John Keeley was 26 when he first enjoyed the luxury of training with a specialist goalkeeping coach.
When he dipped his toe into coaching himself, he combined it with a day job as a delivery driver.
Then, when the former Albion and Southend No.1 became the Seagulls’ senior goalkeeping coach, he took the post on the understanding he would double up as kitman.
And, yes, back in the old days, the story you might have heard is true. He was indeed once fetched back from the pub after a couple of pints to play for the Seagulls at the Goldstone.
The 54–year-old has seen plenty of progress in how keepers are developed and supported during almost four decades in the game. Now, weeks after being sacked by Blackburn Rovers, he is determined to get back to playing his part.
Keeley is doing some scouting for his successor with the Seagulls, Ben Roberts, as well as a bit of coaching at their academy in Lancing.
But he is keen to find something more permanent after being axed along with Gary Bowyer and the coaching staff at Ewood Park.
Keeley, originally from London, said: “I don’t really know what to do because I’ve not been in this situation before.
“I just want to get back into coaching. It is something that I thrive on and something that gives me a lot of pleasure.
John Keeley at the Amex with Blackburn
“When I first started coaching at Brighton we had many managers and the coaching staff stayed the same.*Now, if a club really wants a manager they have to take the coaching staff.
“I think everybody knows how much I loved it here.*I’ve always been honest. When I’ve been at other clubs, the first result I’ve looked for has always been Brighton’s.
“I moved from Canvey Island to here and I swore I’d never move anywhere else.”
Keeley played 138 league games between the sticks for the Seagulls and rejoined them to coach the kids while he was still in his delivery job.
It was Micky Adams who came up with the novel coach/kitman position.
Although Mark McGhee allowed him to concentrate solely on coaching, Keeley moved onwards and, at that time, upwards to Portsmouth.
He arrived in time to be a victim of their financial problems before deciding he had taken one pay cut too many and following his boss Michael Appleton to Ewood Park.
The move to Fratton Park was ultimately disappointing but he said: “It is a really good football club, fantastic people. The fans were very good.*When a club goes into Portsmouth’s situation, the staff gel together more.
Keeley during his playing days at the Goldstone
“You are told you’re getting wage reductions or not getting paid and it brings you all together.
“There wasn’t such a big coaching staff. There were only about six of us and we all become really good friends.
“I enjoyed my time at Blackburn as well.*It’s a big club, they have got fantastic training facilities.
“When we got the sack we weren’t playing too bad. We were playing quite well.*The people that have gone in after us haven’t really set the word alight.
“They have just been on a run of three defeats and I suppose they will feel a little bit under pressure because that’s how it is at Blackburn.”
Keeley is well-placed to give some insight on how tomorrow’s opponents tick.
He said: “When I first went up there with Michael Appleton, he took six of us and four of them got the sack after eight weeks.*That tells you what sort of football club it is.
“Previous to that Henning Berg didn’t last long.*I suppose the last three years there has not been too bad.
“Gary stabilised it. I think – and everyone else thought – he was doing a really good job.”
So good that there was widespread shock when a national newspaper reported after Rovers’ 1-0 defeat at the Amex in August that Bowyer, pictured above, had been sacked.
That turned out not to be the case but, looking back, Keeley believes his job at Ewood Park became a little less safe that day.
He said: “I went straight home to Rustington after the game.
“Someone told me Gary had been sacked so I rang him and he said ‘No, there’s nothing further from the truth’.*I read the report on the Sunday and it said he had been sacked.
“He obviously hadn’t but I suppose whoever wrote that article had put the pressure on him.*From that day onwards we were aware at any time it could happen.”
Still, the axe at Blackburn has allowed Keeley to team up with the keeper he used to coach as he searches for something more permanent.
He believes Roberts would be widely acknowledged as one of Albion’s best ever had injury not intervened.
“Ben had everything. He was strong-willed, dedicated, great size for a keeper, brave, great reflexes.”
Both follow on from the man who, for Keeley, was a pioneer in terms of Albion goalkeeping coaches – former Chelsea and England man Peter Bonetti.
Amazingly, Keeley was 26 when he first worked with a specialist coach. Just as surprising by modern standards, Bonetti only went in once a week.
“At the time it was brilliant. He came every Wednesday and we trained at Hove greyhound stadium.
“We loved it. Myself, Perry Digweed and Trevor Wood and later Brian McKenna and we used to have some great sessions with Peter.
“Everything has changed and you have to cover every technique.
“The balls these days swerve and move in the air. In the old days, when you hit the ball it stayed hit, not swerving and moving.
“There’s more footwork now and power. Strength and power is massive in goalkeeping.
“I’m just 6ft. Nowadays some managers won’t even have a goalie unless he is 6ft 4in.”
And that’s not the only thing that has changed.
“I had done the ligaments in my thumb and I failed a fitness test.*I rang Perry and said ‘Look mate, I’m struggling’ and he said ‘Okay, great’.
“I reported to the ground and then I went to the Stadium pub because I knew quite a few people there “I had a couple of pints but (physio) Malcolm Stewart knew where I went and he called me to go back in so I ran back to the ground.
“Barry (Lloyd, manager) said ‘Are you okay to play?’ and I said ‘Of course’.
“We lost 1-0 but I played okay as far as I can remember – although it was a long time ago. But, yes, the story is true.”
