Simon Eastwood

[Foley]

Simon Eastwood hits Oxford United landmark – but safety target is his only focus

SIMON Eastwood reached a milestone for Oxford United at the weekend – but his focus is on another figure.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

150th game on Saturday. Typically he made a couple of outstanding saves.

What a goalkeeper.

 

[WestOxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1110423636647784448

The Magnificent Seven !

 

[SteMerritt]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1110423636647784448

The Magnificent Seven !

Seen them all apart from Jim Barron, Roy Burton for me, just never looked like a professional sportsman but boy did he have some reflexes... Would probably have played in Division 1 (as it was back then) if only he could sort out his shorts elastic...

 

[WestOxon U’s]

Same for me - never saw Jim Barron as too young !

Burton had one or two weaknesses despite his brilliant agility and reflexes ; he was around 5 ft 9’” and could not kick a ball !

Easty probably as good as I have seen overall. He’s calm and assured and could play at a higher level. Good all round ‘keeper.

 

[WestOxon U’s]

775 votes cast at the moment:

Burton - 23%
Whitehead - 21%
Clarke - 16%
Eastwood - 15%
Barron - 12%
Turley - 7%
Hardwick - 6%

 

[Upthecowboys]

Thought Phil Whitehead was very solid, no obvious weaknesses. However he did have the benefit of playing a lot of games with Matt Elliott and Phil Gilchrist in front of him! What a pair they were.

 

[Oufcad30]

Thought Phil Whitehead was very solid, no obvious weaknesses. However he did have the benefit of playing a lot of games with Matt Elliott and Phil Gilchrist in front of him! What a pair they were.

First keeper i knew at United so i had to vote for him, although Clarkey was a close second

 

[SteMerritt]

The voting as posted above is pretty much how I'd rank them (excluding Barron as I never saw him) apart from I'd put Hardwick above Turley.

 

[Northernyellow]

I thought Roy Burton was the best shot stopper we have ever had.
Hardwick was the best organiser of a back four.
Part of the reason we did so well is that Hardwick was constantly on at his defence. Always talking. Not the best keeper, but the most organised.
Whitehead was the best all around keeper we have ever had imo. Eastwood not far behind.
And just to be controversial and all that...
Pal Lundin (this is not a joke) was technically one of the best keepers I have seen at the club. He played in old Division Two, was comfortably at that level, but clearly had not the slightest interest.
And our worst keeper? Ignoring the one game wonders (eg Mike Salmon)...#2 on my list was Paul Kee, shockingly clumsy NI international. And my all time #1 in worst ever OUFC keeper....Richard Knight. Loads of people will disagree with me, but I thought he was absolutely hopeless. He was a shot stopper not a keeper. Admittedly he had a dreadful back four in front of him, but his positional sense was zero, he was shocking at crosses and organisationally useless. I have had several arguments about him with OUFC supporters over the years, and always point out that after he left us, he never played in League football again....

 

[Marked Ox]

I thought Roy Burton was the best shot stopper we have ever had.
Hardwick was the best organiser of a back four.
Part of the reason we did so well is that Hardwick was constantly on at his defence. Always talking. Not the best keeper, but the most organised.
Whitehead was the best all around keeper we have ever had imo. Eastwood not far behind.
And just to be controversial and all that...
Pal Lundin (this is not a joke) was technically one of the best keepers I have seen at the club. He played in old Division Two, was comfortably at that level, but clearly had not the slightest interest.
And our worst keeper? Ignoring the one game wonders (eg Mike Salmon)...#2 on my list was Paul Kee, shockingly clumsy NI international. And my all time #1 in worst ever OUFC keeper....Richard Knight. Loads of people will disagree with me, but I thought he was absolutely hopeless. He was a shot stopper not a keeper. Admittedly he had a dreadful back four in front of him, but his positional sense was zero, he was shocking at crosses and organisationally useless. I have had several arguments about him with OUFC supporters over the years, and always point out that after he left us, he never played in League football again....

A fair summary of those on the list, although can't say about Roy Burton as I never saw him. If we are including players that played under 150 games then Alan Judge has to be included as well.

