Very, very quiet on the Macca front!

Quoted from Bigdog

Don't get me wrong, I think Macca's a half decent keeper for this level, and I'd rather he signed as it would be one position less in the team to worry about, but I don't think he's as good as some on here are portraying. Getting gooey eyed about him showing passion and being a loyal servant to the club seems to mask the fact for some that he's really poor on crosses and commanding his box. He's a competent League Two keeper with shot stopping being the  counterbalance to his weaknesses, but nowhere near the best five keepers we've ever had, never mind second best to Danny Coyne.. or am I missing something?

Nope, I think that’s fair. I’ve been watching Town since the very early 90s and realistically the likes of Sherwood, Crichton, Davison and Coyne were far superior in terms of ability.

But you have to rate players in the context of our league status and in that sense, I think Macca has to be up there in the list of legendary goalkeepers. He’s given 100% for this club since he arrived in 2011 and for that he deserves huge respect. His kind of attitude is not to be taken for granted in the modern game.

Quoted from Poojah

Nope, I think that’s fair. I’ve been watching Town since the very early 90s and realistically the likes of Sherwood, Crichton, Davison and Coyne were far superior in terms of ability.

But you have to rate players in the context of our league status and in that sense, I think Macca has to be up there in the list of legendary goalkeepers. He’s given 100% for this club since he arrived in 2011 and for that he deserves huge respect. His kind of attitude is not to be taken for granted in the modern game.

Add Batch and Wainman to that list; but in the recent context (previously losing key members of the squad to clubs no bigger, sometimes smaller [Hartlepool] than us) it would great to see off Motherwell and retain a very good keeper for this level and, as important, a player who loves playing for GTFC.

Quoted from Bigdog

Don't get me wrong, I think Macca's a half decent keeper for this level, and I'd rather he signed as it would be one position less in the team to worry about, but I don't think he's as good as some on here are portraying. Getting gooey eyed about him showing passion and being a loyal servant to the club seems to mask the fact for some that he's really poor on crosses and commanding his box. He's a competent League Two keeper with shot stopping being the counterbalance to his weaknesses, but nowhere near the best five keepers we've ever had, never mind second best to Danny Coyne.. or am I missing something?

Funny that Coyne should be mentioned because he was pretty much a (slightly better) version of McKeown. Good shot-stopper, hopeless at crosses though a bit better with his kicking. Less prone to the odd gaffe or two each season than McKeown as well, I suppose.

McKeown is around 6'2", if the OS is to be believed, which is plenty tall enough but he's not a player who is dominant when it comes to collecting crosses. Not the first decent keeper we've had who prefers to stay on his line and won't be the last. In this day and age when the opposition tend to do their best to block the keeper, this isn't perhaps too bad a thing at times.

It's the usual situation here. For those moaning about his failings, just consider that if he was better at kicking and catching crosses, he'd have been playing a division or two higher for the past few years. He isn't, so he hasn't.

Not so sure about comparisons with keepers like Sherwood. The game was very much different back in his era as picking up backpasses was allowed and extremely commonplace. A much more pressured role these days with dodgy backpasses to deal with the best you can.

I'll be pleased if he stays with us - not overjoyed, but happy that we have a decent keeper in place. I'd stop him taking free-kicks in more advanced positions in our own half, however, as he doesn't have the control in his kicking and tends to overhit way too many of them.

Name                     Pos        Year        App
Harry Wainman    - GK - 1964–1977 - 420
Nigel Batch          - GK - 1976–1986 - 348  
Steve Sherwood   - GK - 1987–1992 - 183
Paul Crichton       - GK - 1993–1996 - 133  
Aidan Davison      - GK - 1997-2003 - 109  
Danny Coyne       - GK - 1999–2002 - 181  
James McKeown  - GK - 2011 -         - 301

In my time of following Town.......Nigel Batch was the top goalkeeper for Town.

Harry Wainman was before I started following Town  

On a slight tangent, I have a question for those older than me. For as long as I’ve been watching Town, our keepers have never worn green - my understanding that this is to do with an old fishing superstition.

Looking back through old photos though, we did have green keeper shirts - so when did this tradition begin?

[img]https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/grimsby-town-fourth-division-champions-197172-trainer-jim-clunie-alan-picture-id681452142[/img]

Quoted from Poojah

On a slight tangent, I have a question for those older than me. For as long as I’ve been watching Town, our keepers have never worn green - my understanding that this is to do with an old fishing superstition.

Looking back through old photos though, we did have green keeper shirts - so when did this tradition begin?

[img]https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/grimsby-town-fourth-division-champions-197172-trainer-jim-clunie-alan-picture-id681452142[/img]

Didnt Steve Sherwood wear the odd green jersey i can definately remember him wearing yelliw and red

Quoted from Poojah

On a slight tangent, I have a question for those older than me. For as long as I’ve been watching Town, our keepers have never worn green - my understanding that this is to do with an old fishing superstition.

Looking back through old photos though, we did have green keeper shirts - so when did this tradition begin?

[img]https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/grimsby-town-fourth-division-champions-197172-trainer-jim-clunie-alan-picture-id681452142[/img]

Who was Towns back up keeper in the picture ?

Think its Ian Turner, followed McMenemy to Southampton and played in the FA cup final soon after IIRC

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Add Batch and Wainman to that list; but in the recent context (previously losing key members of the squad to clubs no bigger, sometimes smaller [Hartlepool] than us) it would great to see off Motherwell and retain a very good keeper for this level and, as important, a player who loves playing for GTFC.[color=black][/color]

Loves playing for us unless a better keeper is chosen ahead of him i.e Henderson then he wants to leave.

I’ll be more than happy if he stay next season as long as our manager thinks he can’t get a better goalkeeper. If he thinks he can improve on Macca then it seems a waste of money making him one of the highest earners in the club for a No2 goalkeeper

In Jolley we trust