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 3): - thermal - baselayers

Tip 3: thermal baselayers

Baselayers are a pretty standard piece of kit in the modern game (as the picture of Butland shows), with players and goalies alike wearing them during matches and training. The baselayer itself is worn under the player's kit to kit muscles warm and get rid of sweat build up. Thermal baselayers are now an option, with a lot of winter sports companies like snowboarding brands producing them so that the wearer has a slim, not very bulky, extra layer to keep them warm without building up a sweat etc. The baselayer does its job keeping away the sweat, wicking it away, whilst the thermal element makes sure the player stays warm. This helps keep your muscles warm and potentially stops cramp building up; a long term advantage over the course of the full 90 and the season. And in the cold, can also be really useful for keeping actual colds from developing (especially useful for keeping your upper body warm if you have asthma or something similar).

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!!