Keepers double up as safest hands!

Thurrock keeper Andy Walker and Burgess Hll Town's Josh James are celebrating winning the Ryman League's 'safest hands' laurels for the second month in a row.

Along with Dulwich Hamlet's Oshane Brown,, they were unveiled on Monday as October's winners of the Ryman League’s Precision Golden Gloves Awards.

The monthly ‘safe hands’ honours in the Ryman Premier, Ryman North and Ryman South divisions returned last season with new sponsors from Nottingham-based Reydon Sports PLC.

The UK's largest sports and leisure wholesale and distribution company, they are sponsoring the accolades through their Precision Goalkeeping brand with the keepers each set to receive a pair of Precision Goalkeeping gloves provided by ProKit UK, the nominated retailer administering the awards on behalf of Precision Training.

Teenage keeper Brown wins his first award of the campaign on the back of his impressive form since stepping up at Champion Hill to replace Hamlet's injured number one Phil Wilson. In six league and cup outings for manager Gavin Rose, Brown conceded just four goals to take the Ryman's top fight accolade.

Fleet keeper Walker earned his second successive accolade of the Ryman North campaign after conceding just seven times in seven outings last month, three of them coming a single match, a 4-3 win for Mark Stimson's side over Tilbury in the FA Trophy's Preliminary Round.

After kicking off his career at Colchester United in 1998, the 32-year-old played professionally for Colchester United and Exeter City and also had a stint at Doncaster Rover. Since then he’s been between the posts in Non-League at Tonbridge Angels, Wingate & Finchley, Bromley, Maidstone United, Billericay and Cray Wanderers.

Hillians stopper James also continued his top form to win his second golden gloves honour in Ryman South this season, the 21-year-old conceding just five times in seven league and cup outings.

The keeper was on the books of Brighton as a youngster and signed on at the Green Elephants Stadium in the summer from Sussex County League outfit Ringmer after previously playing for Peacehaven & Telscombe and in the Ryman League for Worthing.

Precision Goalkeeping boast an impressive list of keeping talent on their books including Kasper Schmeichel, Kieren Westwood, Tomasz Kuszczak, Darren Randolph, David Forde, Frank Fielding, Brian Jensen, Robert Olejnik, Andy Lonergan, Ian McLoughlin, Trevor Carson and Republic of Ireland goalkeeping coach and former international Alan Kelly.

Former England manager Graham Taylor is lead ‘brand ambassador’ for the company which was established in 2005 and also has official partnerships with the Irish Football Association and the Football Association of Wales.

For further information on Precision Goalkeeping visit: www.precisiontraining.uk.com.

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