The debate rages on. Why hasn’t AW signed a new keeper? Will our silverware aspirations be safe in the hands of MA1, or even Lucasz Fabianksi? We’ll know soon enough as the season unfolds. But all this chit-chat about the Arsenal No.1 position got me thinking…which keeper in our glorious past do I admire the most? Which stopper deserves the mantle of our best-ever? It’s a tricky one because in terms of modern success you would have to look no further than David Seaman I suppose. Christ he was good, make that superb. Truly world class. How many points did he win us? How many cup games did he single-handedly (literally) save us from defeat?
Thinking of the most memorable moments from Spunky’s awesome time at the Arsenal is hard – there are too many to mention. I’ve whittled them down to three and my favourite moments were the penalty saves against Sampdoria in the Cup Winners Cup semi in Italy. To beat them in the manner in which we did – after the Eye-tie Old Bill had kept us locked in a car park for six hours or so before the game – was beautiful. Then there was the one-handed save against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi at Old Trafford in 2003. Paul Peschisolido must have thought he’d scored. No, everyone thought he had scored. One man knew he wouldn’t. And hadn’t. When Spunky arched back and clawed the ball from entering the net – he was almost 40 at the time – you knew you were witnessing a class act.
My other distinctive reflection on the man the other players at the time dubbed simply ‘the goalie’ was a Champions League game against Ajax in Amsterdam. For reasons that are obvious to anyone who has ever been on an Arsenal jolly to the Dam, I can’t for the life of me remember when this was although I think we got a draw. Anyway, as Seaman approached the end housing the more fanatical Dutch fans an eroneous chant emerged thus: ‘Seaman is gay, Seaman is gay, Seaman is gay ole ole.’ Hilarious. It must have been the ‘tache, Dave.
Other keepers? Bob Wilson was in goal when my Dad first took me to Arsenal and, weirdly, the thing I noticed and remember to this day was how he used to pace from one post to the next as the game took place in front of him. No gloves, brave as a lion and a real Mr Arsenal aura about him.
Others? Pat Jennings*, obviously. The you-know-whos discarded this great man and we offered him the chance to come and win things and this is what he did – well one FA Cup out of three finals in 78, 79, 80. I witnessed the famous one-handed catch many a time from my spot to the left of the goal on the North Bank.
Talking of which, the North Bank song for Jimmy Rimmer sticks with me, espcially the ‘ooh ooh’ bit at the end. George Wood: I remember running on the pitch after we’d lost to Watford in the FA Cup at Highbury to console George and when I got to him having evaded police and stewards he was sobbing! Think that was the game when Steve Williams had a ruck with Graham Taylor. God, you had to love Steve Williams. I remember at game at QPR and Michael Thomas lined up to take a free-kick. I was along the side at Loftus Road near where the kick was being taken from and Willimas just came over and pushed him out the way: “I’m fucking taking it,” he said. Authorative and arrogant…great midfielder qualities.
Johnny Lukic (or ‘can’t kick’ as I called him for his wayward punts) was a brilliant keeper and at the time of Seamo coming the the Gunners there was a lot of ill feeling amongst the fans as the prospect of Johnny getting the boot. As Gorgeous George said at the time though: “I still think John Lukic is one of the top three keepers in the country. I just think David Seaman is the best.”
I have barely scratched the surface of our No.1s and I could go on – except I can’t as I have work to do. Cheers and COYG!
*Did you know Pat Jennings was Everton’s sub keeper for the 1986 FA Cup final?
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