As the late January storm is interrupted by the sheer sense of calm created by the inaugural Premier League winter break we can recline our chairs, sit back and enjoy the closing stages of AFCON. Unless we’re Newcastle United fans of course in which case we would be sitting around a crate of Journey into Space and checking NewsNow every five seconds to see who might be next on the roster.
But we are Norwich City and do not share that emotion with our North Eastern friends on Tyneside, so MFW regular Alex Bain and myself thought we’d go completely off-piste and look at some of our goalkeeping contingent over the last few seasons.
Tim Krul is the link, obviously. We love him here, they love him there. They love him almost everywhere. Come back to fitness soon, mate!
Alex says: “City have always been a testing ground for keepers ever since I watched my first games with names like Ken Nethercott, Sandy Kennon, Kevin Keelan, Bryan Gunn, Chris Woods, Rob Green, John Ruddy and the aforementioned Tim Krul. To a much lesser extent, I remember Marshalls Andy and David, as well as others I have forgotten in between.
“However, we have also had four extremely talented keepers with many England youth caps at all levels between them who never took that next giant step as in Joe Lewis, Jed Steer, Declan Rudd and Remi Matthews. Here’s a look at how they have fared since departing our club:
“Joe Lewis started his career at City’s academy in 1995. He has England caps at U15/16/17/19 and 21 level, with loans to Bury, Stockport County and Morecambe before he enjoyed a £400k move to Peterborough.
“He later moved to Cardiff in 2012 on a free transfer. Eventually, he secured a permanent move to Aberdeen in 2016 and in 2020 signed a new contract until 2024, and was made club captain.
“Jed Steer started his career at City’s academy in 2003 and has England Caps at U16/17/19 level and experienced loans to Yeovil and Cambridge before signing on a free transfer to Aston Villa.
“More loans were to follow out from Villa as in Doncaster, Yeovil, Huddersfield and Charlton.
“Steer starred in a 10-game winning run for Dean Smith and played in the Championship play-off semi-final for Villa, saving two penalties.
“As of 2022, he appears to be third choice at Villa.
“Declan Rudd started his career off at City’s academy in 1999 and has England Caps at U16/17/19/20 and 21 level and played 21 first team games at City followed by loans to Preston North End and Charlton before he secured a permanent move to PNE in 2017 with a rumoured fee of £500+k.
“As of 2022, he is still No1 at PNE.
“Remi Matthews started his career at City’s academy in 2004 with loans to Burton Albion, Doncaster, Hamilton , Plymouth and eventually Bolton Wanderers in 2018, with this culminating in a permanent move in 2019 to the Trotters for an undisclosed fee.
“At Bolton, he played 48 first team games before moving on to Sunderland before shuffling himself on to Crystal Palace on a free transfer where he remains as the Eagles’ third choice on a two-year contract.
“All four had great reviews at youth level and were expected to achieve great things in the game. That’s not for me to answer but I think it could have gone better for a couple of them.”
So that’s Alex’s take on some of our keepers who, if we are brutally honest, didn’t quite make it to the top but continue to make a good living from football and fair play to them.
I’ll chuck in a couple of names from the past like Scott Howie, Mark Walton and even if only for pot luck, Mark Bunn. Folks who went to games in the 70s and 80s will also remember the likes of Roger *careless* Hansbury and others of that ilk that I’ve forgotten of course.
This time around if we take away the current triumvirate of Tim Krul, Angus Gunn and Michael McGovern we still have young guys like McCracken, Mair and the admirable [and to my mind proven] Daniel Barden waiting in the wings. God speed your recovery, Daniel.
In my match-going memory, NCFC has always boasted a more than good keeper from Keelan to Krul and long may that tradition continue.
Thanks to Alex B once again for his assistance with this article and I’ll leave you with a track appropriate to every keeper:
I’ll go back a little bit further than Nethercott – Ken Oxford, who once, I believe jumped for a high ball, at which the elastic in his shorts broke and his shorts ended up round his ankles.
I was at Bramall Lane when Ken Nethercott dislocated his shoulder, and played on, making several saves one handed. If he’d gone off, with no substitutes in those days, Bobby Brennan would have gone in goal, and we would never have got the equaliser. Sandy Kennon then became our goalkeeper for the rest of the cup run, and the subsequent seasons.
After Keelan took the the keepers Jersey Kennon played for a couple of other clubs and finished his career at Lowestoft Town, he also plated both Cricket for Norfolk and Rugby a true all round sportsman
Hi Alex
We.ve had quite a few very able cricketers on the books over the years, such as Mike & Chris Sutton and Rob Newman. Tim Sheppard too of course and I am sure there others I cannot recall just now – I think Chippy Crook played a bit as well?
Cheers
And he ran a bookies In Norwich!
I never knew that.
Doesn’t sound like the Tim Sheppard I know 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sorry Martin, the reference to a bookie was regarding Sandy Kennon, not Tim Sheppard. Your comment about cricketers squeezed in somehow between the two.
I was having a grin as I actually thought you meant Ian Crook., which I could have belived at a push.
