Through the Decades - Goalie Gloves

The notion that goalkeepers today are more like outfield players who happen to wear different coloured shirts is often mooted in football circles. It is true, the art of goalkeeping has evolved. The 'modern keeper' possesses similar passing prowess and ability with the ball at their feet as outfield players. However, the exclusive use of hands to keep the ball from entering the net will always be fundamental to great goalkeeping. And for goalkeepers, the goalie glove is an essential element to achieving their objectives regardless of their changing skills.

This article takes a look into the history of this vital piece of kit and how innovation in design has kept pace with other advancements in football kit technology.

Getting to Grips with Gloves

The demands placed on the modern-day goalkeeper are extreme. Due to a variety of reasons - changing player techniques, as well as changes to football and football boot design, etc., the speed of football travel has increased significantly over the years. In fact, recent biomechanical analysis shows the average speed of a ball kicked by a professional footballer is 78 miles per hour (mph). Though a well punted ball can achieve far greater speeds. For instance, in 1996 a goal strike by David Hirst, a former footballer for Sheffield Wednesday, was recorded at a wapping 114 miles per hour. Added to this, improved techniques, boot and ball design also enable players to apply Magnus Effects to the ball, adding both 'dip' and 'swerve' to strikes. These elements make saving a shot in the modern game no mean feat. Consequently, any advantage a goalkeeper can gain by wearing the best gloves available can make the difference to individual games, tournaments and careers.

*The Magnus Effect is the phenomenon in which a spinning object (best seen in spherical objects) follows a bending path through the air or other fluids. The spinning movement of the object triggers a variation in velocity, and a difference in pressure, which deflects the normal path of the object, causing it to arc instead of following a straighter trajectory.

However, the advantage of wearing goalie gloves is not purely down to modern aspects of the game - the history of the football glove extends much further back, even predating the inauguration of the English Football League. It was in 1885 that shrewd businessman William Sykes first identified the possible benefits to goalkeepers wearing gloves. The first gloves he designed were made from soft leather and included an Indian rubber fitting for maximum grip. As Sykes was initially a football manufacturer, you could easily suppose he foresaw the future 'arms race' between ball and glove way before his time. And, though he never took his football gloves into mass production, he did go to significant trouble to patent protect his designs.

After Sykes, it took a further half a century for the next notable visionary to champion glove-wearing. Argentina and River Plate custodian Amadeo Carrizo was one of the first known professional goalkeepers to wear gloves, wearing them through the 1940s and '50s. He wore a pair fashioned from white cotton for over ten years.

The first world-renowned name to fully endorse goalkeeper gloves was England's Gordon Banks. He donned a pair to lift the World Cup in 1966. Over time, Banks experimented with different types of glove recognising the added advantages over bare hands. Four years after the 1966 tournament, Banks again wore gloves for the 1970 World Cup - the first specifically made for goalkeepers. This time the gloves were made of cotton with added dappled rubber strips often associated with table tennis bats. The gloves are evident in the video of his legendary 'save of century' against a header from Brazilian legend Pele. His conversion to gloves clearly didn't go unnoticed as more and more keepers began to wear them, seeking the increased grip, added warmth and finger support.

Expanding Markets

Banks' understudy for England, Peter Bonetti was quick to follow Banks' guiding light. He too wore gloves between the sticks and is remembered for wearing the first personalised brand made by Sondico - the gloves each incorporated a large B sewn onto the back. With such high profile brand endorsement, Sondico cleverly aimed their marketing at the British nation's young goalkeepers who, having previously worn gloves such as those for gardening, were keen to follow their hero's footsteps.

It didn't take long for well-established sportswear companies, both British and continental, to take advantage of this new market. Throughout the 1970s Germany companies Reusch, Uhlsport and Adidas dominated glove production. Experimenting with new designs and materials, and inducing the highest-profile professionals to endorse their product, they fed a growing obsession in goalkeepers to improve their game with the best and most effective gloves.

Reusch, traditionally an alpine ski glove manufacturer, worked with German legend Sepp Maier to design pairs for ready mass production. Reusch quickly established themselves as market leaders and began experimenting with latex palms and non-absorbent fabrics that didn't add weight. Reusch is still arguably seen as market leaders in glove technology.

