Gary Bailey
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Gary Richard Bailey (born August 9, 1958 in Ipswich, England) was an English football player, and the son of the Ipswich Town goalkeeper Roy Bailey.
He grew up in South Africa and started his career with Wits University Football Club in Johannesburg. In the late 1970s Bailey paid his own fare to Manchester for a trial with Manchester United. He was a goalkeeper who could make amazing saves, but whose weakness on crosses earned him the nickname "Dracula". Early on in his United career, he missed a cross in the 1979 FA Cup final, allowing Alan Sunderland to score the winning goal for Arsenal. Despite this, he was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in England in the early 1980s, and represented the national team. United were one of the top sides in England at that time and Bailey won FA Cup medals with them in 1983(making the last-minute "and Smith must score!" save from Brighton's Gordon Smith, which has since gone down in FA Cup folklore) and 1985. However, he developed a serious knee injury, while on England duty, and, after several operations, he left the club in 1987 after compiling 160 clean sheets, He returned to South Africa to play for Kaizer Chiefs for 2 years during which time the team won 5 trophies.. Gary is now a football presenter for Supersport Premier League coverage in South Africa.
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England squad - 1986 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists | |
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1 Shilton | 2 Gary Stevens | 3 Sansom | 4 Hoddle | 5 Martin | 6 Butcher | 7 Bryan Robson | 8 Wilkins | 9 Hateley | 10 Lineker | 11 Waddle | 12 Anderson | 13 Woods | 14 Fenwick | 15 Gary A. Stevens | 16 Reid | 17 Steven | 18 Hodge | 19 Barnes | 20 Beardsley | 21 Dixon | 22 Bailey | Coach: Bobby Robson |
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