I've been reading Kevin Stirlings book about the first 100 years of Aberdeen. Just read the chapter about the Turnbull years. I was quite surprised to read that after being dropped after a couple of heavy defeats to Dunfermline and Hibs he played a few games at centre back for the reserves. Turnbull asked him "What were you doing on the field? You're a fucking goalkeeper!"

He never played for the 1st team as a centre back but are there any keepers who played for the their first team in a competitive game outfield?

David James had a go at Man City when he came on as a striker a couple of years ago but thats the only one that I can think of.

In the 1990s, a goalie made his debut for Spain(?) on the wing - injury, no subs left. Hit the bar...

Didn't Barthez play outfield for Manchester United once?

Mexican goalie was registered for the world cup as a GK & Striker. I'm sure he had a few international goals.

Jorge Campos. Steve Harper played outfield for Newcastle but it was only in a friendly v Celtic.

It's going back a good while but in the 60s before subs were introduced, Man City's keeper Harry Dowd broke his finger during a match against Bury. An outfield player went in goals and Dowd played up front and scored the equaliser.

Ally Maxwell came on as an outfield sub against Alloa for Morton during our administration period.


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Ex Inverness Caley Thistle 'keeper Jim Calder was a striker in the Highland League until he got a knee injury at the age of 26.

It runs in my head that Bryan Gunn at some point played outfield for Aberdeen - have I misremembered that?

I believe Ian Westwater made a brief (and apparently enthusiastic) outfield appearance for the Pars as substiture back in the days when you could list and play only 3 subs.

I think the game was at Airdrie and possibly in the 95/96 season. Perhaps Jamie could confirm?

Jakup Mikkelsen the Faroe Island international keeper who played 10 games for the Jags in 2003, was allegedly a goalkeeper who started his career as a midfielder.

I saw Uefa Cup Winners Cup Keeper, Tony Parks, replace an outfield player and play as a Striker. It was a pre season friendly versus Mull which we won 15 - 0 with Ian Pishwater in goals for us. Parks did pretty well, a few decent efforts saved by their keeper!

On a similar note, Partick Thistle goalie in the 1950s, Tommy Ledgerwood, got injured in a game against Hearts at Firhill, hung around on the left wing and scored 1 in a 5-4 win.

Harry Dowd was well before my time but, conversely, I was at Maine Road in 1991 when Niall Quinn saved a Dean Saunders penalty.

Derek Stillie (I think) played up front for Aberdeen in a friendly vs Wimbldon - think it was someones testimonial?

Jamie Langfield was a striker.

It was an away game against Airdrie, but it was at Broadwood. Marc Millar was sent off and Bert Paton thought that the team was knackered and could do with another sub for the last few minutes so Westie came on. I think he nailed Sean Sweeny while he was on, which was an obvious bonus.

Ulrik Laursen the old Celtic defender was a Goalkeeper for some of his career!

Most famously was Jorge Campos though played striker mainly for his club team and in goal for Mexico and was awarded the number 9 shirt in goalkeeper's strip so he could fit in anywhere!

During our brief season in Div1, when the truly inept Jimmy Bone took over, he started to do this thing with about 10-15 mins left (we'd usually be 4 or 5 down) and he'd bring on the sub goalie for an outfield player and put Lindsay Hamilton up front. It was the most pointless thing i've ever seen, but then thats Jimmy Bone for you.

Bobby Clark of Aberdeen played several games outfield around 1970. Ernie McGarr played in goals - both were full Scotland international goalkeepers.

Regarding Lindsay Hamilton and East Fife, I remember one referee taking issue with this because Hamilton was not wearing the same shorts / socks as the rest of the team.

The oppsite scenario of an outfield player starting in goals has also happened - David Webb of Chelsea played in goals when all three keppers on their books were injured, sometime around 1971.

If we're talking about outfield players starting in goal, didn't Stevie "Zico" Morrison play in goal for Clydebank when he was player manager?

Yes, here is a picture.

Jim Chalmers played outfield for the Beanos in a game at Love St when he came on as the last sub to replace an injured player.

Graeme Donald played 4 games in goals for the Beanos after John Philliben phucked up on a loan deal and we were left with no keepers, the sad thing is with Donald in goals our results improved!

Arthur Wilkie was injured when playing in goal for Reading v Halifax Town in 1962. With no substitutes available in those days, Wilkie stayed on as an outfield player and scored twice as Reading won 4-2.

