Now that Dorus has left and were looking for a new keeper, I had a thought. In my time of watching the Swans over some 30 odd years who has been the best and worst keepers we've ever had. I know there have been a few so here goes!!! Best: Geoff Crudgington (Had to include Geoff watch my first game with him in goal) Dave Stewart (Tosh treated him badly) Lee Bracey (Career cut very short) Roger Freestone (Say no more CLASS!!!) Worst: Dai Davies (See Dave Stewart) Peter Guthrie (Some might remember him, we had on loan from Spurs, garbage, but did have a good game against Torquay in the playoff's) Don't think Dorus makes the best, if he's have stayed then I would say he'd have made the list.
Why don't you guys put in a cheeky bid for Shay Given? He's in dire need of first team footy, and you could maybe try and get him on a similar deal that Cardiff had for Bellamy, where they pay his wages, or at least the bulk of the wages. If you could pull off a coup like that, Given could be the difference between staying up and returning to the Championship.
Tony Millington was my favourite (which shows how old I am) and Dai Davies the worst. Thank God he only hung around for two years... felt like twenty.
I think De Vries deserves his place there. We are quick to forget some of the saves he has made for us. I remember when we first got him, his form was red hot! I remember turning to my friend in the east stand with shock and and amazement at some of the saves he was making. A crowd pleaser as well...Had a good relationship with the fans
I thought De Vries broke one of Freestones records? might be wrong though..................... please log in to view this image
Tony, Tony Millington ..... Tony Millington! Can anybody remember the songs and chants from the old days? For instance... Lenny, oh Lenny Allchurch oh Lenny Allchurch on the wi-ing!
De Vries has the clean sheet record doesn't he? I'd say at this level, given the rise in modern football, that would make him an automatic choice for the list of our best keepers?! De Vries won us a lot of points over the last 2 or 3 seasons with ridiculous reflex saves, easily outweighing however many his flapping cost us. AsprillasFurCoat; I doubt Man City would lend to a team in the same league. The only reason Cardiff got Bellamy was because he wouldn't be any kind of threat... I'm not saying we'd come anywhere close to scaring Man City but if they shipped him on to another Premiership team they'd want a decent chunk of money at least I think.
I'm glad some remember Tony Millington... I thought I'd look him up on google to see what he was doing these days. On the ‘Old Baggies’ website it says that he's still involved in football, but is now wheelchair bound. The article says he's the disability officer at Wrexham FC, but I don't know how old the article is. There is one classic story about his many exploits while playing for the Swans, so check out the last but one para: ‘Goalkeepers, as we know, are a law unto themselves. Eccentric isn’t the word, because many goalkeepers have their own style, their own way of doing things, their own very individual take on the beautiful game and the way they approach it. After all, it’s the most exposed position on the pitch, it’s the one where, however good you are, you’re rarely the hero, always just one mistake away from being the villain. Of course, there are characters, and then there are characters. And Tony Millington, Albion’s Welsh international goalkeeper of the early 1960s, was pretty remarkable even by goalkeeping standards. Best described as a showman, he clearly believed that his job description extended beyond shot stopping. Millington, it appears, saw himself as an entertainer, and more power to him for that. Tony was born in Hawarden, and joined the Throstles, initially as an amateur, in the summer of 1959. With bags of natural ability, it sometimes seemed as if the game came all too easily to him and concentration was an issue he sometimes struggled with. But that could not disguise his talent and by 1961/62, he had forced his way into the Albion side at the age of 18, good enough to edge past Ray Potter, no mean feat, and Jock Wallace, slightly easier, to make a first team debut in a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City on the last day of September 1961. He went on to rack up 24 games that season as Archie Macaulay replaced Gordon Clark as manager, before he and Ray Potter shared the number one jersey the following season. That was the year when Millington made it into the Welsh side, his debut coming in Cardiff against a strong Scotland. Playing behind a defence that included club colleague Stuart Williams and the mighty John Charles, now back from his time with Juventus, Millington had to fish the ball out of the net three times as the Scots won 3-2, Denis Law one of Scotland’s scorers. Next up was a trip to Budapest to play a still strong Hungarian side, and another defeat, 3-1, before Millington was selected to play in goal at Wembley in the next of the home internationals. England were rampant, winning 4-0. November 1962 was a tough month for Millington given that Albion had shipped five goals at home to Blackburn. We then proceeded to lose 4-1 at home to Nottingham Forest which led to the return of Ray Potter to the team. Potter stayed between the sticks that season, except for one game where injury kept him out. Millington steeped into the breach and was promptly mown down by Wolves