Original article
When he dipped his toe into coaching himself, he combined it with a day job as a delivery driver.
Then, when the former Albion and Southend No.1 became the Seagulls’ senior goalkeeping coach, he took the post on the understanding he would double up as kitman.
And, yes, back in the old days, the story you might have heard is true. He was indeed once fetched back from the pub after a couple of pints to play for the Seagulls at the Goldstone.
The 54–year-old has seen plenty of progress in how keepers are developed and supported during almost four decades in the game. Now, weeks after being sacked by Blackburn Rovers, he is determined to get back to playing his part.
Keeley is doing some scouting for his successor with the Seagulls, Ben Roberts, as well as a bit of coaching at their academy in Lancing.
But he is keen to find something more permanent after being axed along with Gary Bowyer and the coaching staff at Ewood Park.
Keeley, originally from London, said: “I don’t really know what to do because I’ve not been in this situation before.
“I just want to get back into coaching. It is something that I thrive on and something that gives me a lot of pleasure.
John Keeley at the Amex with Blackburn
“When I first started coaching at Brighton we had many managers and the coaching staff stayed the same.*Now, if a club really wants a manager they have to take the coaching staff.
“I think everybody knows how much I loved it here.*I’ve always been honest. When I’ve been at other clubs, the first result I’ve looked for has always been Brighton’s.
“I moved from Canvey Island to here and I swore I’d never move anywhere else.”
Keeley played 138 league games between the sticks for the Seagulls and rejoined them to coach the kids while he was still in his delivery job.
It was Micky Adams who came up with the novel coach/kitman position.
Although Mark McGhee allowed him to concentrate solely on coaching, Keeley moved onwards and, at that time, upwards to Portsmouth.
He arrived in time to be a victim of their financial problems before deciding he had taken one pay cut too many and following his boss Michael Appleton to Ewood Park.
The move to Fratton Park was ultimately disappointing but he said: “It is a really good football club, fantastic people. The fans were very good.*When a club goes into Portsmouth’s situation, the staff gel together more.
Keeley during his playing days at the Goldstone
“You are told you’re getting wage reductions or not getting paid and it brings you all together.
“There wasn’t such a big coaching staff. There were only about six of us and we all become really good friends.
“I enjoyed my time at Blackburn as well.*It’s a big club, they have got fantastic training facilities.
“When we got the sack we weren’t playing too bad. We were playing quite well.*The people that have gone in after us haven’t really set the word alight.
“They have just been on a run of three defeats and I suppose they will feel a little bit under pressure because that’s how it is at Blackburn.”
Keeley is well-placed to give some insight on how tomorrow’s opponents tick.
He said: “When I first went up there with Michael Appleton, he took six of us and four of them got the sack after eight weeks.*That tells you what sort of football club it is.
“Previous to that Henning Berg didn’t last long.*I suppose the last three years there has not been too bad.
“Gary stabilised it. I think – and everyone else thought – he was doing a really good job.”
So good that there was widespread shock when a national newspaper reported after Rovers’ 1-0 defeat at the Amex in August that Bowyer, pictured above, had been sacked.
That turned out not to be the case but, looking back, Keeley believes his job at Ewood Park became a little less safe that day.
He said: “I went straight home to Rustington after the game.
“Someone told me Gary had been sacked so I rang him and he said ‘No, there’s nothing further from the truth’.*I read the report on the Sunday and it said he had been sacked.
“He obviously hadn’t but I suppose whoever wrote that article had put the pressure on him.*From that day onwards we were aware at any time it could happen.”
Still, the axe at Blackburn has allowed Keeley to team up with the keeper he used to coach as he searches for something more permanent.
He believes Roberts would be widely acknowledged as one of Albion’s best ever had injury not intervened.
“Ben had everything. He was strong-willed, dedicated, great size for a keeper, brave, great reflexes.”
Both follow on from the man who, for Keeley, was a pioneer in terms of Albion goalkeeping coaches – former Chelsea and England man Peter Bonetti.
Amazingly, Keeley was 26 when he first worked with a specialist coach. Just as surprising by modern standards, Bonetti only went in once a week.
“At the time it was brilliant. He came every Wednesday and we trained at Hove greyhound stadium.
“We loved it. Myself, Perry Digweed and Trevor Wood and later Brian McKenna and we used to have some great sessions with Peter.
“Everything has changed and you have to cover every technique.
“The balls these days swerve and move in the air. In the old days, when you hit the ball it stayed hit, not swerving and moving.
“There’s more footwork now and power. Strength and power is massive in goalkeeping.
“I’m just 6ft. Nowadays some managers won’t even have a goalie unless he is 6ft 4in.”
And that’s not the only thing that has changed.
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“I had done the ligaments in my thumb and I failed a fitness test.*I rang Perry and said ‘Look mate, I’m struggling’ and he said ‘Okay, great’.
“I reported to the ground and then I went to the Stadium pub because I knew quite a few people there “I had a couple of pints but (physio) Malcolm Stewart knew where I went and he called me to go back in so I ran back to the ground.
“Barry (Lloyd, manager) said ‘Are you okay to play?’ and I said ‘Of course’.
“We lost 1-0 but I played okay as far as I can remember – although it was a long time ago. But, yes, the story is true.”
Original article