Tony Macedo - Reluctant Hero

[White Noise]

Click on the link for more pics at the bottom of the article -

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/November/FultimeFeature.aspx




Reluctant Hero


Tuesday 29th November 2011





With a preference to seeing his team-mates take centre stage, as a player Tony Macedo was always a reluctant hero, but when the goalkeeping favourite from the 1950s and '60s made a long overdue return to the Cottage earlier this season, the official Fulham FC magazine, Fultime, took the opportunity to catch up with the former star.

"I didn't realise just how moved I would be by coming back," he admitted. "To be this close to the grass and looking over at the Cottage again gives me such a great feeling. If I'm honest, I didn't realise just how much I missed it.

"This is my second home and the memories I have from playing here are irreplaceable. Of course, in so many ways it has changed, but strangely it still has the same appeal – it's such a charming ground. I've always had a close affinity to the place."

It goes without saying that the game has changed considerably since the days when Macedo graced the Hammersmith and Putney End penalty areas, however, while some players of the past condemn the direction in which football has gone, Macedo is well aware that he had a front row seat in a period that arguably changed the game forever.

"We could talk about the differences all day," he explained. "While it's still 22 men and a ball, everything else that accompanies the game is virtually unrecognisable.

"Personally, I think there was more of a focus on the individual back then. I never considered myself an athlete. To me, we were entertainers. We were there to entertain the public and that's what we did.



"Don't get me wrong, football today is still very entertaining – Fulham getting to the Final of the UEFA Europa League was exciting – but it's gone down a different path. But whatever generation you were part of, you will always say that won't you? This is a sport that is evolving all of the time.

"I do think that it has lost a bit of unpredictability and that's probably a result of the amount of money that is in the game now. Football has become a big, big business.

"People talk about 'little Fulham', but in many ways this Club opened a new era. History was made the moment former Chairman, Tommy Trinder, gave Johnny Haynes £100 a week. In terms of football, that was historic.

"That stemmed directly from Jimmy Hill fighting to abolish the maximum wage as players were thereafter given the freedom to negotiate their own contracts. So the prosperity of today's footballers can be traced back to that day."

Upon his return at the Aston Villa fixture on the opening day of the season, Tony was initially wary of taking to the pitch at half-time, but when he did so he recieved a typically warm reception, while his interview was regularly punctuated by well-wishers and fans seeking autographs – one of which described him as the "finest 'keeper never to win a full England cap".

"I don't know what the fuss is all about," he declared modestly. "I wasn't an England captain like Johnny Haynes or a World Cup winner like George Cohen – I was just the guy that tried to keep the ball out."

Some 43 years on, Tony Macedo is still the reluctant hero.

To read the full Tony Macedo interview, as well as in-depth features with Fulham Manager Martin Jol, John Arne Riise and Philippe Senderos, plus a variety of insightful content including the SW6 derby reborn and the night Pelé played at the Cottage, be sure to pick up your copy of Issue 36 of Fultime magazine, available in Club shops and online|.
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/November/FultimeFeature.aspx#ixzz1f6AY5MPH

[cmg]

"I don't know what the fuss is all about," he declared modestly.

The fuss, mate, was all about the fact that, of all the good and even great goalkeepers we have had and still do have at this club, there are many of those who were lucky enough to have seen you play who think that you just might have been the best of the lot.

Thank you.

[TonyGilroy]

Absolutely incomparably the best Gibraltar born keeper we've ever had.

[ClarksOriginal]

Cracking mo' he's got going.

On a serious note; I wish I could have seen him play, especially after posts by the likes of Mr Gilroy & Mr CMG.

[bog]

As A fully paid up member of the Old Sod's Army how good was that to read. I am one of those who saw Tony first come into the team up until when he left the club. Oh what memories.....  Macedo, Cohen, Langley.....never forget those three.   

[ron]

...and I can never keep it buttoned when Macedo is mentioned either. He was awesome when referees gave no protection to the poor old goalie....Macedo was brave at diving into feet and also rising to take crosses amongst the elbows and knees and butts......(head butts that is  :005: !)

Modern goalies would be amazed at the aggression they would have to take in those days, and would be complaining to the ref for the whole 90 minutes. 

[ron]

Absolutely incomparably the best Gibraltar born keeper we've ever had.

That sounds like damning him with feint praise !

.....now take  out "Gibraltar born"....and that tells the story !

[MOR :]

My favourite ever Fulham Keeper and my first ever Footballing Hero...

[Peabody]

Mr Gilroy, I cannnot let you get away with that tainted comment. He was and is the best goalkeeper we ever had, I should add that I never saw those that preceded him but he is the best that I ever saw and certainley he should have been Englands number 1. One thing that is certain though, I bet you applauded him with gusto when he came onto the pitch recently.

[cebu]

...and I can never keep it buttoned when Macedo is mentioned either. He was awesome when referees gave no protection to the poor old goalie....Macedo was brave at diving into feet and also rising to take crosses amongst the elbows and knees and butts......(head butts that is  :005: !)

