brian joicey Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 grew up on peters' street in dronfield, a proper smashing chap. he spent many hours having a kick-about with us on the street (jumpers for goalposts n all that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Owl Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I regard him as the best and most consistent goalie I have ever witnessed playing for us. Superb player and a top guy. Totally agree. He was the most agile goalkeeper I have ever seem at Hillsborough and his handling of the ball was faultless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Ron's pal Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Best goalkeeper by far. His handling was consistently good, particularly on crosses. He wasn't afraid to go down at a forward's feet either. Top notch and I was really pleased that he got his World Cup winner's medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brimowl Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 ron springett was before my time i always liked bolder and there wasnt much between hodge and pressman all were good keepers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Romish Owl Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Remember Len Badgers testimonial at the Sty and both regular keepers were injured, so Peter Shilton played for us, match finished 0-0, and as usual we took the Shorham. Ron was much better than Peter, best keeper seen for us in recent years was Iain Turner who we had on loan from Everton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the monk Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Ron Springett was as near perfection as anyone who has played for Wednesday in the last half century. Cant argue as i never saw him play,but the art of goalkeeping today is far superior to back then in my opinion ,sorry and all that but i cant get the belly flop in the 66' cup final out of my head! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagmeister Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Cant argue as i never saw him play,but the art of goalkeeping today is far superior to back then in my opinion ,sorry and all that but i cant get the belly flop in the 66' cup final out of my head! Great keeper in his day. Only bettered by Banks. Would probably be considered too small nowadays and sentimentality aside I'd reluctantly have to agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatzooma Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I never saw him play but my Dad sings his praises. His record speaks for itself 384 apperances for the Owls over 9 seasons and 33 England Caps. I was intrigued to read in his testimonial programme whilst with Wednesday he never moved to Sheffield and continued to live in London and trained with QPR, joining Wednesday for matches. Anyone know of any other Wednesday players who have done this? Can't see that happening today? What year was his testimonial? Didn't he have a brother who was a copper in Sheffield?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagmeister Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 What year was his testimonial? Didn't he have a brother who was a copper in Sheffield?? Yep, Peter Springett. Succombed to cancer in the 90's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatzooma Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Yep, Peter Springett. Succombed to cancer in the 90's Always sad to hear! Still...I wonder why Peter made the move Sheffield and Ron didn't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagmeister Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Always sad to hear! Still...I wonder why Peter made the move Sheffield and Ron didn't? Ron signed in the days of the maximum wage. I understand that there was a family decorating business in London (though this may have been later). Perhaps this was why he was allowed to train with QPR and perhaps still work in the business. As an aside, I believe that Tony Currie read the eulogy at brother Peter's funeral. Apparently Peter was the one that helped him settle in at Sheffield as an 18 year old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelowl Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 yes awesome end of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevthelodgemoorowl Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 At the time Lev Yashin was proposed as the worlds top keeper by the press. But for me Ron Springett stood head and shoulders above him. Though just 5' 10" in his stocking feet Ron was a commanding figure catching everything into the box beyond the penalty spot. There was n't as much blocking of kpers in those days, I remember at corners Ron would pull on the furthest post as the corner was about to be taken in order to catapult him into the centre of the penalty area. He would leap to full stretch catching and gathering the ball in one action, sometimes crashing to the ground and sometimes maintaining his balance, but never spilling the ball. HIs party piece was casually preventing forwards running through to net when they had been given off side, making loads of pointless saves just for the sheer joy of it . He was loved by the whole of Sheffield practically as at the time the City was blessed with two of the top three keepers in Britain Rons counterpart being Alan Hodgkinson over at the Lane. Rons closest friends in Sheffield outside the club were the Sheffield based staff of the Master Cutler express rail service. As has been stated earlier, Ron would travel on Fridays to Sheffield via the Cutler. If ever Wednesday were involved in a cup semi or European game the Star photographers would be looking for a snap of Ron being given the best wishes of all the Master Cutler staff. May 14th 1966 the tears of 20K+ Wednesdayites were as much for him as for ourselves as we sensed his only silverware with the club would be his coveted league runners up medal of 1961. The 1967 cup run ended in the 6th round at Stamford bridge with a 96th minute winner for Chelsea, Ron had a Tambling volley covered but he shinned it sending Ron the wrong way, he was unconsolable as there was not even time to do anything but kick off before the whistle blew. Not only was Ron Springett Wednesdays best ever keeper he was loved by everyone us. His daughter Susan went on to be one of the pioneers in the re-emmergence of womens football. When I moved to London for 7 years in the 90's I used to go to Loftus Rd for many of their midweek games, Susan worked in their ticket office and I was introduced to her, once she knew I was a Wednesdayite and fan of her Dads she put me on her complimentary list. Lovely Bloke Great Keeper ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torryowl Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Cant argue as i never saw him play,but the art of goalkeeping today is far superior to back then in my opinion ,sorry and all that but i cant get the belly flop in the 66' cup final out of my head! yer wrong .....like you say you never saw him . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Athelstan Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I remember seeing him play - easily the best we've had. The best save I've ever seen a Wednesday player make was Peter Rodrigues diving full stretch across the goal to fingertip a shot round the post. The problem was, he was playing at right back at the time. Bonus - Peter Grummit saved the resulting penalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dronny Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Met him on a London-Sheff train and he signed 30 autographs for my school mates.. He had a hand injury and had'nt played for weeks, his first game was for England in France. He dropped crosses and never played for England again? A real gent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmciverslovechild Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 The best goalkeeping display I ever saw was by Ron....a game at Leicester early in 1967 when we won 1-0. John Ritchie got the goal. Our defence was bloody hopeless that day and they should have scored a sack full. But Ron was just in incredible form and stopped everything. I do remember in the paper the following day they gave him a 10....the first time I'd ever seen that. I do think he left us a year or two too early as he was still a superb goalie when he left but he might well, by then, have got fed up with the travelling and the swap with Peter seemed ideal. Unfortunately Peter was always in Ron's shadow....it's not really his fault that he wasn't in the same class but he was continually judged against his brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan48 Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Absolutely brilliant keeper and always had time for the fans .Lodged at Hunters Bar Hotel if I remember rightly . Last of his 33caps was in Paris as England lost 5 - 0 and yes he had his one poor game for his country that night . So pleased he eventually got his World Cup medal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sten Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Ron was the best during a Golden Age of goalkeepers. ...a bit unlucky not to get the England shout in 1966. Definitely better than Bonetti but Banksy was in his prime at the time. as stated in other posts, he rarely spilled the ball and that was before punching the ball became fashionable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian joicey Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Ron signed in the days of the maximum wage. I understand that there was a family decorating business in London (though this may have been later). Perhaps this was why he was allowed to train with QPR and perhaps still work in the business. As an aside, I believe that Tony Currie read the eulogy at brother Peter's funeral. Apparently Peter was the one that helped him settle in at Sheffield as an 18 year old. currie lived to the top of my street and peter to the bottom (inbetween was jim craig and later on andy mculloch) ... reyt place to live! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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