Goalkeeping: Playing Against a Bully

I’m pretty sure that we’ve all been there at some point in our careers – looking across at the opposition and seeing him standing there; that one lad you didn’t want to play against, that one lad you know is a complete bully. 

I had one memorable incident, when during the warm up this lad was making his way back into his changing room before kick off. He purposely went out of his way to approach me (I was on the edge of my box, working on my distribution), he did not offer to shake hands but jutted his head into my personal space and growled “I’m going to do you Keeper!” 

I stared down at him, and did not react. I had been in the game for far too long to know that was exactly what he was after, so I refused him that pleasure. Actions always speak louder than words, and kick off was just 15 minutes away…. 

There was a through ball knocked through after about five minutes, and predictably it was a dual between myself and this bully (you could have laid money on this being an early incident!). As I sprinted out to gather the ball, I knew full well that I was in for a clattering but in for a penny, in for a pound… 

I gathered the ball on the slide, just as he decided to dive in with his studs up. BOOM! We came together and I can recall the snapping sound as though it had just happened. The collision between his studs and my head was sufficient enough to bend his straightened leg back on itself, and whilst I suffered a little bit of a cut just above my eye (just the five stitches this time – nice “Terry Butcher” bandage for the rest of the game!), he had actually fractured his leg. 

He was screaming like you wouldn’t believe and after I threw the ball out of play for treatment I bent over him, stared directly into his panicking eyes and said “Maybe next time Pal....” 

I knew what was going to happen when I went for the ball, but I wanted it more…I was more focussed and determined with what was about to happen, and regardless of the impact, there would be absolutely no way that I would have shown him that he’d hurt me. I was always going to win that challenge regardless, I wanted it more. It was simply a freak accident that caused the break as the majority of times that this would happen would just result in a sore head for the goalkeeper, however on this occassion, the bully got his come uppance!

Banter and intimidation is part and parcel of football, and it has to be like water off a ducks back for a goalkeeper. The key to dealing with this is self belief and confidence. Even if you don’t feel confident, or you are a naturally shy person then just by simply acting like you are full of confidence tricks the mind into believing it! These comments are made simply to get into your head and to upset your natural game, and if you allow them in then they will affect your performance. 

I can take a clattering if it means that I win, for as long as I am breathing then I will be up for another challenge. I would allow no body to ruin my enjoyment of the game; no body will spoil how I feel just because they think they can. I will not show pain, regardless of what my body is telling me. I will not allow others to think they have beaten me.

 Bullies want reactions, and if you fuel that by giving them what they want then you have lost. Have confidence in what you say, what you do and how you act - you will emerge from every personal challenge as a victor.