It was one of these acts of bravery that led to a serious injury, when an Everton player kicked his head instead of the ball. He was never quite as good after coming back from that injury.   092.gif

[Oakeshott]

I saw Tony many times and he made some great saves, but I also saw him make mistakes, the most unfortunate being throwing the ball out to Jimmy Greaves at White Heart Lane one afternoon when the latter was only about fifteen yards from goal, Needless to say, the best finisher of his day scored.

Tony was certainly one of our very best keepers over the last fifty years, but so too is Mark, and I wouldn't like to say one was better than the other.

Our immediate neighbours had an excellent keeper during the Macedo years in Peter Bonetti, and it was his ability that probably kept Tony from gaining an international cap or two.

[TonyGilroy]

Bonetti's caps came after Macedo was out of contention.

Macedo lost out to Banks and Springett with Alan Hodgkinson picking up the odd cap.

[Peabody]

Sorry but Gordon Banks wasn't in the equation either. His main rivals were Ron Springett, Alan Hodkinson and Eddie Hopkinson also Ray Woods was also in consideration.

[TonyGilroy]

I'll see your Ray Woods and raise you a Ron Baynham

[cmg]

Sorry but Gordon Banks wasn't in the equation either. His main rivals were Ron Springett, Alan Hodkinson and Eddie Hopkinson also Ray Woods was also in consideration.

Yes, Banks didn't get established until around 1964.
Of those you mention, Springett was a pretty decent keeper, but Macedo was demonstrably superior to the others. England had a period of fixation for Eddie Hopkinson who was built more like a jockey than a goalkeeper. I'd add to the list a Colin MacDonald who was pretty good but his career was cut short by injury.

Macedo failed to get the international recognition he so deserved mainly because of some stupid (and typical) FA ruling which said his Gibraltese birth (which should have qualified him for England without question) made him only eligible for the Home Internationals (which made up half the international fixtures in those days) and not against 'foreign' countries (or vice versa).

[Peabody]

I'll see your Ray Woods and raise you a Ron Baynham

Forgot about him Tony

[TonyGilroy]

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamGkprs/GkprsChron.html


Stats on every England keeper listed chronologically.

We forgot Reg Matthews.

[sunburywhite]

If you look at the list of Post War keepers there were some great ones. I was lucky to see Macedo play and he was certainly one of the best but had a habit of letting the ball go in through his legs. People say that Ian Black who played before Macedo was also something special.

From the list below one of my all time favourites was Maik Taylor followed by VDS, MS, Gerry Peyton and Snowy Mellor
The worst was Ken Hewkins

ARENDSE Andre   G   97-98
BATTY Lawrence   G   85-91
BLACK Ian   G   50-58
CROSSLEY Mark   G   03-06
DIGWEED Perry   G   76-81
ELLIOTT Frank   G   53-56
EVANS Ossie   G   46-47
FLACK Doug   G   48-53
GAGE Larry   G   48-49
GOUGH Alan   G   92-93
GREGORY John   G   94-95
GREW Mark   G   85-86
HAHNEMANN MarcusG   00-01
HARRISON Lee   G   94-96
HERRERA Martin   G   02-03
HESFORD Iain   G   84-85
HEWKINS Ken   G   55-62
HINTON Ted   G   46-49
KELLER Kasey   G   40762
KELLY Hugh   G   49-50
LANGE Tony   G   95-97
LASTUVKA Jan   G   06-07
MACEDO Tony   G   57-68
McCLELLAND Jack   G   65-69
MELLOR Peter   G   71-77
NIEMI Antti   G   05-08
PARKS Tony   G   90-91
PEYTON Gerry   G   76-86
RADCLIFFE Mark   G   46-48
RONSON Brian   G   53-54
SEYMOUR Ian   G   66-71
STANNARD Jim (1st spell)   G   80-85
STANNARD Jim (2nd spell)   G   87-95
TAYLOR Maik   G   97-03
TEALE Richard   G   76-77
TOWNSEND Martin   G   63-64
UNDERWOOD Dave   G   63-65
VAN DER SAR Edwin   G   01-05
VAUGHAN John   G   86-87
WALTON Mark   G   96-98
WARNER Tony   G   40760
WEBSTER Malcolm   G   69-74
WILLIAMSON Brian   G   68-70

[Oakeshott]

Tony

Surely Tony Macedo was still playing for us when Peter Bonetti won his first cap. Are you suggesting that by then - 1966 - Mac was no longer of potential international standard?

[TonyGilroy]

Tony

Surely Tony Macedo was still playing for us when Peter Bonetti won his first cap. Are you suggesting that by then - 1966 - Mac was no longer of potential international standard?

This is the argument I get into on here.

Macedo declined badly by about 1965 when he was only in his mid twenties. By then he wasn't good enough to play in the 1st Division. By all accounts he was superb earlier but that's before my time.

I remember us alternating Macedo, Maclelland and Seymour each as bad as the others.