Top 10 keepers in our history

[dannyboi-ffc]

Seeing people post that Niemi was the best of the prem era has got me thinking. I strongly disagree with that,  in fact I would even consider Keller and Stockdale above him for his fulham performances and the vital performances of Keller during the great escape. Anyway, I suppose it's more a question for those old enough to have seen Macedo and anyone in between. What is the top 10 and do you deem Niemi worthy of a place? I personally don't. 

1) VDS
2) Macedo
3) Schwarzer
4) Peyton
5) Maik Taylor
6) Stannard
7) Peter Mellor
8) Arthur Reynolds (399 apps 1910- 1925)
9) Ian Black
10) Keller

[MikeW]

Maik Taylor was greatly under rated.  Think he was the right guy in the wrong place (time) at Fulham but he rarely let us down.

[colinwhite]

Schwarzer
Van de sar
Macedo
Peyton
Taylor
Seymour
Black
Stannard
Maclelland
Niemi


Schwarzer gets the number 1 slot for me. His dominance of his box was so right for us .Mellor doesnt make my top ten .

[gerrys]

Schwarzer
Van de sar
Macedo
Peyton
Taylor
Seymour
Black
Stannard
Maclelland
Niemi


Schwarzer gets the number 1 slot for me. His dominance of his box was so right for us .Mellor doesnt make my top ten .

Yes,  I too, would like to find a slot for Ian Seymour.

[Supermitch]

Schwarzer
Van de sar
Macedo
Peyton
Taylor
Seymour
Black
Stannard
Maclelland
Niemi


Schwarzer gets the number 1 slot for me. His dominance of his box was so right for us .Mellor doesnt make my top ten .

Jack McClelland is a great shout, the goalkeeper in my first Fulham match.  It is difficult to include players not seen as relying on reputation and other peoples views.  I'm not really sure Jim Stannard deserves a place, popular though he was.  Mark Crossley for example was a much better keeper than Jim in my view.

Good debate though

[ron]

I'm sure I speak for a good few of the 'ahem' old sods when I start on about...you guessed Macedo. His reputation was,as we old 'uns go on about, made in the days when keepers had little protection. In fact his career appeared to be shortened by head injury.

In the modern "don't touch the goalie" era....I'd say vds.

[LBNo11]

...didn't rate Niemi much to be honest. He had that bad injury and was poorer still after that, I think Kasey Keller was vastly superior to Niemi.

Still say in the modern era Maik Taylor was the complete custodian, shot stopper, defence organiser, collecting crosses, distribution. On the latter point of distribution it's such an important issue. Maik rarely hoofed the ball upfield to create a lottery of possession. More often than not he would roll, throw the ball to one of our players so we had possession - all goalies since then have hoofed the ball up in the hope that one of our players will win the ball, control it and do something positive with it!

As mentioned Ian Seymour should get a special mention, he was an extremely brave keeper and shot stopper whose career was cut short due to a bad leg break...

[Burt]

Always had a soft spot for Gerry Peyton as I "grew up" with him in my formative years, and he was a loyal constant, and pretty solid and reliable. In terms of actual ability and influence then it's difficult to look past VDS.

[kiwian]

I liked Gerry too, saw him in the 83/4 season in 3 games, wrote to him from NZ and received a long letter telling me about his life at Fulham,well some of it.

[Holders]

The best are pretty obvious so I'd like to give some others an honourable mention: Seymour (career tragically cut short that night against Enfield), Digweed and Underwood.

As someone mentioned, Maik Taylor was here "at the wrong time". Always sound, I reckon if he hadn't already opted for NI he might have played for England in an era when the national team was scratching around for a decent keeper.

[FortCollinsFulham]

For me, despite a small number of games, Kasey Keller needs to be in the top ten for his role in the Great Escape.

[Peabody]

It will surprise nobody when I put Tony Macedo at the top of my list.

[filham]

 Macedo
Scwarzer
VDS
Taylor
Hinton
Peyton
Stannard

I new fans who spoke so well of Ernie Beecham a keeper from the thirties who suffered a very serious injury playing for us in the thirties, they said he was magnificent.

So, who was Ted Hinton in the above list. He was the keeper in my first matches watching Fulham, a tall irish international, so good in the air at taking crosses , a real hero of mine.
Always remember a magnificent picture in the Evening News, taken at an England v Ireland match , of Ted taking the ball off the head of Tommy Lawton .

Tommy was well known for his headed goals and ability to leap high above keepers hands but Ted had out jumped him.

[Barrett487]

Peyton every time... rated him very highly. Although VDS and Scharzer have the credentials, i still rated Peyton very close. I wish i'd seen Macedo play and i bow to the knowledge of supporters of previous years to make call om that. It's a difficult question when few of us have seen all the contenders.

[fcfulham55]

1. Tony Warner.

[Dr Know]

Peyton every time... rated him very highly. Although VDS and Scharzer have the credentials, i still rated Peyton very close. I wish i'd seen Macedo play and i bow to the knowledge of supporters of previous years to make call om that. It's a difficult question when few of us have seen all the contenders.

Ive been supporting fulham for 59 years and Gerry Peyton is the best keeper ive seen play for us .

[bill taylors apprentice]

I never saw Macedo at his best but I agree Maik Taylor was very unlucky to be around when we signed VDS.

For me Gerry Peyton was outstanding and would have been a great keeper in today's game.

1. Peyton.
Equal 2nd. VDS & Taylor.
4. Schwarzer.
5. Macedo.

[Andy S]

I would list
Macedo
Van Der Sar
Taylor
Peyton
Seymour

I cannot list others as they all had faults in my opinion IE catching- Positioning - command of area etc. Or else they did not play for us for long enough.

[The Old Count]

Not a mention of Malcolm Webster. 

[GorgeousGus]

The unluckiest must have been Martyn Townsend - plucked out of the South Eastern Counties side (the juniors) into the first division (premiership) to play in 3 first team games - letting in 4, 4 and 5 (League Cup) - in 1963 when Macedo and Underwood were injured - never seen again!