From today's Sunday Times
What was the best moment of your career?
Winning the European Cup final with Liverpool against Roma in 1984. Also winning the FA Cup three times was special. The European Cup final in Rome came down to a penalty shoot-out and manager Joe Fagan put his arm around me when I was walking to the goal and said: “Listen, nobody is going to blame you if you cannot stop a ball from 12 yards.” As I walked away, he said: “Try to put them off.” That’s what stuck in my head. The two people that I tried to put off were Italian internationals Bruno Conti and Francesco Graziani and they missed their spot kicks. Joe’s words gave me a great lift because at that stage I was very nervous.
I did feel the pressure was all on me so I tried to put it on my opponents instead and it worked. Had he not said that to me, I do not know which way the game would have gone. I watched their penalty takers taking penalties the day before the final. Some of them changed sides so I wouldn’t have known which side they would choose. But one player, Ubaldo Righetti, put the ball in the same corner every time. On the night of the final I knew where he was going to put it. I took off and looked over as it went in the other side. The day before I had been looking at the penalties from the other angle. I was watching them from behind the goal and I got my sides mixed up. Oops, you silly . . .
What was the worst moment?
Everything comes in threes. The first low was the Heysel disaster, the second was Hillsborough, which was a very bad low and the third from a personal point of view was the match-fixing allegations and spending 10 years going through court cases. I hope I am finished with the disappointments for my lifetime.
From a career point of view the two newspapermen meeting me at the airport was the worst moment. Not because of anything cynical, but the shock that would rock me and my family at that stage. When it all panned out, what was it for? Were they trying to get to something that wasn’t there? Obviously they didn’t. They tried. It was something I went through in life and I look back at that experience and think what my mother told me: “Life is full of disappointments. How you get over the disappointments makes you a better person.” I have done that and we have all moved on. I am the most decorated goalkeeper in the history of the English league. When I came to England I had £10 in my pocket. The High Court judges gave me £1 so in all my time there for £11 I haven’t had a bad run, have I?
Who was the best player you faced?
I have faced a few: Hugo Sanchez, Johan Cruyff and Pele, all great players. But I regarded anybody with the ball as the most dangerous person. It didn’t matter who he was — a Fourth Division player or an international — whoever had the ball in front of me was the best player in the world because he could score. The best player I played with was undoubtedly Graeme Souness. He had everything in every position except goalkeeper and was a phenomenal leader.
Who was the best manager you played under?
There were four managers. There was Bob Paisley, who signed me, Joe Fagan, who took over at Liverpool after him, Kenny Dalglish and our late Zimbabwe manager Reinhard Fabisch. They all had their special sayings and had an influence on my career. It is a pity that Dalglish is not back in management. He would be one awesome manager.
Which was the best stadium you played at?
Anfield was special. There was also the Zimbabwe national stadium which held 60,000 to 80,000 people. In the early days I loved playing at Chelsea. They used to throw things but the goal was too far away from The Shed for them to hit you.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
I am 52 years old and have lived in Newfoundland, Canada, for a year. My wife Karen works in the Western Memorial Hospital and I am the prime home-carer for my daughter, Roten, who is seven months old. I play golf every second day and am almost off scratch. I also coach football and in the summer will be coaching 350 kids, bringing awareness about the Liverpool Way to Canada. I am looking forward to the World Cup, having been born in South Africa. I will be there working for Norwegian TV2.
Bruce Grobbelaar, Sir Geoff Hurst and Alan Curbishley will answer questions at a World Cup preview dinner at the Grange Hotel in London on June 3. For more information call 0871 871 5300 or visit www.vultd.co.uk.
What was the best moment of your career?
Winning the European Cup final with Liverpool against Roma in 1984. Also winning the FA Cup three times was special. The European Cup final in Rome came down to a penalty shoot-out and manager Joe Fagan put his arm around me when I was walking to the goal and said: “Listen, nobody is going to blame you if you cannot stop a ball from 12 yards.” As I walked away, he said: “Try to put them off.” That’s what stuck in my head. The two people that I tried to put off were Italian internationals Bruno Conti and Francesco Graziani and they missed their spot kicks. Joe’s words gave me a great lift because at that stage I was very nervous.
I did feel the pressure was all on me so I tried to put it on my opponents instead and it worked. Had he not said that to me, I do not know which way the game would have gone. I watched their penalty takers taking penalties the day before the final. Some of them changed sides so I wouldn’t have known which side they would choose. But one player, Ubaldo Righetti, put the ball in the same corner every time. On the night of the final I knew where he was going to put it. I took off and looked over as it went in the other side. The day before I had been looking at the penalties from the other angle. I was watching them from behind the goal and I got my sides mixed up. Oops, you silly . . .
What was the worst moment?
Everything comes in threes. The first low was the Heysel disaster, the second was Hillsborough, which was a very bad low and the third from a personal point of view was the match-fixing allegations and spending 10 years going through court cases. I hope I am finished with the disappointments for my lifetime.
From a career point of view the two newspapermen meeting me at the airport was the worst moment. Not because of anything cynical, but the shock that would rock me and my family at that stage. When it all panned out, what was it for? Were they trying to get to something that wasn’t there? Obviously they didn’t. They tried. It was something I went through in life and I look back at that experience and think what my mother told me: “Life is full of disappointments. How you get over the disappointments makes you a better person.” I have done that and we have all moved on. I am the most decorated goalkeeper in the history of the English league. When I came to England I had £10 in my pocket. The High Court judges gave me £1 so in all my time there for £11 I haven’t had a bad run, have I?
Who was the best player you faced?
I have faced a few: Hugo Sanchez, Johan Cruyff and Pele, all great players. But I regarded anybody with the ball as the most dangerous person. It didn’t matter who he was — a Fourth Division player or an international — whoever had the ball in front of me was the best player in the world because he could score. The best player I played with was undoubtedly Graeme Souness. He had everything in every position except goalkeeper and was a phenomenal leader.
Who was the best manager you played under?
There were four managers. There was Bob Paisley, who signed me, Joe Fagan, who took over at Liverpool after him, Kenny Dalglish and our late Zimbabwe manager Reinhard Fabisch. They all had their special sayings and had an influence on my career. It is a pity that Dalglish is not back in management. He would be one awesome manager.
Which was the best stadium you played at?
Anfield was special. There was also the Zimbabwe national stadium which held 60,000 to 80,000 people. In the early days I loved playing at Chelsea. They used to throw things but the goal was too far away from The Shed for them to hit you.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
I am 52 years old and have lived in Newfoundland, Canada, for a year. My wife Karen works in the Western Memorial Hospital and I am the prime home-carer for my daughter, Roten, who is seven months old. I play golf every second day and am almost off scratch. I also coach football and in the summer will be coaching 350 kids, bringing awareness about the Liverpool Way to Canada. I am looking forward to the World Cup, having been born in South Africa. I will be there working for Norwegian TV2.
Bruce Grobbelaar, Sir Geoff Hurst and Alan Curbishley will answer questions at a World Cup preview dinner at the Grange Hotel in London on June 3. For more information call 0871 871 5300 or visit www.vultd.co.uk.