Bobby Clark definetely played outfield in 2 competitive games for Aberdeen in 1969/70.

1. 3/9/69 Substitute vs Rangers Away in a 2-0 defeat.

2. 20/9/69 Played from the start vs St Johnstone Home in a 3-1 defeat.

2 defeats then? Can't recall him playing in any other competitive games outfield.

What is reasonably remarkable was that by then he'd gained 2 Scotland caps, and within 8 months of these games was back in goals for Scotland.

The reason he was out of the Aberdeen team was he was dropped the previous season after a couple of hefty defeats and replaced by Ernie McGarr...remember him!

Stevie Woods came on and played on the right wing for us in a cup game against Clydebank (I think it was Clydebank anyway).

I'm seeing an obvious pattern here - injured goalies are better strikers than strikers. Why don't more managers make use of this!

I do it in Football Manager all the time

I had one of those "Extraordinary Football Bloopers" etc videos years ago presented by Danny Baker and one of the features was an Irish goalkeeper (Alan Kelly?) who came on as a sub for Hull up front due to injury's and scored. He then proceeded to start, and score in, the next 2 games.

EDIT: Alan Kelly's wikipedia page says he hasn't scored any goals so i can't remember the actual keepers name.

Hull had a Northern Irish 'keeper called Alan Fettis for a while, and a quick google confirms it was indeed him. He only scored two goals for them in total though.

Alan Blair played some games up front for East Fife back in the early 80's

He played in goals against us for the Bankies in the last game of 1999, we won 4-0, seem to recall Barry Wilson getting a double.

Been a while since i saw it so memory's a bit sketchy. Cheers.

Your spot on Al B it was Clydebank in the League Cup in the early-mid 90's but if I remember rightly it was the left wing played on.

I think it was for Van Der Gaag who suffered a ligament injury in that match!

Edit- We won the match on penalties and it was a roasting hot day. My one and only visit to Kilbowie!

Talking about memories, I was there the day Allan Ball scored two great goals for Queens.

Great times indeed

That's not the question though, outfield players take over in goal rather more often than the opposite!


Couple of seasons ago, remember sub goalie going on for Man City and David James going up front. He nearly scored too.

David "Daisy" Ross played in goals from the start in two games in our Third Division championship campaign in 98/99 as Nicky Walker had to goto the USA for business reasons and our keepers were injured. The SFL did not allow us to sign a new keeper.

We had an Irish golaie, John Donegan, in the mid 90's who also played as a striker or winger I believe. He must have done it about 5 or 6 times throughout his spell with us.

He never actually scored but did get one in our penalty shootout against Airdrie in the Scottish Cup 4th Round in 95/96.

The Airdrie game was John's only apperance outfield Gaz - Coming on as a late 2nd half (extra time) subsitute in place of a stretchered off John Allison.....

cracking penalty too - whomph!

I haven't seen it, but no way was it better than Mark "Sumo" Cairns for us against Aberdeen 2 years ago.

There was a reserve goalie at Ayr United called Kenny Barnstable (I`m sure thats the right name) in season 95/96.
He came on as a second half sub playing right midfield against Berwick during a 5-0 Ayr win in March 1996.
A few questions were asked about this game as there had apparently been a flurry of 5-0 correct score bets made in Edinburgh at lunchtime on the day of the match.
Ayr had led 4-0 at half-time.

Kenny Barnstaple..yeah i remember that game well.Is that also the game where Jim Mercer actually scored a goal?

Keith Macrae in the late 60s early 70s played quite a few games for Motherwell as an outfield player and scored as well. He went on to play for Manchester City. John Ritchie as well played 3 or 4 games for Cowdenbeath as a centre forward. The same John Ritchie who managed Brechin.

i remember the game ronnie and dkh
are talking about big kenny touched
the ball about 5 times and proved he
was a better midfielder than a keeper

I get the occasional flashback of Hugh Sproat getting badly caught out of position. Somewhere near the halfway line at Cappielow.

This is true. Sent up by Stuart Pearce in a last ditch attempt to get a goal. Think it was when eh had them chasing a UEFA Cup spot.

In all honesty, he looked more of a danger to the defenders wellbeing, rather than the goal.

As did Lyndsay Hamilton (1 or 2 anyway) in the mid90's!!!

You sure? I'm certain he did it a few times. Although maybe that was in friendlies or Forfarshire Cup games