[Leyland Titan]

Look, I can’t sleep, ok?
Could it be that J-Lo was our greatest goalkeeper?
John Lowe was custodian between 91 and 95.
In his first season (91-92) we were League champions, conceding only 21 goals – next best being 32 against.
In his second season (92-93) we came third to Liverpool, who conceded only 19 goals, but we were next best in the league with 24 and Lowe was ever-present
In 93-94 we came second. 35 goals conceded second best to champions Blackpool on 32, but Lowe’s absences (e.g. for a crucial 3-5 reverse) may have been crucial in this respect.
In 94-95 we topped the league, conceding only a parsimonious 33 goals. Notts County in second conceded 45.
Unfortunately Lowe was approaching retirement, missed the play off game against Liverpool that won us promotion to Division 1, and only made one more appearance, the opening game of the 95-96 season.
Plus, he looked the part. Who can forget his dashing pose in the 93/94 team line up, sporting a beautifully trimmed moustache, neckerchief, and belt borrowed from an army chum? He was tall and imposing (look, I loved John Forrest, but he should have been sitting down at the front in the team pics) and he had the type of cavalier insouciance that wasn’t seen again until big Neville Southall
Don’t overlook Mr Lowe when you vote for the Shakers number 1.

Thanks in spades to Peter Cullen’s “meisterwork”

[Leyland Titan]

As we know, we didn’t concede a goal in the 1902-03 cup run- so let’s look at the chances of the formidable figure of Hugh Monteith. The big man was renowned for terrifying opposition forwards with his fulsome moustache and sticky out ears, and his arrival from West Ham opened a new chapter in Shakers goalkeeping history. He had some tough acts to follow (as well as Lowe there was Fred Thompson, who shut out Burnley, Notts County and Sheffield United on the way to the 1900 FA cup final, before shutting out Southampton in the final with his intimidating flat cap, luxuriant moustache, hard stare combination).
Monteith went to Bolton Wanderers. Does that rule him out?

[Leyland Titan]

Which Shakers goalkeeper scored the most goals for his club?
The answer, as I’m sure you all know, was Scotland’s James “Jimmy” Raeside.
In 1909-1910 he scored 3 League goals, despite appearing in every game in the number 1 slot. These were the days when the keeper was only distinguished from the rest of his team by his cap (I think separate coloured shirts came in 1911) and many goals were attributed to “Scrimmage”, but in fact Raeside’s secret was that he was Bury’s penalty king.
He converted a penalty in the 3-1 demolition of PNE at Gigg, and put away both goals against Sheff Utd in April. He also let in 66 that season, so on balance he’s probably out of the running.

[Leyland Titan]

Most notorious goalkeeper?
I think this has to go to the guy who also had the best name – Tommy Cornthwaite. He was probably the most famous name in our WW1 line up (The back row of which is Yates (trainer), unknown, unknown, Cornthwaite, unknown, unknown, unknown)
However he’s best known for the goals he conceded – especially the two at home to Coventry in 1920. An enquiry revealed that he and several other players had known of an arrangement whereby Bury “threw” the game. The club was fined £100. As far as I can tell he was the only player to be suspended by the FA as a result. He looks a bit shifty in the team pics, but you DEFINITELY wouldn’t buy a used car of the 1920/21 directors!
:shock:

[Leyland Titan]

Pink Floyd are short…and so are our goalkeepers (gratuitous Fall reference for DJ ASH)
Billy Richardson made 217 league appearances, not far behind Gary Kelly on 236 and well ahead of Kiely (137).
He looks pretty menacing in the early photos, though later ones reveal him to have been standing on a box. He was in fact one of the earliest in our long line of shortar*e goalies (take a bow Messrs Forrest, Kelly…oh, you are standing up).
His record stands up pretty well – we were second in Div 2 in 23-24, letting in just 35 (Richardson ever-present).
Next season was, I think, our highest league placing – 5th in Div 1.
However Billy just got smaller and smaller, and by the time of his final games (lost 7-1 at Villa Park; lost 4-0 at home to Sheff Weds) he was just 4ft 11.
He died in 1959 aged 62, at a height of 3ft 5.

[Leyland Titan]

Forrest - fantastic bare knuckle bruiser, agile, great anticipation, would struggle to get through an academy these days. I loved him, he was our greatest servant, local too, but not our greatest goalkeeper

[Leyland Titan]

I watche Bury in 1980-81 more often than any other season - Southal was fantastic for us, playing in a below average team. He was probably the best goalkeeper to play for us, but he wasn't our greatest, if you see what i mean - he just didn't stay long enough.

[Leyland Titan]

I don't think Gary was as good as his dad. I remember him playing against his brother once. He moved about a lot. He threw his shirt in my direction when we got relegated at Preston. He was alright. Height an issue again I'm afraid. I think his leaving left a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.

[Leyland Titan]

Shakers' Number 1

[Leyland Titan]

30s austerity goalkeepers
These look a dour bunch. Brylcreem boy Mills seems to have lasted more than a season, but the rest were in and out like a dog at a fair.
Tremmelling looks like a Spifire pilot waiting for a war to break out - or a Spitfire to be invented.
Fairhust has a certain "Utility" charm and got a full season in 36/36.
Ferguson looks like he needs a blanket and a cup of Bovril.
The last in their line is GeorgeBradshaw, who looks like a 50 yr old Billy Casper. He helped take us to 43rd in the league in 43-44
When he moved to Oldham in 49 he was 36 and looked 80. They were hard times. 118 games - fair play, feller. Anyone know his subsequent history?

[Leyland Titan]

I know most people have better things to do than write spirited critiques of Neil Ramsbottom (does anybody care? I find that I do, strangely) but now that Gandalf is back off his holidays he can't be far away from completing the August "lead article" on Bury goalkeepers. He doesn't have anything else to do, frankly. And yet no-one has yet written an angry message about the exclusion of Archie Montgomery from my nocturnal ramblings about Bury best goalkeeper.
* He appeared in 210 league matches (loads more than Kiely, not far behind Kelly, double Simon Farnworth ) and was with us for 11 years ( not far behind Sir John, my boyhood hero, who should have got more than a gold clock for his 13 yrs).
* He's got the best pedigree of practically any other Shaker ( came from Glasgow Rangers and left for Manchester United - those were the days!)
* He kept lots of clean sheets, despite the impediment of looking shorters than Gary Kelly, and began the tradition of "Shakers keepers are short."
* Club's first secretary / manager
* early player we flogged to make money. Would we have won the Manchester Senior Cup Final with him in 1906, instead of losing 3-0 to the Winkers? Let's ask the Ray Pointer fan club?

I know nobody cares. Go ahead and vote for Deano, he deserves it anyway.

It's only me with a nagging concern about how good Neil Ramsbottom really was.

[Gandalf]

:shock: Nothing else to do :shock:
The introductory article should be done int next cupla days with the initial voting continuing for about two weeks. After that the two finalists will be selected and a further vote will take place for who should be the first inductee into our HoF.

[Leyland Titan]

Just spotted Chris Harker in the avatars and realised nobody (well me, really) has mentioned him yet.
He was before my time - did he do anything else apart from put Cloughie out of the game and into management prematurely? Could it be that Forest woyuld never have been such a force (eg ending our glorious League Cup run after doing Millwall / west Brom [78?] then beating us 7-0n at home, as well as ..er..winning the European Cup) without Harker?
178 appearnces 61-66, must be worth a shout. Anyone see him play?
PS Anyone ever put together a list of names for all the avatars, or is there one available? There are several I don't recognise.