The reference to Shep is because he is the most unlikely guy in the world to open a bookies -)
Hi Jim
All before my time but my friend Keith, who is 82, always speaks very highly of both Nethercott and Kennon.
Cheers
Mervyn Cawston was a long time understudy to Keelan, playing infrequently when KK was injured or suspended. I don’t think back up keepers got picked for cup games in the 70s. He always did well when he came in and went on to have several seasons as first choice for Southend.
I was disappointed when Remi Matthews didn’t become our first choice keeper because we signed Tim Krul-shows how much I know,
Yeah Remi didn’t get much or no first team games so never really has a chance to prove himself.
I did read he had a couple of options prior to signing fir CP but he chose them as he knew a couple of the backroom from his Norwich days maybe money but I would have thought being first choice at a championship club is more rewarding than 3rd at a premiership club.
I always had hopes that Rudd would make it at city especially after 21 first team games but DF must have seen enough to not rate him.
Declan had a brief run in the team a few years ago now but was never really convincing, at least not to me, but unlike Remi Matthews at least he was given a fair crack of the whip.
Hi Don
Mervyn was so good they even named a village after him 🙂
I never actually saw him play and you’re quite right about Matthews/Krul.
Cheers
Don’t forget Peter Vasper , the friendly ghost!!
Good one Rob!
Keelan had just become no.1 when I first got interested. I was gutted when we sold him to Liverpool – or at least I was until I realised that my friend who had told me this had misheard a news report. It really involved a young striker from Scunthorpe who later managed England…..
For all that we have always had good keepers, of those to have played a significant number of games for us I think only Andy Marshall and Rob Green came through our own academy. Most of the other decent ones arrived with at least some experience.
And talking of cricket didn’t Rob Green play? Also Terry Alcock (not a goalkeeper obviously, though he was so versatile he probably could have stood done the job if needs be….)
Hi Keith
I think you’re right about Green and Marshall in the academy context, with one directly following on from the other of course.
I like the Keegan story, which is quite believable, and Rob Green played for one of the major Norfolk sides – can’t remember which.
Cheers
Marty, I think the goal keeper position is probably the most changed in recent years. No longer just a shot stopper and collector of high balls into penalty area. Mind you that was a hard living and the flamboyant Keelan earn his corn in style, probably my all time City favourite keeper. Krul has to be the best of our modern keepers excellent between the sticks and skilful with his ball distribution and general defensive work. I think it‘s the latter qualities that most of our nearly lads lack. Is that a coaching problem?
Hi Cutty
That’s a very good point and totally agree with you about Tim Krul although I’ve been known to sing the praises of KK as well of course.
You’re quite right about how much the role of the Keeper has changed.
Back in the day KK could even pick up back passes inside his area!
Cheers
Not so sure on Krul kicking I think he puts it out more times than the player receives it when he goes long.
Early in the season and in previous seasons he had zombie syndrome where he would go for crosses it was put down to the bad leg injury he had at Newcastle but he got over that.
For agility he is closer to Keelan than most maybe Ruddy was up there as well.
The 4 keepers in the article all have good points but never had that quality to get to the next level.
Oxborough, Mair and Barden all next in line if Gunn falls short if he doesn’t get to make it.
We have bought potential in Gunn, Keelan, Woods, Ruddy, Marshall and they made sure their name was the first on the list mow we need others at the club to take up the challenge as Krul will not be round much longer.
Thanks for the comnent
The worst kicker – dead ball or from his hands – I have ever seen is Andy Marshall.
Nobody else comes close!
Ha! Once sat near a bloke in the River End when Marshall(A) was in his pomp who was incredulous that a bloke who played FOOTball couldn’t properly kick a ball.
Quote: “It’s called FOOTball FFS ….. FOOTball… the clue is in the name!! … and he can’t use his!!”.
Probably needed to be there, but was very funny at the time.
Every time Marshall took a place kick an old boy near me in the Barclay would yell *c’mon lino get your flag ready*.
He really was that bad and despite intensive coaching never improved.
Good shot-stopper though.
Good point – was definitely a good shot-stopper but gawd knows how he’d have managed as a 21st-century sweeper-keeper!
We must never forget the ‘great’ Michael Theoklitos, His debut and only game for City the 7-1 mauling by Colchester Utd. We owe the guy a huge debt of gratitude as that defeat in 2009 was the catalyst for the rollercoaster ride ever since.
Hi Colin
You are spot on.
The only worse display of *goalkeeping* I’ve ever seen was from a kid called Jerry [?] Westcombe in the under-13s at Chigwell schoool when we lost 6-2 to Greshams.
He was absurdly tall for a 14-y-o but that was it.
6-0 down at half time PE teacher Pete Rand put me in goal instead for the second period and J Westcombe did not reappear as we were allowed one sub in the early 70s even at that lowly level.
Mind you I had to get one of the other lads to take most of the place kicks for me as I just couldn’t get the distance on them.
Theoklitos is another example of NCFC signing a player with a known injury – you had to be there on the day to realise the full horror of that game. It’s out there on YT somewhere.
Cheers