must be others out there, must be in the water.