Everything you've ever wanted to know about
goalkeepers and a little bit more
16 September 2025
A mid-September update that nobody asked for but one you're getting anyway that sees both Vladimir Beara and Walter Zenga join the ranks of the Goalkeeping Greats! There's also the Spain international who spent five days in prison after hitting a fan, the Genoa keeper charged with an on-field assault and the striker who came off the bench to keep goal for his side. There's also the superstitious Liverpool goalkeeper, some more nicknames, the keeper with two rugby-playing brothers (albeit of different codes) and some more goalkeeper-related quotes to enjoy.
Goalkeeping Greats, Getting Personal, I Fought the Law, Emergency Measures, Words of Wisdom
21 August 2025
A cheeky update to celebrate the start of a new season and that of course can only mean one thing - more tales of debut highs, lows and woes - but there's also the story of the 16-year-old Queen's Park goalie who got to make his senior debut after the club's first choice keeper injured himself at work. And the trivia doesn't stop there! Read about the West Germany internationl arrested for fraud, the keeper who was inspired to become a personal injury lawyer after watching Julia Roberts on the big screen, and the Brazilian who broke Peter Shilton's record for most senior appearances. If that wasn't enough, there's also some more goalkeeper soundbites. Enjoy.
Quirky Facts, Goalkeeping Debuts, I Fought the Law, Words of Wisdom
25 July 2025
A bumper summer of football (!) would not be complete without another side update, which includes the first goalkeeper every to punished for falling foul of the new 8-second rule. There's also England's first goalkeeping captain, the Iran goalkeeper who wore Alan Rough's goalie ahirt at the World Cup finals, the keeper that received a ban for defacing his shrit and some more keepers that found themselves on the scoresheet plus a few personal oddities. Finally there's the quirky coincidence that connects legends Pat Jennings, Ray Clemence and the FA Cup.
Quirky Facts, Getting Shirty, Goalscoring Goalkeepers, Getting Personal
17 June 2025
June's update is the usual smorgasbord of quirky facts, sporting honours and bits of trivia that you probably can't live without! Alongside the keepers that won their respective Player of the Year titles their the French goalie that began life as a jockey, Arbroath's sole Scottish international and the Argentine goalkeeper who was banned by his association for wearing a headband. There's also some more debuts - good,bad and quirky, the Croatian keeper that wore a t-shirt with the Virgin Mary on it for good luck, the Baptist minister who preached while keeping goal in Miami and the Nutter who played for who played for Nelson. There's also some more nicknames and a host of goalkeepers with sporting relatives.
Quirky Facts, Goalkeeping Debuts, Getting Personal, Keepers of the Faith
18 May 2025
If you are hungry for more random goalkeeper trivia you'll be delighted to know that there's a cheeky, almost mid-May bonus update to the website, featuring the Bundesliga keeper felled by a cigarette lighter and the PSG goalie put out of action while playing a game of Scrabble. There's also the Brentford goalkeepers who appeared in a film alongside Diana Dors, the day Lazio had a goal ruled out because there was a hole in the back of the net, the keeper who performed on stage with Robbie Williams and a couple more debuts - both good and bad.
Goalkeeping Debuts, Quirky Injuries, In the Net, Cultural Pursuits
Goalkeepersaredifferent.com came to life in the summer of 1999. A treasure trove of goalkeeper facts, trivia and a whole lot more, it has kept football fans and goalkeepers alike amused and entertained with its collection of goalie titbits ever since. But don't just take our word for it...
"Educational and charming" - Oliver Kahn
"Excellent and well-written" - When Saturday Comes
"Excellent" - Guardian Unlimited
"Goalkeepers are the drummers of football... Great quirky facts, a great website" - Website Wasteland, The Gideon Coe Show, BBC Radio6 Music
- "It's disappointing to be dropped from any team - even my mates' fantasy league team"
Robert Green - "I dreamt of playing for a club like Manchester United, and now here I am at Liverpool"
Sander Westerveld - "He had no chance of beating Schmeichel from there, but it was always worth a try"
Alan Parry - "If you're a goalkeeper, it doesn't matter what you save the ball with - if you keep it out, it's not a goal"
Mark Lawrenson - "Goalkeepers aren't born today until they're in their late twenties or thirties"
Kevin Keegan - "And Seaman, just like a falling oak, manages to change direction"
John Motson - "It was like deja vu all over again"
Shaka Hislop - "I still don't buy the idea that I'm a sex symbol"
Hope Solo - "Peter Schmeichel will be like a father figure to Kasper Schmeichel"
Jamie Redknapp - "Casper Ankegren's a bit of a Dracula-type keeper... doesn't like crosses"
Andy Ritchie - "I discovered it's not the gloves but what's in them that counts"
Neville Southall - "You cant have nice goalkeepers. Nice goalkeepers don't win you anything!"
Alan Hodgkinson - "What goalkeeper doesn't like a little action?"
Karen Bardsley - "The goalkeeper position is not an easy one. You can only speak about it if you are a goalkeeper yourself"
Simon Mignolet - "If you're playing badly, the best gloves in the world won't help you"
Gary Bailey - "It's very easy for people to overlook how important a good goalkeeper is in a team"
Graeme Souness - "Goalkeepers need an element of insanity"
Oliver Kahn - "Goalkeepers make mistakes but good ones don't let it get them down"
Alan Rough