who won 7-0 at Molineux. That was the end of his Albion career, not least because shortly after, Jimmy Hagan arrived to take charge as manager. Of all managers, Hagan was the least likely on earth to take to a flamboyant goalkeeper, the kind who would celebrate a goal with a handstand, or swap sweets with supporters behind the goal while Albion were attacking, something that one of his successors, John Osborne, was not above doing either. More seriously, Hagan was not taken with Millington’s showmanship which, occasionally saw him making a save or two for the cameras. That hid real ability though, and a move away to Crystal Palace reenergised his career, ensuring that for the rest of the 1960s, he would do battle with Dave Hollins and Gary Sprake for the goalkeeping job with Wales. Later, he returned to the Valleys to play for Swansea where he became a huge crowd favourite. They do say you should never meet your heroes though, and for Tony, that was true. A big fan of the former Manchester United man Harry Gregg, the appreciation was not mutual, the stern Northern Irishman cut from the same cloth as Hagan and he moved on again to Glenavon, before a horrific car crash ended his playing career. Millington was always popular with crowds, for his humour and for his compassion. One story from his Swansea days sums him up. Warming up before the game, he suddenly chased off the field only to return carrying a chair. He’d spotted an elderly supporter on crutches in the crowd and ushered him into the disabled supporters enclosure and sat him down to watch the game. By a wicked irony, Millington himself is now wheelchair bound following illness, but he is still involved in the game as the disability officer at Wrexham’...
What a fascinating post whitershadeofpale! I never knew Tony played for West Brom. It's great we can have this pre season nostalgia before the business really starts. You mentioned Gary Sprake who is a distant relation to me. Who can forget his throw outs for Leeds that reached the half way line! When he let go of the ball that is. When he didn't ... well that's another one for posterity!
Thanks for the comment BJ... can't take the plaudits myself though as it was a direct lift from the ‘Old Baggies’ website which was full of very well written pieces on a large number of players. Sad to think that TM is now disabled after a car-crash, but I can see him now at the Vetch warming up... a true gent and real character as the article said!
Never forget Millington's save from a George Best direct free-kick taken just outside box - 1970 Home Champioships, Wales v N Ireland at the Vetch. The ball curved up and over the wall into Tony's far bottom corner - on his day he was capable of making the most brilliant stuff look so effortless.
Those memories of Tony Millington are so vivid I used to stand on he sleepers behind the goal at the east end of the Vetch where you were so close to the action! It may be my fading memory but I always seem to recollect Tony wearing a red top - coulourful in all aspects of his game! He would make a relatively simple save into something that looked top drawer with very agile and dramatic dives. Brisbane yes I remember that Lenny Allchchurch song - something along the lines of: "We've got Little Lenny Allchurch on the wing, on the wing. Lenny oh Lenny Allchurch. We've got Little Lenny Allchurch on the wing." One vivid memory of both Tony Millington and Lenny Allchurch was in a fantastic FA cup game at Elland Rd where as a 15 year old I saw us as a 4th Div side almost pull off a giant killing act against the mighty Leeds. Lenny had a great game that day against Terry Cooper for Leeds and Tony Miilington performed heroics. It was only the sending off of Mel Nurse (Sniffer Clarke got him sent off) that let them back into the game. It will be great to see us back at the big grounds this season but not at Elland Rd Match report here: http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/03-01-1970 LUFC v Swansea Town.htm
dorus has to be the best goalkeeper in recent years followed very closely by roger freestone, others who are worth a mention for me are ...jimmy rimmer, willie G, tony M, Glan L, i hope we get a premiership class goalkeeper otherwise we may struggle, i think we will have to look abroad for any decent keepers unless we can entice camp to join us, he is quality but i doubt he would come here.....
as a young kid i was in awe of Tony Millington. in the early 70's my dad used to take me to the lower double decker to watch the game, and whilst i couldn't really see what was going on down the far end if we were attacking - Millington's theatrics more than kept me amused. i especially remember the handstands when we scored or the fear of watching one of our penalties. i thought Jimmy Rimmer was the best goalie mind, he was total class, we could do with him now
Tony Millington, before my time sorry. Jimmy Rimmer I missed off the list, again a very good keeper. Glen Letheren another good keeper but was prone to make mistakes. I remember one game with him diving forward to collect an easy ball and it going through his arms and legs into the net. Whilst the latest keepers in Willie & Dorus, both not convincing in the air for me, great shot stoppers but commanding the box wasn't there strongest point. With Dorus having the clean sheet record, which was a fine achievement, I feel it was our style of play that made him get it, as Sousa was defence orientated.
