Kevin Poole Retires

[davieG]

Leicester City: Former keeper Kevin Poole is still making a big impact at 50

By Leicester Mercury | Posted: February 17, 2014

top man: Kevin Poole gives the thumbs up during his time at City, right and above; training with Kasey Keller, below

cheers: Kevin Poole and the City squad after the play-off win against Crystal Palace in 1996, left; keeping fit with Kasey Keller, above

good times: Celebrating a win at Stoke with, from left, Muzzy Izzet, Julian Watts, Neil Lennon, Emile Heskey and Steve Walsh

top man: Kevin Poole gives the thumbs up during his time at City, right and above; training with Kasey Keller, below

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Goalkeeper Kevin Poole recently came out of retirement at the age of 50 for burton albion, and he still retains strong links with former club city, as James Sharpe discovered.

There seems to be a general assumption in football today that you have to be at least 6ft to be a top-class goalkeeper. Kevin Poole is 5ft 10in. In a career spanning more than 30 years, he has tasted promotion to the Premier League twice and is the proud owner of a League Cup winner's medal – both with Leicester City, of course.

Not to mention he is still a professional footballer at the age of 50 with Burton Albion.

Unfortunately for those interested in record-breaking, Poole has only made the bench and is yet to take to the field at 50.

With Benjamin Siegrist having been on loan from Aston Villa until the start of this month, and Rob Lainton now loaned from Bury, Poole's chances may be limited.

"I think that's it now," says Poole. "It would have been nice to get on and play at 50 but it doesn't bother me really."

But it was so nearly a very different story – and it would have been, had Graham Taylor had his way.

When Taylor took over the reins at Villa, the club Poole supported as a boy and where he signed his first professional contract in 1981, he wasted little time in showing the young diminutive keeper the door.

"I was only there for two or three months once he took over because he wanted someone with a bigger stature," says Poole.

"He said to me I'd never make it in the game."

He shrugs it off now at least, but admits it is a sentiment that has stayed with him.

"You do brush it off but a lot of people say things about you," says Poole. "The comments did hurt but I knew I'd got the ability and knew that would come through at the end."

Now that his primary focus is on developing the goalkeepers of today, he has made sure that he ignores the apparent rule of thumb in the modern game.

"People say if you're not over six foot as a goalkeeper you've got no chance. That is one of my pets hates now," he says.

"If you're agile enough you can get by. I always say Fabien Barthez was 5ft 10in and was a World Cup winner. He got by because he was agile."

After being pushed out the door in the West Midlands, Poole moved up to Middlesbrough where he spent three years with Brian Little, who he knew from his time in the Villa youth team.

"He was a great manager to work with and a great motivator," says Poole. "He always had a smile on his face but wanted to work, just how I like to."

He followed him down to Filbert Street when Little took over the reins of a City side at an all-time low in 1991 where they suddenly embarked on an almost ritualistic passage to Wembley.

Three seasons in a row they made it to the play-off final. They suffered penalty heartbreaks in the first two – clearly that's not just a new phenomenon – until they finally reached the Promised Land in 1994.

But the hero Little soon became the villain the following November when he jumped ship, returning to Villa to manage the team he made almost 250 appearances for as a player.

There was a resounding sense of 'will he, won't he?' among City fans leading up to his departure as Little refused to acknowledge the all-too-strong emotional pull of his childhood club.

As he's since admitted, the whole affair could, and should, have been handled better.

According to Little's goalkeeper at the time, even the players didn't see it coming.

"It took me by surprise when he did actually go," says Poole. "I hadn't heard any of the rumours about whether he would or wouldn't go. It just happened. I was gutted."

City were relegated and it was left to Mark McGhee to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately for Poole, though, it would not be long until the size issue reared its ugly head again.

"Two or three months down the line, Mark had a little chat with me to tell me he was going to bring in another goalkeeper, someone with a bigger stature again," says Poole.

"That didn't work out too well."

That man was a 6ft 8in Australian named Zeljko 'Spider' Kalac.

What physical advantage Spider gained in height and stature, it was quickly lost through a distinct lack of, well, ability.

