paddy kenny
alan kelly
simon tracey
mel rees
john hope
tom mccalister
alan hodgkinson
ted burgin

wot no Fatty Foulke? :)

Where's John Burridge?

That chap looked like an athletic sack of potatoes in the goal. He was a top chap who allegedly climbed out of a window at Wolves in order to play for the Blades (a pinch of salt required, obviously).

I actually went for the late Mel Rees. His performance in a 2-0 away win for the Blades at Everton was as good as I have seen from any goalie. Another case of what might have been.

Simon Tracey was also brilliant, esp during our Double Whammy season. Alan Kelly was reliable too, his performance in the 1993 semi at Wembley was outstanding.

Without taking anything away from Paddy Kenny, all four above named goalies seemed to be in a different league (no pun intended) to him.

Originally posted by lazyfish
wot no Fatty Foulke? :)

Indeed - a legend, and I'm a Liverpool fan.

im gonna go for hodgekinson or foulke!!

Not meaning to speak ill of the dead but mel ree's??? , it is a crying shame that his career was cut short at the blades but did he really play that many games for us?

Originally posted by scottf
im gonna go for hodgekinson or foulke!!

Not meaning to speak ill of the dead but mel ree's??? , it is a crying shame that his career was cut short at the blades but did he really play that many games for us?

He didn't play all that many, but gained hero status from the fans playing whilst suffering the effects of cancer. He was a good keeper and it was an absolute tragedy his life & career were cut short at only 26. He played enough, to a sufficient standard, to, given the circumstances, be considered in this poll.

Alan Kelly. As a young lad, I only know the top 4, but Alan Kelly was the best keeper I saw at the lane. Saw him at the utd vs sunderland fa cup quarter final a couple of years back so the fact that he still follows us makes him all the more a legend!

i left fatty foulke out of the poll cos i wanted to base it on keepers who most people would have actually seen in action--i dont think anyone will still be around who had seen foulke play.like the bloke says mel rees does deserve to figure in the poll!!

Mel Rees and Alan Kelly.How on earth u can miss out Jim Brown and put John Hopeless in is beyond me.:help: :loopy:

john hope was a good keeper when he first joied united and he and bill dearden were two of the main resons why we gained promotion that season.----im sorry jim brown was missed out but i couldnt put everyone in.:loopy:

really surprised to see ted burgin with no votes --now he was a top class keeper--surprised none of the older members have given him a vote!!---my uncle who passed away a few years ago rated him very highly!

john hope....
keith solaman---rip.....
jim brown...

yeah remember keith solomon---didnt he pass away after a training seeion in torquay--i know he was a good prospect--yes a real tragedy!

nice one mikeyspikey....keith was a friend of a friend....

think we forgot...nicky johns....
the great...derek richardson.....

Easily Alan Kelly in the last few decades. There are very few keepers I've seen play who were as good or consistant as him.

Alan Kelly gave nme the most memorable night of my Blade-following life, when he saved all those penalties of Coventry's in the FA Cup quarter fibnal 1998.

None of the above

im sorry there wasnt room for heroes such as--steve conroy,keith waugh,john connaughton,terry poole,des thompson,bob widdowson,hans segers,neil ramsbottom etc. ,ahhh what memories that little list brings back:)

sorry forgot to mention andy leaning and graeme benstead!

as a derby lad and a derby fan, i have only joined this forum because my dad now lives in york so i hope you don't mind!

well i would say paddy kenny is a challenger for being one of your best keepers but alan kelly was good aswell so tough choice!

I have seen all the mentioned goalies play for the Blades apart from Burgin , and I also saw Jim Brown play many matches home and away for United ..
Every one of them played great games and bad games for us and also they played in different divisions and obviously in different eras so its pretty hard to say who was the best ...
Alan Kelly probably was the best ever keeper the Blades have had but, I voted for Hodgkinson who i saw in many memorable matches ..
You can knock John Hope all you want , He might not have been our best ever keeper but I have the 1970-71 programme for the Watford match and seeing BIG JOHN on the front saluting the Blades fans during the 5-1 thrashing of Cardiff will always stay with me
:D
Showing my age now

Regards Canada Blade

yeah canadablade---people seem to forget that john hope played a big part in getting the blades promoted to the top flight with some brilliant displays!--ok he did make mistakes but dont all keepers?---unfortunately he took the blame for the 5-0 home defeat by arsenal and he was never allowed to forget it!--not just by the fans but by a certain "t c" aswell!!--a promising career was destroyed by certain factors!!
by the way he kept quite a few clean sheets in that promotion season!!----im ready for all the flack!!--bring it on!!

