| Historyman |
| (member) |
| 01/05/2008 13:03 |
Re: On This Day in History
|
Time to remember another one of the great characters who graced the early history of professional football.
The man in question is William 'Fattie' Foulke, who died on this day in 1916. A goalkeeper who played for Sheffield United, Chelsea and Bradford City, he was a colossus in every sense of the word. He stood 6ft 2 inches tall at a time when the average height of males was 5ft 5 inches.
His weight was immense and he would eventually balloon up to 25 stones before retiring on grounds of ill-health. He's left behind an appealing legacy, at a time when top-class footballers have never been so physically fit and well-tuned.
It's said that Foulke inspired the famous terrace chant, "Who Ate All The Pies?". However there's no clear evidence to support that claim.
Read a bit more about him on the link below. It contains some funny anecdotes!
William Foulke
Some of the photos and drawings in that article really emphasise just how much Foulke towered over all of his team mates and opposition players.
I thought it was quite timely to read about Foulke's difficulty with low shots because of his excess weight. That's of course one of the major differences between goalkeepers of his generation and those of today. Most keepers now are well over the 6ft mark, yet their agility is so pronounced that they can usually attempt to get down to block or catch low shots. Mind you, Drogba's low shot last night was so powerful that probably no keeper could have saved it.
So, the next time that you step on to the pitch and you're carrying a little excess baggage, keep in mind William 'Fattie' Foulkes. Things aren't that bad yet!
