Barry Brockes 145 Posted July 9, 2017 And the long train journey home will never be forgotten arriving back at Thorpe Station to find we were headlines in the early editions of the Sunday papers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jools 584 Posted July 9, 2017 In the seventies I resided two doors away from him in Hevingham.He watched and encouraged us kids when we played football on the ''pit'' in Hevingham.He did my mates mum in various locations [:D][Y]I watched him on a fortnightly basis (couldn''t get to away matches, only Ipshite) and he has proven to be the finest keeper to don the green jersey [Y]Absolutely love the man. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
percy varco 196 Posted July 9, 2017 Loved the way he would always walk dragging his leg before the game to give himself a line between the centre of the goal and the penalty spot so that he knew where he was in relation to the goal in the game. Legend and a fine menswear shop in Anglia Square Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Vince 318 Posted July 10, 2017 [quote user="TIL 1010"]http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-top-100-appearances-kevin-keelan-1-1-5096425A great article for all of you who never had the privilege of seeing him play.[/quote]Saw him play many times. Kept City in a lot of games single-handed.In my top 5 of all-time for sure.Atmosphere at games was so different in those days. Lots of cigar smoke wafting through the stand. So wonderfully politically incorrect by today''s standard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
......and Smith must score. 1,336 Posted July 10, 2017 Looking back at Keelen''s time at Carrow Rd it seems unbelievable how things have changed.Marking a line in the goal area was, strictly speaking, illegal and you never see it done now.Coming out for crosses with one leg straight out wouldn''t be tolerated today either.Footballers smoking is almost unheard of now but it was quite common then.Using circular beermats as frisbees when play was at the other end. Some seasons he got a lot more practice than others.Wearing gloves. Goalkeepers now look like that Kenny Everett character '' Brother Lee Love ''. Keelen hardly ever wore gloves. When he did it had to be minus 10 and then they were a thin cotton type. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lake district canary 4,531 Posted July 10, 2017 There was a certain beauty and simplicity about the way goalkeepers used to actually catch the ball sometimes when making saves, plucking the ball out of the air no matter how ferocious the shot. Keelan and Pat Jennings were two of the best at doing that. The modern way of pushing the ball away all the time is a neccesity of them using nothing more than a plastic beach ball in the modern professional game, which moves around way too much for the art of goalkeeping to ever be as pure as it used to be. Goalkeepers these days are nothing more than like those flipper things you used to get in pin-ball machines - just there to deflect the ball if it comes anywhere near them. The Keelan save that stands out for me is the one in the replayed league cup semi-final where a powerful shot looked totally goal bound and Keelan somehow plucked it out of the air. No-one was going to get past him that night. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted July 10, 2017 "Lots of cigar smoke wafting through the stand. So wonderfully politically incorrect by today''s standard."What on earth has ''political correctness'' got to do with smoking a cigar ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