Originally posted by mikeyspikey
yeah canadablade---people seem to forget that john hope played a big part in getting the blades promoted to the top flight with some brilliant displays!--ok he did make mistakes but dont all keepers?---unfortunately he took the blame for the 5-0 home defeat by arsenal and he was never allowed to forget it!--not just by the fans but by a certain "t c" aswell!!--a promising career was destroyed by certain factors!!
by the way he kept quite a few clean sheets in that promotion season!!----im ready for all the flack!!--bring it on!!

No flack from me m8, If they are Blades it makes no difference if they are bad or good , the thing is they are Blades ..
I remember when Hopey he let 5 in at West Ham in the 5th round of the league cup many moons ago ...
I think it was in 1973 :help: and i remember mi Dad keeping me off school that day and the coaches not returning from St. Pancras till midnight :loopy: I cant remember much about the match apart from some West ham fan throwing a banger on the pitch and Hopey grabbing his chest as though he was having a heart attack and falling to his knees and all the WHU and Blades fans laughing ...Do you remember if we got him from Newcastle or was he born there ?
Just got the 1970-71 programme out and John Hope played the last 17 matches for us in that promotion year including the 0-0 draw at Swillsborough after we had beaten them 3-2 at BDTBL with Hodgy in net
:clap: :clap:
Anyways John Hope in 17 matches was in net for 10 wins, 2 losses and 5 draws and kept 10 clean sheets
:thumbsup:

Regards Canada Blade

hi canadablade,
yeah john joined us from newcastle united alond with david ford in exchange for john tudor and on the same day we signed trevor hockey from birmingham city.---thanx for quoting those stats regarding johns performances--what cant speak cant lie!!:) ----oh yeah i remember john tudor coming on as sub and scoring the winner against the owls after we had let a two goal lead slip.
cheers & thanx!
mikey:thumbsup:

I remember John Hope with great affection, he was superb for us and was a real character. I also seem to remember him conceding 5 in successive matches (I think) and the joke went round that when he got back to the dressing room he threw his head into his hands.................and missed!!!:hihi:

well according to all you blades fans on the forum--alan kelly is the greatest blades keeper ever!!---4 votes in front of another blades legend alan hodgkinson!---i suppose it was always going to be between these two!---still cant believe simon tracey & ted burgin didnt get off the mark!
anyway thanx to all of you who took the trouble to vote and to everyone who kept the thread going!
:thumbsup:
mikey

sorry!!---i stand corrected --ted did get one vote!:)

No doubt at all, it has to be Hodgy, the scourge of many an Owl (myself included) for so many years and second only to the great Ron Springett in the history of the City's keepers

What about that Fatty Fawkes?

John Hope was hopeless,the best goalkeeper to put on an Blades & England shirt was Alan (Hodgy) Hodgkinson,Alan Kelly,Mel Rees would have been a top GK but for his sad death,Simon Tracy but for his injury's.

Think it was Derek Richardson if I remember right.
Joking apart Hodgkinson,also liked Mcallister.

As a Wednesdayite I have to recall a certain semi final, Sheffield Wednesday v Alan Kelly. One of the best goalkeeping display's I have ever seen, without him it would have been a cricket score.

As far back as i can remember i'll try & put in order best gk

1,alan kelly
2,mel reece
3,keith waugh
4,simon tracey
5,paddy kenny
6,john burridge
7,phil kite
8,greame benstead
9,steve conroy
10,derek richardson

As far back as i can remember i'll try & put in order best gk

1,alan kelly
2,mel reece
3,keith waugh
4,simon tracey
5,paddy kenny
6,john burridge
7,phil kite
8,greame benstead
9,steve conroy
10,derek richardson

Where's Hodgkinson? or did you never see him play?