Overall, it would have to be Phil Whitehead

In agreement with a previous post, Hardwick was clearly better than Billy Turley. Simply, Hardwick played at a far higher level including the top flight, something Billy Turley (who I liked as a player for us) never got near.

 

[WestOxon U’s]

Other glovemen I rated included Tony Parks, Paul Gerrard, Chris Tardif, Andy Woodman.

Not particularly enamoured by Richard Knight, Andre Arendse, John Milkins, John Butcher, David Brown, John Keeley, Paul Reece, Paul Kee,
Benjamin Buchel and Sam Slocombe.

 

[BigCrompy]

He may be short of the mark by approximately 149 appearances - but the obvious choice for me and it’s a no-brainer really as the guy had it all - Hubert Busby Jnr.

 

[Sarge]

Seen them all apart from Jim Barron, Roy Burton for me, just never looked like a professional sportsman but boy did he have some reflexes... Would probably have played in Division 1 (as it was back then) if only he could sort out his shorts elastic...

for me Jimmy Barron shades it as OUFC all time best keeper, Roy Burton a close 2nd

 

[Marked Ox]

Other glovemen I rated included Tony Parks, Paul Gerrard, Chris Tardif, Andy Woodman.

Not particularly enamoured by Richard Knight, Andre Arendse, John Milkins, John Butcher, David Brown, John Keeley, Paul Reece, Paul Kee,
Benjamin Buchel and Sam Slocombe.

I still remember that save by Paul Gerrard at Sheff Utd.

 

[Sarge]

Other glovemen I rated included Tony Parks, Paul Gerrard, Chris Tardif, Andy Woodman.

Not particularly enamoured by Richard Knight, Andre Arendse, John Milkins, John Butcher, David Brown, John Keeley, Paul Reece, Paul Kee,
Benjamin Buchel and Sam Slocombe.

/
agree re Parks, though he was on loan only wasnt he?, & Tardif..... disagree re Paul Reece .... that Derby away 1-0 win, he was on loan i think, our goal was under siege most of the televised game , Reecey single handedly kept Derby out ( johnny lager smash n grabbed the winner if memory serves?)... was signed permanently straight after that game .... for a short a**e Reecey was a damn good shot stopper.... another Reecey game that has stuck in my mind was a nightgame at the manor, v pompey (i think) we were 3 or 4 nil down at half time (i think! - memory on autopilot today!), ended up coming back to draw (i think 5-5? ) ....reccey asked the ref how long is left when we were 1 goal behind, one min the ref told him, he punted the ball up towards the cuckoo lane end, with seconds on the clock the might Us equalised

Ken 'the tree'Vasey was a decent keeper too ( came back to the Manor a few years after he left OUFC,) playing for Dorchester (town?) in the FA Cup .... all time home record win that day , the Us put 9 past him.... coming out for the second half Ken Vasey was wearing an OUFC bobble hat which he threw to the London Road end

Harry Fernley is the first Keeper I can remember playing for the U's.... among other 'achievements' ( I was an anklebiter in those days)He kept the then mighty Blackburn rovers with a number of internationals limited to just 1 goal in that famous fa cup giant killing in fa cup at the manor ,

 

[SteMerritt]

Was only talking about that Pompey game yesterday, we were 0-3 after about 25mins, then 1-4, then 2-5, before scoring twice in stoppage time to draw it 5-5. Pompey missed out on promotion to the top flight that season by 1 point, Jim Smith was managing them.

 

[SteMerritt]

 

[Sarge]

what a game that was

 

[Marked Ox]

what a game that was

Brother went home when we were 3-0 down.

 

[amershamdave]

I first saw Oxford in 1964. Couldn't tell you who the 'keeper was then. But I remember Jim Barron. He was so good, he was transferred to Nottingham Forest. Then I remember Roy (gone for a) Burton. What a goalkeeper! Him, Dave Roberts and Hughie Curran in the same team! Roy was the B*****s, but Clint Eastwood is really good, isn't he! Oh, god! I still remember John (Harry) Milkins! Actually, he wasn't that bad, either!