Was Neville Southall any good?

[Gladystweet]

i started going the game around 94 mate, so i did see him play although how good he was, was lost on me at the time. Just knew him then as our goalkeeper, rather than world class.

It's strange really as by then his career was on the slide and yet he was still head and shoulders above any other keeper at the club. Ok, we were never going to get proper competition for that position as he was always first on the team sheet.
I think of the 95 final and he's the first one I think of. Not Rideout but big Nev. He even celebrated it in us own unique, eccentric way...alone.
When he got injured playing for Wales in 85/86, in a friendly of all things, I was devastated. I thought the world was going to end.....and it did.

 

[Ashtonian]

It's strange really as by then is career was on the slide and yet he was still head and shoulders above any other keeper at the club. Ok, we were never going to get proper competition for that position as he was always first on the team sheet.
I think of the 95 final and he's the first one I think of. Not Rideout but big Nev. He even celebrated it in us own unique, eccentric way...alone.
When he got injured playing for Wales in 85/86, in a friendly of all things, I was devastated. I thought the world was going to end.....and it did.

Think to a certain extent it was fitting for Nev to win his final trophy here as man of the match and still show everyone just how good he really was.

 

[Gladystweet]

Think to a certain extent it was fitting for Nev to win his final trophy here as man of the match and still show everyone just how good he really was.

He was the last of that magnificent side of the 80's to do so. And sadly, our last keeper to lift silverware.

 

[bcblue1878]

I'm struggling to believe that 5 people have currently voted no!

 

[Bluebonic]

I genuinely believe him to be the greatest post war player! I know lots of people would make an argument for Bally, but just going on the basis that he was with us longer and played all his good years for Everton! For four years he was indisputably best keeper in the world for me, and for most of his career with us, he was either the best or second best keeper in the league!

 

[IllinoisBlue]

Here's what I remember..... cross come into box, header, shot whatever on target and that dread feeling of 'Crap, 1-0 down'........ and very often he would somehow save it.... today we'd be 1-0 down... then..... well he kept a lot of clean sheets and we were champions..... He made saves that you would not have expected a keeper to save.... and he left many a striker as dumbfounded as us we were.... he was just special.

 

[Walter Ego]

He was the best keeper in the world. By that I mean in England because there was only MOTD Euros and world cups every 4 years so no one would really have a clue about anyone else.
Cruyff was world class too. I once saw him do his Cruyff turn on telly and put him straight in my all time top 5 just for that.
But yes, Big Nev was very very good. Its hard to remember just how good now but I suppose only Schmichael at his peak could compare.

 

[Deleted member 24970]

Using the keepers of today, what/who would you compare him to ?

Was he Manuel neuer commanding his box, or the class of Gigi Buffon ?

 

[muddy mudguard]

We don't often have the opportunity to claim we have had the best player in the world in his position, but Big Nev was just that. It seemed at times he'd make saves regularly that kept the score at 0-0 or even when we were under the kosh, he would pull off some outstanding saves. He knew when to rush off his line, he knew when to stand tall, he knew when to narrow the angles, he was quite simply - the best!

Loved his attitude - even the ht protest against Leeds Utd at GP.

I love that man!

 

[i started duncan chant]

He was the best in the world in his position. How many other fans have seen. A player who is the best in the world in their position? Not the RS, not Arsenal, not many in fact. We were blessed!!!

 

[tommye]

Somebody once said 'There can be only one'...

Nev was that one.

 

[Verbal Kint]

84-90 best unbelievable. Stayed on a bit too long in the end.

 

[Bluedave]

I posted yesterday with regard to the esteem big Nev was held in by supporters of City and was speaking to my son about him. There was one incident that I could recall but I can't remember the reason for it, and that was when he was sat leaning against the post at Goodison I think. Anyone help out with the details? Wouldn't happen in today's game eh?.....Cheers.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Not bad... No Jim arnold though

 

[Naisy'sCharitableLeanings]

I posted yesterday with regard to the esteem big Nev was held in by supporters of City and was speaking to my son about him. There was one incident that I could recall but I can't remember the reason for it, and that was when he was sat leaning against the post at Goodison I think. Anyone help out with the details? Wouldn't happen in today's game eh?.....Cheers.

Was against Leeds and we were two down. He was basically upset at the way the game was going and the slide in standards throughout the club. Colin Harvey stopped the post match interview when asked about it - he never knew Nev had done it until then!