Neoprene shorts

Just wanted to quickly post about neoprene shorts. Although long legged baselayers have been doing the rounds with goalkeepers, a lot of elite (and amateur, even) goalkeepers are now using undershorts (and short sleeved baselayer t-shirts, normally with colours to match their team strip!) with a baselayer short instead of leggings. The benefits of keeping the muscle areas warm throughout cold and chilly games to prevent tears or sprains when called into action unexpectedly.

I managed to get hold of a pair new produced by Reusch off Ebay. A few other companies do them, but I'm sure it's possible to find ones not produced by goalkeeper specific companies.

Without fully realising what they were (getting back into the game after a significant while without a great knowledge base, is turning out to be an interesting learning curve, but what's the fun in not working things out?!?!), I bought them. But a weekend game later and I'd quickly worked it out; the extra heat being incredibly useful in a chilly wind on a Sunday morning. Although they seemed pricey, they do a great job, acting as a sort of baselayer and thermal short at the same time, the neoprene making them longer lasting and easy to clean too.

I love them so much I could write a poem about them (after all being made to with a Literature degree kind of fits, not sure how I'd manage a limerick), well, maybe...

On a serious note though, I'd really recommend them as they have turned out to be incredibly useful. Well recommended for the winter months or at training sessions when you're going to be working your muscles in cold conditions and don't want to pick up injuries (like Vorm's groin tear a while back, which could have been made worse by tensed/cold muscles).

Tubigrips: the 3G astro burn saviour???!???

With 3 and 4G pitches becoming more popular for playing surfaces up and down the country; if you do then I'm sure a lot of people will be jealous given you're more likely to get a game than those whose pitches are flooded at the moment! Obviously this sounds a bit random, but I'm really 'particular' (replace that with 'weird', 'strange', 'odd' or just Freudianly so and so...) because of my OCD (which is genuine!) and I don't like the feel of most fabrics used for goalie tops (told you it's weird!). That and not wanting to wear long sleeves when I'm in goal, so I've been looking for an alternative to keep my elbows getting absolutely shredded when I play on astro. So I've thought of a solution...

I've been mucking around with tubigrips and they do seem like a good idea for goalkeepers that play on 3/4G or sand dressed astroturf pitches that also don't want to wear long sleeve jerseys but don't want the skin bare against the turf as they slide in and get bloody elbows. This might make more sense for American members of the "goalies union" that have their season during the summer and are more likely to want to wear short sleeved jerseys, and might just happen to be have to play on this type of pitch!

Tubigrips are easy enough to get hold of. The joys of the recession and living in a "less affluent" (i.e. not so rich!) area mean they're cheap and easy to get hold of in blessed pound shops. Or you can find them in health care style shops like Boots etc. in the support aids section (like for tennis elbow and so on).

You can then cut them to size as you see fit. Or just stretch and fold them over the elbow, doubling back to give more protection to the skin at the elbow as you slide and dive around on sand based astros.

I've not really seen any pro level goalkeepers wearing them, as obviously professional league clubs are going to be using soft grass than hard astro (except for maybe Russia, Sweden, Iceland or Norway!), but Benoit Costil of French Ligue 1 was oddly enough seen wearing them before Christmas this season. Although I'm not sure if this was to do with his recent tattoos (and the need for keeping the ink ok?!) but they did seem to be being worn for elbow protection, with them getting grass stained in the process.

And for further pictures, you can check out the Getty Image link:

Getty Images

Winter warmers (part 4): over the knee socks!

Tip 4: over the knee socks!

Last by not least, a quick final thought for anyone reading, is over the knee socks. Socks that essentially just cover the leg beyond the knee (as the name suggests!!), they offer a bit of extra warmth further up your legs (useful for your muscle groups as I'll mention in a mo). As well modeled by French goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien (who is currently playing on loan at Charlton), who is one of the only pro goalkeepers I've seen wearing them, they basically offer a bit of extra warmth and protection I guess, if playing on 3G/astroturf surfaces, so you don't get shredded knee caps. A useful thought, if you do play regularly on this type of pitch! And gawd how they burn!

Keeping your lower body muscle groups warm is just as important as keeping your lower ones warm. Called into action without being warmed up or ready, you could easily pull a muscle trying to make the save or move quickly to reach the ball. Wearing something to keep you that little bit extra warm can be a difference maker in this situation when playing in the cold.

As far as I know, Rinat are the only goalkeeping kit producers to be making them for goalkeepers, otherwise I'm sure you could just look for a long sock that stretches over the knee if you're in your teens/aren't the tallest goalie around?!?!! I think it's an option to mull over, I'm sure there will be loads of naysayers, but I think it's a bit of a unique look and would like to see more goalkeepers rocking this look! Just for the sake of difference, but also because goalkeepers are best eccentric like Grobbelaar etc.!!

Thought I would  throw it out there as they can be useful keeping you warm as well as protecting you from turf burns (very useful!). 

Winter warmers (part 2): snoods!

Tip 2 for keeping warm in the cold weather: snoods!

Quite the fashion accessory for goalies (well, not catwalk like or anything!), they seem to be very popular in Italy with Buffon, Abbiati and Casillas all wearing them at some point (with Reina also, mainly when at Liverpool); Cesar wearing one in his time with Inter, and so on and so forth! And they have been seen being worn by English goalkeepers like Hart and Ruddy who have both worn them in cold morning training sessions. Although there were complaints from the media/pundits/writers and the usual smack talk from fans whinging about how sissy it looks (as you'd expect), there were a few concerns about health & safety, but with the snood being worn on the head or around the neck, I personally don't think it's a choking hazard as it can't really snag or get caught as it hugs the neck.

At the least it gives you a bit of extra warmth, which should help keeping your vocal chords from chilling up; useful for shouting at your defenders all game long without wearing your voice out! At worst it gives your team mates, the oppo and anyone else a topic of conversation, but it is an extra option for keeping cold in those wintry games when you wonder why you bothered to ever get out of bed so early on a Sunday!!

Winter warmers (part 1): inner gloves

Staying warm in winter
Tip 1: inner gloves

If you're managing to get a game in the windswept, waterlogged areas of the UK, then there might be a few options to keep your hands from getting chilly and freezing over themselves! A pair of cold hands is no good for getting a good grip or catching shape and even though you might not be expecting to get frostbite, so it's a good idea to work out a quick and easy way of keeping them warm! One easy way to keep your hands and fingers warm, is to wear inner gloves. Just like those outfielders wearing them in the nippy weather, you should be able to get hold of a pair of them quite easily.

With your hands warm, you should be able to make a strong catch when the ball does come your way, as you won't be struggling to move a pair of cold hands in the ball's direction or have trouble getting a grip on the ball. A good idea for making sure you keep your hands warm (for preventing injury/stopping an injury being worse than needed! And for making strong catches as mentioned), you could either get a pair of tight fitting gloves that shouldn't interfere with your goalie gloves or try and find a slightly larger size of goalie gloves that will fit when worn over the inner gloves. Worn under your goalkeeping gloves (i.e. put on before you put your goalie gloves on!) they should be useful for keeping the cold away from your fingers and help you get a good catch; more important than anything in slippy and windy playing conditions!!