[spireitematt]

Pooch that would be almost acceptable down here in the South West. BUT I can feel Dancing's reservations on the possibility up in Chesterfield.

Gordon Banks is the greatest keeper who ever lived and he wasn't a big man, but if you take a look at any ball sport these days the participants are getting bigger. I'm sorry Matt, but the days of the 5'10" keeper are long gone. 6'4" centre forwards and lighter balls that are easier to get into the top corners than the old leather jobs killed them off. First requirement is quick feet, second good hands, third excellent anticipation and reflexes, fourth a sharp intelligence combined with unflappability.
Ideal height - 6'3" seemed good to me. Being able to reach the bar without stretching seemed to me to be the basis of good spatial judgement, how far away the corners of the goal were etc (or maybe that was just something I was good at - at cricket when I batted I was better at leaving the ball than actually hitting it!)
Today's daft rules have added in a whole lot of football distribution skills that are creating pro' keepers who can execute a Cruyff turn, but are weak in a range of areas decent Sunday League keepers in my day had all mastered.
Why be a keeper? ....... because you are better at it than anything else, you can be a hero, you live on the edge for 90 minutes. Not much beats seeing a swirling cross coming in, realising your defence is in trouble, shouting that it is a keeper's ball and jumping high, treading the air for the briefest of moments, watching the ball into into your gloves, bringing it straight to your chest, feeling the shape of it and looking round for what you are going to do with it. It's poetry, when you're on, you're willing forwards to shoot. When you're on, you know where the ball will go and that you, yes you, can catch it, can save it, can save your team. It's better than playing out. It's a whole higher level of experience.
I played centre half before I ever kept goal, I liked full back, I played on the wing for my dad's men's team when I was 15. I once scored five in a game. Nothing beats a save I made at Eckington or another at Grassmoor Boot Shoe where the ref' came over and said "I don't know how you did that." Johnny Burridge used to go to bed in his goalkeeping gloves, he'd sit in the lounge handling a football. It's an obsession. But it's one of those sorting-hat jobs, if it isn't you it's vile and when it goes wrong for anyone kicking-the-cat doesn't even come into it .... you can't live with yourself till the next game. Yeah I'd turn out tomorrow if someone asked! Bet the gloves cost a bomb now, purple boots would be fine.

AND Matt you're right big keepers who are short on athleticism and yes I'd include Barry Roche, tend to go to ground too easily. They know the floor is where they are weak. Can't remember his name but Torquay had a big keeper they sold to Bristol, he could look unbeatable but low shots close to his body were a weakness and he knew it and on 50/50s he always went down that fraction too soon.

I think the gloves are cheaper than boots.