It’s a dangerous job, being a goalkeeper. There’s all that diving about, plus the ever-present possibility of being clattered by a six-foot-four striker. But there are also some less obvious ways to pick up an injury, as these unfortunate keepers found out:

Chic Brodie
Has there ever been a less fortunate goalkeeper than Chic Brodie, popularly known as ‘Unlucky Chic, the One-Man Natural Disaster’? The former Brentford keeper survived having a Second World War hand grenade lobbed at him by a Millwall fan in 1965, and was injured in numerous freak accidents during his eventful career. One of the most famous occurred during a 1970 match against Lincoln City. Brodie leapt to tip over a looping cross, and grabbed onto the crossbar, causing the entire goalframe to collapse. The bar fell onto Brodie’s head, and both goalkeeper and goalframe required repair…

Read the full story in Goalkeeper Magazine issue 6.

Paul Football Goalkeeper Magazine