Vickers quartet shine in inaugural Keeper Wars tournament - EXCLUSIVE

A figure of £430 was raised for the NSPCC at the inaugural Keeper Wars event at Princes Park today, writes Stephen McCartney.

A four-hour marathon, with goalkeepers working in pairs to score past their two opponents from within 18-yards, was fought out in front of about 50 spectators in showery conditions on the community pitch at the home of Ryman League Division One North club Dartford.

In the end, the four finalists, all players at local Kent League club VCD Athletic, played their part in a dramatic final.

But it was goalkeeper Daniel Burke, 18, and versatile outfield player, Jack Parkinson, 17, that defeated the Hyde brothers - Joe, 15, and Alex 18, 9-8, after a sudden death shoot-out to earn themselves a trophy and £20 in prize money each, whilst the beaten brothers each received a medal.

“I came for the fun factor but it’s obviously nice to win it,” victorious Burke said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“Got a bit of fitness out of it, a few shots on goal, not too bad.

“I only came here for a laugh with my mate Jack. We seemed to win it, so we didn’t do too bad.”

Versatile Parkinson, was, however, the only outfield player who took part in the goalkeepers competition - but ended up winning it.

“It was unbelievable!” he said. “I only came with Dan for a laugh. The idea was he would save them, and I was meant to score, but it wasn’t happening at the start but after being so many goals down (in the final), I think we done well to win it.

“But we pulled a few out of the bag when it was needed, I’ve got to say.”

Joint-organiser, John Macrae was delighted with the first ever Keeper Wars tournament in the UK.

And the thirty goalkeepers who took part, including 60-year-old Tunbridge Wells stopper Alan Rogers, and Dartford supporter Steve Hookins, 39, enjoyed being put through their paces.

When asked what the goalkeepers got out of Keeper Wars, Macrae, who put on the event with Craig Clarke, replied: “Hopefully fun, enjoyment. Two weeks of pre-season work in one morning, with all the saves, technique work and everything they had to do.

“It’s the first one, hard to gauge its success but all the guys who entered and competed said they "thoroughly enjoyed it, great, thanks very much", so we’ll take that away, fine tune it for next season.

“Hopefully we’ll carry it on but at least we’ve got the first UK goalie wars championship over and Burkie and Parky have won it.”

The only downside, however, was that no star named goalkeepers from Ryman League clubs competed in the event.

“We had our email, where people could register, hacked into,” explained Macrae. “People might have contacted us and we never went through to them.

“People like (Tony) Kessell, Kevin Hudson, Jimmy Simpson, John Whitehouse, to name but a few, phoned up to apologise - they were on holidays, so they had the courtesy to ring me.

“But we had thirty goalkeepers, hey thirty goalkeepers, that’s good. That’s a start, don’t you agree?”

Losing finalist Joe Hyde was disappointed that he and his older brother couldn’t win the final.

“We did well to get there in the end,” he said. “But in the end, the best team won to be honest - the other team wanted it more.

Older brother, Alex added: “It went pretty well - I thought we’d win it.

“I was confident in my ability, but my best friends from VCD won, so I’m not too bothered.

“It’s good exercise, pre-season I suppose, to get me back in the mood for football again.”

Managers Tony Burman (Dartford), Martin Farnie (Tunbridge Wells) and Derek Moore (Sevenoaks Town) - and Dartford assistant Paul Sawyer - watched some of the action.

And Farnie revealed that striker Dave Hassett and midfielder Richard Radbourne trained with their Kent League rivals Erith & Belvedere last Thursday and are expected to sign for the Park View Road club.

“Dave Hassett lives five minutes away from the ground and Richard Radbourne’s his mate,” he said.



Little and Large:  Dartford fan Steve "Custard" Hookins, celebrating his 39th birthday today, partnered James Tedder, the Dartford goalkeeper who finished last season on loan at Kent League side Slade Green, during the Keeper Wars tournament at Princes Park.
Photograph courtesy of Gary Clarke -  www.dartfordfootballclub.co.uk/forum