England Special

Yesterday, during the "local derby" grudge match between England and Wales, there were a number of things of note that occurred, but I am going to focus on one of them and share with you the times through history where this has happened before and then stress the one important difference this time.

I am referring to the horrendous error made by the English goalkeeper Joe Hart, when just before half time which is always a very bad/good time to concede/score a goal from a psychological standpoint depending which side you are on.

Hart misses Bale Free Kick

Obviously Hart and any other sportsperson for that matter is only human and therefore fallible, but unfortunately he only has one job to do and he failed at it miserably. (Growing up, there used to be a cliche when there was a shot taken from a great distance which was as follows "You won't beat (name of keeper) from there")
In fact he didn't have another save to make in the whole game, which makes his error all the more glaring. To give an analogy it was like Scott Norwood missing the winning field goal in a Superbowl between Buffalo and New York back  in the day.
When you play a specialist position. you are rarely remembered for your success because after all you are only doing your job, but the failures, now that is a different story entirely.

Joe Hart has joined a long list of English goalkeepers to have dropped clangers and in the links below we will look at some of the others and I would like you, the readers, to grade which you think was the worst.

1) 1973 Peter Shilton England V Poland at Wembley WC qualifier, this cost England the chance to take part in the 1974 World Cup in Germany. 

Shilton under his body


The history books blame Norman "Bite Yer Legs" Hunter but I am not so sure.


2) 2008 Paul Robinson Croatia V England Euro 2008 qualifier, this was a major part of the reason England didn't qualify for the 2008 version of the Euros.

Robinson Misses his kick

All golfers will tell you to put back your divets.


3) 2002 David Seaman Brazil V England WC , England go home early yet again.

Seaman all at sea in his box

I blame his pony tail


4) 2010 Robert Green England V USA group stages, outcome, England came up against Germany instead of Ghana and ended up going home early yet again.

Green through his fingers

Words fail me. but I am sure you can see the pattern here, England goalkeeping error and bye bye England.
However and I know some people will crucify me for writing this, despite the error made by Hart, England actually managed to win in the last minute of the game, an unheard of occurrence, a seismic shift felt worldwide and who knows where it might lead. Probably still an early exit but you never know.

Having given those five examples of goalkeeping howlers,  I feel a little balance is due and we will end this post with a tribute to one of the greatest goalkeepers of them all

Gordon Banks 1970 WC  Brazil V England. 

Banks V Pele

Banks was later to suffer food poisoning on the eve of England's Quarter Final game against the Nationalmannschaft (who probably supplied the dodgy sausage to knock him out)


Anyway I hope you enjoyed that trip down memory lane, we shall return on Sunday as we begin to preview the final games of the group stages.

Until then Hasta la vista