Who do you think was the best Southend goalie?

[Zeuss]

Cawston was the best of our regular keepers by quite a distance but even he was probably bettered by short-term loaners Burridge and Federici.

 

[AndyT]

Malcolm Webster was our keeper when I first started going regularly.

Not the biggest fella, but didn't seem to let too many goals in.

 

[Derbyshire Blue]

Tough poll this because it is based on who you've watched in your generation.

Sammy and Roycey were probably the best keepers for me, but if the poll was who is your favourite then it's Flavs because his saves always me made speechless and I came away from more games watching him in awe than the others. Maybe not the 'all-round' best keeper but I enjoyed watching his saves the most.

 

[AndyT]

Very good point and it's an excellent poll.

We also live with hazy rose-tinted memories sometimes.

I'm sure old Merv dropped a few clangers, but I can only remember his blond hair between the sticks stopping everything.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Older git point of view....Belllotti was quality....bit of a Grobellar....but always there when you/we needed him

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Spelling's always crap after beer................:smile:

 

[Jai]

Royce is the best I've seen. Royce was streets ahead of Bentley and that's no slight on Dan. Royce was also several years older. Maybe in time Bentley could have surpassed Roycie had he stayed longer but for me there's only one option here.

Also worth noting that Bentley looked good in League Two for us - Royce looked brilliant in the top half of what is now the Championship.

Ah but the old Division 1 then was about League 2 level now. English football has improved immeasurably in those 20 years.

Personally I'd say Dan, followed closely by Roycie who I did think at the time was a terrific goalkeeper. Darryl in third but really that's not a bad three for the 25 years I've been supporting the club, guess I've been lucky.

One of the most inexplicable things any Southend manager has ever done is surely signing Neville Southall on loan when Royce was basically our only decent player. We then lost every game of his loan spell. Cheers Alvin.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Ah but the old Division 1 then was about League 2 level now. English football has improved immeasurably in those 20 years.

Personally I'd say Dan, followed closely by Roycie who I did think at the time was a terrific goalkeeper. Darryl in third but really that's not a bad three for the 25 years I've been supporting the club, guess I've been lucky.

One of the most inexplicable things any Southend manager has ever done is surely signing Neville Southall on loan when Royce was basically our only decent player. We then lost every game of his loan spell. Cheers Alvin.

Goalkeeping his much more difficult now than it was back in the 80s and 90s too. The balls are so much lighter than they were and move in the air. It's why keepers punch so much more than they did and don't come out for crosses as often as they did.

 

[westie]

I've had the privilege during my long association with Southend United in watching 3 outstanding goalkeepers:

(1) Trevor Roberts (2) Neil Freeman (3) Harry Threadgold

I considered adding Lawrie Leslie, but he was probably past his best when he played for the Blues.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Paul sansome for me . Quality keeper.

Did I imagine that long after he had left us he came back and was on the bench. Remember being sad that he looked very much older.

 

[Welly7]

Sammy. Did everything very well and had no obvious weakness.
Can't say Royce, as much as I loved him, because of his kicking alone.

 

[Big_Nath]

Where's Mark Prudhoe?
Had to be Merv for me

Prudhoe was on coaching staff at Hull under Brown...

 

[eastwood shrimper]

Close beten Royce and Sammy for me but i think Royce wins it for me.

 

[Farmer Fossett]

Where is Bart? Only poll we have had in past 5 years without his name; and it's a goalkeeping poll!

I have been watching Southend for almost 40 years. Whilst Sammy is one of my favourite players in my opinion he was not at the same level as Royce, Bentley and Flavs (or even Bart).

I have voted for Bentley however not much between him and Royce both top keepers!!

 

[Mick]

Prudhoe was on coaching staff at Hull under Brown...

He taught Brown all he knows about goalkeepers !

 

[Mick]

Cawston was the best of our regular keepers by quite a distance but even he was probably bettered by short-term loaners Burridge and Federici.

16 matches between the two of them; hardly enough to suggest they bettered Cawston. Although we were unbeaten in Burridge's 6 matches.

 

[Uncle Leo]

One of the most inexplicable things any Southend manager has ever done is surely signing Neville Southall on loan when Royce was basically our only decent player. We then lost every game of his loan spell. Cheers Alvin.

Grossly unfair interpretation of a glorious spell. We drew two of those nine games.

 

[Ironshrimper]

Can't believe all the newbie part time supporters like "The Rigsby" rate Bently over Sammy or Rolls Royce.....

 

[buffalowolf]

wheres Harry Threadgold , Norman Uprichards, and Federici.

 

[Tommy2holes]

That was such a great spell for blues in the early to mid 90s . Sammy the reliable number 1 and Royce biding his time to take the Jersey from him. Two very very good goalkeepers.