City’s Top Five Keepers Of All Time

[City_Shirts]

 

[DTKOAG]

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Kinell I thought it was Basil Fawlty for a moment.

 

[ooh vonky vonky]

Martyn Margetson says "hold my beer"

I see to recall him coming off the bench once to play outfield in a midweek cup game.

Probably an attempt to keep him as far away from the sticks as possible.

 

[smeeagain]

Has everyone forgotten Panti

 

[city68]

What no Niall Quinn.........

 

[Gordyola]

Not sure if he’s been mentioned have read the whole thread However Alex Williams would have a shout in top 10 and if hadn’t been for his back possibly top 5 My old man said that Frank Swift was better than Bert so I’d have to put him first

 

[Zapcity]

Both before my time (more my dad's time) but Swift and Trautman would both have to be in top 5, certainly going by 'really FOCs' views/memories .
Being a slightly younger plain FOC, I agree with the general consensus of Eddie, and the 2 Joes making up rest of top 5.
Personally I would put Corrigan ahead of Hart. When Hart was a regular he never played behind a shit City team, and had peak Zaba and Kompany in the defence. Obviously Corrigan played in some good City teams behind some great defenders (Donachie, Doyle and Watson immediately spring to mind) but also some shite, I seem to remember he pretty much kept us up in 79/80.
Corrigan deserved to play for England more times (I always thought he was better than Ray Clemence and not far behind Peter Shilton)
Honourable mention to Coton, who like Tony Gidden at WBA a few years earlier was unlucky not to be capped.
Personal favourites are Williams and Weaver, but both in truth were very good for City outside of the top flight.
Worst keepers, Seaman was crocked when he came to us, the young Dane Ellergaard(?) was way out of his depth in the Premier league whilst Margetson truly was shocking!

 

[stan bowles]

My dad said the same rating Bert over Frank Swift. Of the two, I only saw Bert but rate him as the best not just on ability but for his influence on the game. At a time of mudheap pitches, goalies would hoof the ball as far upfield as possible. Bert preferred to throw the ball more accurately to a player to retain possession, almost as far up as the half way line but usually out wide where there was more grass.

Bob Wilson, successful ex Arsenal goalkeeper, coach and tv pundit from the 1960's 1970's was inspired by Berts style, especially through his bravery diving at players feet to retrieve the ball.

I'd put Ederson as number 2 because of his influence in shifting the role of the goalkeeper from solely a shot stopper to outfield player defensively reducing shots at goal and offensively starting attacks. Football has changed. Not long ago de Gea was lauded in some quarters as the best shot stopper in the world but has not found a club since leaving ManU at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Others ranked in order would be Swift, Corrigan and Hart. All three were a dominating, big physical presence in the way of Peter Schmeichel, all in the mould of a traditional goalie from the days when they wore green woolen roll neck jerseys and laced, leather case balls were in use.

There have only been two world-class goalkeepers. One was Lev Yashin, the other was the German boy who played in Manchester – Trautmann.

—Lev Yashin

 

[Stephen230]

Not sure if he’s been mentioned have read the whole thread However Alex Williams would have a shout in top 10 and if hadn’t been for his back possibly top 5 My old man said that Frank Swift was better than Bert so I’d have to put him first

He had the potential for great improvement. Very few goalkeepers have reached their peak by the age when he was finished.

I love the guy. He was a pioneer. And one of the very few people who I’ve never heard a bad word said against.

But the harsh reality is, his entire playing career effectively consisted of two seasons in the second division.

 

[warringtonblue]

Can’t believe Keith McRae hasn’t come into the reckoning