With the weather not letting up, how can goalkeepers protect themselves against the elements?
The lovely summer days where it’s light until 10pm, with temperatures reaching up to 30 degrees and football pitches lush and green, seem a long way away in the depths of January.
The latest storm to ‘batter’ the UK has been named Storm Chandra, with blizzard-like conditions being reported on the news earlier this week. Football pitches, especially outside of the football league, can turn into mud baths, akin to what we saw in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But as clubs do their best to keep them in tip top condition, many ultimately don’t have the resources to do so.
That is without talking about the weather conditions all goalkeepers could face, with winter bringing rain, snow, fog and even blizzards. To assist you in preparing to keep goal in bad weather, Goalkeeper.com has compiled a few handy tips and tricks of the trade to prepare you for defending your goal and hopefully getting that clean sheet despite the unfavourable conditions - no matter what level you play at.
Starting at the top, ex-Liverpool, Preston, and Leeds goalkeeper Andy Lonergan told Goalkeeper.com that “medical gloves [the blue latex ones] underneath goalkeeper gloves is the biggest game changer”. This trick is one that often flies about the Reddit and Facebook forums, with the gloves helping keep hands drier in bad weather.
Lonergan also explained that he’d heard “rubbing Vaseline on the top of your foot and toes before you put socks” was another tip - though he hadn’t tried this one out himself.
For other goalkeepers, the answer was simply layer upon layer upon layer. Ex-Brentford goalkeeper-turned-agent Richard Lee joked that he “looked like the Michelin man” when the weather went south. He also said that “I used to run my hands under a hot tap and then make sure I dried them well before going out and often wore cotton gloves underneath goalkeeper gloves.”
But what about in Europe, where the conditions can often worsen below those of the UK in winter? Michael Gspurning, Union Berlin and Austria National Team goalkeeper coach, is a man who knows the cold.
“One thing I tried was a rubber vest, a bit like the material of deep sea divers. It keeps you warm even if you sweat underneath it. I also tried plastic bags under the socks to keep the wet and cold outside!” he explained.
But what of those who don't have the luxuries of top flight facilities to recuperate after a session or match braving the elements?
Non-league goalkeepers Michael Shorthouse, of Hanley Town, and former Chester and Curzon Ashton goalkeeper Cameron Mason, who now guards the Avro goal, shared their thoughts on how they prepare for a game in bad weather as well as some of their memories of playing in those conditions.
Shorthouse, who joined the North Staffordshire side Hanley Town in the summer from 1874 Northwich, explained how "I always go on the pitch with our goalkeeper coach Justin Shackleston before the game to look at how the pitch is, to see if it’s soft or hard and decide what boots I am going to wear.
“I also have a spare pair of gloves in my bag so if it has started to become boggy in the warm up, I will use my spare pair of gloves first instead of my match pair. Then I have a clean match pair to go straight into the game.
“It’s little details to help me with my grip and my catching and to do everything right in the game.”
Living in the UK, bad weather is nothing new. For most of the year the default weather condition is overcast with winds, while rain seems to fall most weeks. If you venture to the northern parts of Scotland, you can enjoy the beautiful game in heavy snowfall.
Most goalkeepers build acclimatisation into their pre-game warm up routines.
“Being from Manchester, I think bad weather comes as standard most of the time, so it is something you have to get used to quickly”, said Mason. “Coastal games are always impacted by wind more.
“I remember the wind getting hold of a cross at Blyth Spartans away once, and it looped over me, mixture of bad timing and not appreciating how strong the wind had picked up!
“In warm ups, for those sorts of conditions, I personally would take an extra few crosses from either side and different variations of crosses to see how the ball moves due to the conditions."
Mason also explained how it can differ on an artificial turf pitch, something which is becoming more common in the non-league game: “Playing on Astro turf, the rain plays a big factor. The Astro can be quite slow and dry when it’s a nice day but then changes really quickly when the rain hits it, so it skids through to keepers more and shots that hit the deck skid on a lot faster. So you have to be aware that the conditions will affect the speed and bounce of shots and passes.”
While the weather can play havoc with goalkeepers and can make members of the goalkeeper's union susceptible to blunders, it can also bring out the best in a number one.
Both Mason and Shorthouse have experienced games where the weather hasn’t been great and, despite it, they have come off the pitch having played very well, garnering recognition for their performances.
Mason said: “I have played in all sorts of weather but Lowestoft Town away years ago before I was even a number one…I remember the weather being awful and that was my first non-league overnight stay, and when we got there the pitch was barely playable. I was thinking it was going to get called off.
“The game was 0-0 at half time, I was out warming up having a laugh and a little bit of ‘ glad I’m not playing in this and on this pitch.’
“Then the next thing I remember is the assistant manager at the time coming out and telling me I was coming on now as a keeper. That was a shock when nothing had happened to the other goalkeeper that I knew of, so straight away my mentality had to change,
“I had to think how lucky I was to play as I didn’t get many chances back then. That moment after the game finished 0-0, I learnt you have to be up and ready for every single game, no matter what the conditions.
“I have thought that way ever since. Bad conditions are part of the game; it is how you handle them on the pitch and mentally.
Shorthouse recalls memories of playing in the mud and the fog, in particular one game where he got the Man of the Match award.
“I have played one full season in non-league so far. Especially around winter times, the pitches get muddier, and you can get a bit of fog.
“That is what happened on Boxing day playing against Northwich Victoria (for 1874 Northwich) at home. It was completely foggy, and you couldn’t see past the halfway line and then again later on in the season we were playing Shifnal Town at home and drew 0-0.
“I had a really good game and got Man of the Match but it was an absolute mud bath.”
“As a goalkeeper, if shots are coming in, then the main priority is to defend the goal. If your hands are slippery with the mud, the rain, or dew, the main priority is defending the goal, so instead of catching the ball it might be a punch away or instead of a catch from a long shot, it’s a parry away into a good area. That is the main priority.
Mason finishes by leaving us an excellent piece of advice as our chat comes to an end: “If you don’t like the wind and the rain, then goalkeeping is probably not for you!”
In summary, tips include:
- Warm up properly - and stay on the move through the match. Stretch thoroughly and keep jogging/moving around your penalty area through the ninety minutes.
- Keep a dry pair of gloves for your match, and use a different pair in the warmup.
- Wear waterproof trousers and a rain jacket in the warm up to prevent match kit from getting wet.
- Alternatively, have a spare pair of shorts and a top to wear in the warm up to keep your match kit dry.
- Have a towel next to your goal to wring out the moisture in your gloves.
- Wear a hat! Although science has disproved the idea that you lose the most heat through your head, a hat always seems to make you feel warmer!
- Have a change of clothes and a towel for after the game, especially if you have a long journey home and the club doesn’t have shower facilities.
- Bring an umbrella for half time. There’s no point getting more wet when the rain continues to pour.