Uhlsport and Adidas quickly signed up rivals to champion their latest designs. Uhlsport added Italian legend and 1982 World Cup winner Dino Zoff to wear their model 034 gloves. The Uhlsport 034 included a Velcro strap offering wrist support and bright red latex palms. The early champion for Adidas was Ivan Curkovic who helped develop and wear gloves carrying his name.

However, it wasn't until the 1980s that the goalie glove market really took off in terms of glove design, style and added features, such as protection and qualities to combat wet weather.

Developments in Design and Protection

Around the beginning of the 1980s, wrist support became a permanent feature of all goalkeeper gloves on the market. Supporting the wrists offered added confidence from hard shots and held the latex covering in place to increase the reliability of grip.

The next development in glove design came in the late '80s, early '90s with the emergence of the roll finger grip. Before this, gloves were made of a latex palm, hand-shaped, stitched to the rest of the glove (also known as the flat-palm glove). The roll finger allowed the latex to wrap around each finger offering a snug feel for ball grip. The stitching was strategically placed at the base of each finger to limit contact with the ball.

Ruesch was the first to introduce the roll finger with the classic International model. However, other companies quickly added roll finger varieties to their collections. An early champion of the roll finger was the USA keeper Tony Meola who wore a yellow version of the International glove at Italia 90. Another prominent Reusch champion at Italia 90 was Germany's Bodo Ilgner sporting a pair in the colours of the German flag.

It was around this point that Ruesch started to write their name in bold letters across the knuckles increasing marketing coverage of the name. Likewise, Ulsport began to experiment with colours to catch the eye, such as the bright pink classic 036 worn by England's Peter Shilton and an Azuri blue version worn by Italy's Walter Zenga. Having a pair of gloves photographed while the World Cup and other high profile tournament trophies were held aloft was priceless marketing for any company. And so began the race to sign up the best club and international keepers. Sportswear companies such as Puma, Umbro and Nike were quick to get in on the act and began to introduce gloves of their own in the 1990s.

However, it was Adidas in the mid-90s that instigated the next technological advancement. This development placed protection as a core feature. The Adidas Fingersave Series included plastic splints along the back of the fingers to prevent injuries - predominantly from fingers being bent back from the force of the ball. Any goalkeeper knows that finger injuries are commonplace for keepers and protecting against damage clearly made the Fingersave a desirable product.

It was around the '00s when another host of new manufacturers began to emerge and push glove design in new directions. Selsport designed the classic Wrappa glove, taking the roll finger concept to a new level, Sellsport offered a highly cushioned glove with an exceptionally soft latex grip. Selsport also began to develop gloves specifically for wet weather. Most gloves provide excellent grip in dry conditions, but when the ball is very wet, the grip can gradually deteriorate as the glove becomes soaked. Selsport quickly signed up many young goalkeepers playing across Britain, and this was reflected in the company becoming a major player on the market.

Today some gloves appear to have moved full circle, with technology having a reductionist feel to it. The traditional Velcro wrist support has been replaced by significantly longer gloves. This new type of glove offers little in the way of wrist protection but instead offers a full range of movement. Latex palms are now designed in the negative cut, similar to classic flat-palm gloves but with internal stitching and gussets - these details give the gloves a tighter fit and allow for very close contact and excellent control of the ball. Brands like Adidas have this type of gloves at the top of their range and are worn by top players such as Spain/Manchester United's David DeGea and Germany/Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer.

Future Goals

Gloves, little worn before the 1970s, are now a crucial element of a goalkeepers kit and come in a variety of different cuts, with a host of stitching designs, materials, colours and fits. Since the 1970's, developments in glove technology have come and gone, some standing the test of time and others fading out as new and improved designs are established. What started as kit to keep the hands warm has turned into a multimillion-dollar industry with one real goal - improving the keepers' chances of keeping the ball out of the net. It is over 100 years since William Sykes recognised the value of the goalie glove, and many glove manufacturers around the world continue to seek the perfect fit.

For more football related ‘Through The Decades’ articles, check out our Quick Reads section on the Football Buzz page:

• Through the Decades - Footballs
• Through the Decades - Football Boots
• Through the Decades - Football Kits
• Through the Decades - Whistles