He made just two appearances under McGhee. The first was a thoroughly nervy performance against West Brom. From 3-0 up, City faced a nail-biting final few minutes after his two mistakes left them clinging on desperately for a 3-2 victory.

His actions certainly cost City in the second as he proceeded to chuck three into the net against Bolton, canceling out an otherwise resilient, battling performance from his team-mates.

"McGee came crawling back to me then," says Poole with a surprising amount of conviction for an incident that happened nearly 20 years ago.

"He came up to me and said, 'Sorry, I've made the wrong decision'."

But Spider, who eventually went on to sign for AC Milan – "some people don't half get some breaks" – would return to haunt Poole once more.

As City made their fourth play-off final in five years, now under the guidance of Martin O'Neill, the stage was set for Poole to prove his worth once again. And he did.

But history, and arguably much of City folklore, tends to do him a great disservice.

When that game finds its way into conversation, few give more than a passing mention to the stunning save Poole made to deny Crystal Palace's Bruce Dyer, when he leaped high across to his right and somehow managed to tip over a ball that looked destined for the top corner.

Poole's crucial contribution is often overshadowed, both physically and metaphorically, by none other than a certain Spider.

If you watch the footage, the look on Poole's face makes it clear that when the fourth official made his way to the touchline, just moments before the referee took the game to a penalty shoot-out, he was not expecting the No.1 to flash up on his board.

"I didn't know it was going happen," says Poole. "I didn't even see him warming up.

"I look over, see they want to make a sub and there's a number one on the board."

Off came Poole, and along came a Spider, ready to show off his apparent penalty heroics.

"I just couldn't believe it," says Poole. "Martin had not spoken to me at all about it beforehand. I came off the pitch completely deflated. I didn't want him to be the hero if it did go to penalties."

The deflation soon turned to elation, though, as just seconds later Steve Claridge shinned City straight into the Premier League.

Poole's appearances for City became much more limited when O'Neill brought in American Kasey Keller, and he eventually moved on to Birmingham, Bolton, Derby and then Burton, but his time at Filbert Street still remains a special place in his heart.

"I love the club," says Poole. "I go back now and watch when I can. My lad's a season ticket holder."

During his five seasons at Filbert Street, Poole faced fierce competition for the No.1 shirt from Carl Muggleton, Gavin Ward, Russell Hoult, even Kalac. But it was always the diminutive stopper who came out on top. That same 5ft 10in 50-year-old that Graham Taylor told would never make it in the game more than three decades ago.

"I'd like to think that I've proved him wrong," says Poole.

If the last 30 years are anything to go by, he certainly has.

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-City-keeper-Kevin-Poole-making-big/story-20642072-detail/story.html#ixzz2tZDj67E1

[Monk]

What a legend!

[Iwan is a Welshman]

Legend. Would love to see him get a game again.

[Buzzell]

Legend

[6ups 6downs 2 cups]

Remember his performance in the first leg of the play off semi against Stoke at Filbert Street, made a couple of great saves at the start of the game, proved vital.

[LanguedocFox]

I went to the home game against Watford in November 95, when McGhee brought him back after Kalac's two disastrous appearances against West Brom and Bolton (in the League Cup). There was a City fanzine at the time called "Where's the money gone?" and the cover was a photo of Kalac being asked for his autograph. The speech bubble coming out of his mouth read "Have you got a pen? I dropped the other one."

 

When Sprouty's name was announced before the kick-off I thought the roof was going to come off the Double Decker - and he played a blinder as well. Top man.

[Iwan is a Welshman]

I went to the home game against Watford in November 95, when McGhee brought him back after Kalac's two disastrous appearances against West Brom and Bolton (in the League Cup). There was a City fanzine at the time called "Where's the money gone?" and the cover was a photo of Kalac being asked for his autograph. The speech bubble coming out of his mouth read "Have you got a pen? I dropped the other one."

 

When Sprouty's name was announced before the kick-off I thought the roof was going to come off the Double Decker - and he played a blinder as well. Top man.

 

I remember "Where's the Money Gone?" What happened to that?

[Kinowe Soorie]

I remember "Where's the Money Gone?" What happened to that?

The money ran out...