STAR GOALKEEPERS.
Many great men have kept goal for Everton, the following Monday : "When the Everton
and it is no easy task to name their best goalkeeper makes such superhuman efforts
'keeper, however, in my humble opinion there save his goal the backs should be up to he
are three who stand out from the rest—Ted him"—but Scott never had a better protect
Sagar, Wm. Scott and L. R. Roose—and than Billy Balmer.
striking a sad note the latter two have crossed The Irish International only allowed
over to the great beyond. goals to pass him at Goodison Park in 1906
Let us take the eccentric L. R. Roose, the Newcastle, the champions, being next w?
famous Welsh amateur, whose brief career twelve.
with Everton was due to Willie Scott's injury A lengthy controversy arose in the Athletic
against Sheffield Wednesday in 1904. News regarding the merits of Sam Hardy
On taking up his position he would divide Billy Scott and L. R. Roose, and I think
his goal in three, then a straight line up the am right when I say the final placing was
middle, about three yards; he was noted for Scott, Hardy and Roose.
his famous cat-walk, a regular dancing doll,
the complete showman. I think Sagar is the most daring 'keeper
When Everton were making their famous that ever played for Everton; many people
Cup fights in 1905, he refused to change his say he runs out too much, I think he does
knickers until they were knocked out. They too, but he gets the ball nine times out of ten.
met Liverpool in the first round and He should be locked up for stealing—look at
succumbed to Aston Villa in a replayed the times without number he has snatched
semi-final—imagine the state of his pants. the ball from bobbing heads in the goal
This Welsh mad-cap of English football mouth.
caused a mild sensation at Goodison, on Sagar, of course, is playing in an era when
Saturday, December 22nd, 1904. Everton goalkeepers are busier than of yore, owing to
were playing Manchester City, and took the the game speeding up; due to the change in
field minus Roose, he had missed his connec- the offside law.
tion at Crewe; Jack Crelly went in goal, and Sagar has given many grand displays for
the Blues were twelve minutes without a the "Blues," but one game always sticks out
goalie. Then a great roar went up, and who in my memory, it was against Aston Villa at
trotted on but Scott, and fit or not fit he Birmingham in March, 1933—Blackpool had
played well—the score was 0-0. taken seven out of the Villa the previous
The story of L. R. Roose was well told in Saturday, and when the teams took the field
an Everton Programme last November, 1937, that seven was still on the score-board to
in "Giants of the Past." remind the home team of what had happened
William Scott, the nonchalant Irishman, seven days ago.
seemed to be always chewing, had wonderful Everton lost 2-1, Sagar making many
anticipation, rarely left his goal, and done brilliant saves, but a smashing drive by
everything in a quiet cool manner that evoked Beresford gave Villa the winning goal eight
admiration. He gave a sample of his wonder- minutes from time.
ful coolness against Sheffield United, whom Sagar's attitude in goal makes one think
Everton beat 2-0 in the early days of the of those glorious words: "They shall not
1904-5 season—he had just made a full Pass."
length save and on rising to his knees was Here are three men, whose styles are as
confronted by three Sheffield forwards; Scott different as their names, and in my opinion
cooly threw the ball over the line for a corner very little divides them. How would you
and rolled into the net to avoid the ugly rush: place them? Well, my humble selection
they were hard on goalies those days. would be : Scott 1 ; Sagar 2 ; L. R. Roose 3
Tityrus, that grand old critic of football, "RED RICK."
quoted the following in the Athletic News on
