Goalies do not have to carry timber but today I was made aware of one who did! Yes, it's Wayne Shaw, who at 45 years old, is still plying his trade as the reserve goalie at Sutton United, a club in the news! Wayne is a big boy and he has a reputation of responding to anyone stupid enough to sing "Who at all the pies?" to him when he stands between the posts. Historically this chant was first made at Fatty Foulke-see below.
Local rivals to Sutton, Kingstonian FC had a bunch of silly supporters standing behind Wayne's goal during a warm up for a Surrey Senior Cup tie in 2013. Shaw took so much stick that he evetually leapt the barrier and confronted his tormentors. As a result the Sutton board met and sacked him! He returned in 2015 forgiven and has been giving his all to the club since.
William Henry Foulke is the legendry "Fatty" who was known as that and who did not get upset because he was so formidable that nobody would dare take him on. Actually an odd one did and the hapless fool would find himself either being held upside down by his feet (a famous occasion in a match with George Allan of Liverpool in 1898) or dragged through the mud. Foulke was 1.93 metres tall, an imposing and strong man.
Originally known as William Foulke (or Foulkes), he was an illegitmate child, born to a poor mother in 1874, in Shropshire. The local mines were likely to be his destiny, despite his height. He started playing for his local colliery side at Blackwell near Ilkestone, ignored an offer from Derby at 19 years old and he took his brother's advice and waited for Sheffield United to sign him at 20, The Blades paid him £5 a week, a good sum at the time.
He also played some matches for Derbyshire CCC.
In 1896 he weighed in at 90kgs and by 1905 he expanded to 160kgs! He "played" on his size and his appetite, but won 2 FA Cups (1899, 1902), also lost one final (v Spurs in 1901), won a league title (1898) and one England cap in 1897. He was good.
After the 1902 Cup Final against Southampton, it was reported that he was so disgusted by a refereeing decision (and possibly inebriated) that he was seen by gentlemen and ladies wandering the corridors at the Crystal Palace after the game naked, chasing the referee! Fouke played in the replay and made many saves to help his team win the cup. He played 299 games for the Blades, then went to Chelsea and Bradford City to finish his career, during which he remained a character and pulled in the crowds to see his eccentric behaviour. He completed 355 club games in total.
He continued to live life to the full and retired in 1907, when he went to Blackpool to save penalties as a side show on the beach (some say that after football he was in poverty and he had to earn money some how). He then took a bar, the Duke Inn, in Sheffield and died at 42 years old from "excess" related illnesses. His tombstone in the local churchyard, Burngreave, confirms this when he died in 1916.
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