RIP Gray Sprake

[Winnersaint]

Those old enough and with still functioning memories will remember him chucking one in his own net in a true comedy goalkeeping moment. Brilliant on his day but prone to some absolute howlers.

[david in sweden]

....although wasn't it.... the teenage Gary Sprake.... who made his debut for Leeds at The Dell and played a blinder when they beat us ?

[Chap in the Chapel]

This is sad news. I earn a living in publishing and about ten years ago I worked on his authorised biography 'Careless Hands: The Forgotten Truth of Gary Sprake'. It's a formidable defence of his reputation against accusations of his being error-prone. The author asserts that he was actually a superb goalkeeper, but was unfortunate enough to make mistakes when playing in a few televised matches at a time when hardly any football was broadcast. This has led to the incorrect impression that he was habitually letting his team down. Across a 500+ game career he was no more or no less error-prone than any other goalkeeper. It's an interesting book, and he turned up at our offices when the book came out to sign a few. He was a pleasant, friendly guy, and he deserves a lot of posthumous respect.

[Winnersaint]

I believe he did. By the time I saw my first game at the Dell against Leeds in October 1963 he was a fixture in the team. Went on to play the best part of 400 games for a dominant Leeds under Revie a team which didn't have weak links. He was a good keeper but things like the Peter Houseman goal in 1970 Cup Final show that he was prone an error or two.