At the height of festival season, we look at the goalkeepers and musicians with intertwining abilities…
Header Image: via the Daily Mail.
Just like that, the summer of football is over, as the European Championships and Copa America reached their dramatic climaxes.
Spain and Argentina lifted the trophies and, finally, the world’s top players can turn their attentions to rest and relaxation for a short period, before jumping back into pre-season.
Thankfully, it is also the height of music festival season, offering players the chance to lose themselves, if they are that way inclined. It’s quite easy to imagine England’s Jordan Pickford dancing the night away to techno beats in a muddy field somewhere in England, for example.
But what about those goalkeepers who are more musically talented? The natural-born performers who would rather be on the stage making the music, than in the mud dancing to it. Looking back through history, there has actually been quite a rich seam of music produced by goalkeepers who have swapped the gloves for the microphone, and the football pitch for the recording studio.
With that in mind, here is a look at some of the goalkeepers who have had a musical career. Here’s the line-up for “Glovestonbury” in 2024.
Joel Bats – France International & Performer on the Spoken Word Stage
Football has always been blessed with great enigmas, and Bats certainly falls into that category. Famous for his bouffant hair, Bats was instrumental in France’s glorious run to the 1984 European Championship title, producing two spectacular saves in extra time of France’s semi-final win over Portugal.
On the verge of the final, he briefly went missing as he took a fishing trip to de-stress before the big game. However, angling wasn’t his only way of distracting himself before a big game. Bats had a budding musical talent and a love of puns that I wholeheartedly approve of. In 1986, he released an album titled “Gardien de tes Nuits”, or “Keeper of your Nights” in English. The album is a collection of Bats’ poetry set to music.
The songs are everything you would want them to be. There is a brilliant performance of the song from French TV in which Bats performs his song, just a goalkeeper, a microphone and a synth player in perfect harmony. Meanwhile, his bewildered French teammates, all in the same suit as Bats, look on bewildered.
By contrast, his other hit is a children’s song about a snail called, L’Escargot, which is equally brilliant for different reasons. This is the perfect Saturday lunchtime fayre for Glovestonbury, when you’re walking around in a daze from last night’s excesses, and all you need is the soothing voice of a French goalkeeper to ease you back into the day.
Andile Dlamini – Women’s African Cup of Nations Winner, performing a secret set
Now Bats has soothed your soul with his synth-pop, you head to a side tent for a secret set, and discover that South Africa’s women’s keeper, and winner of the Women’s African Cup of Nations, Andile Dlamini is the much talked about performer.
Dlamini’s exploits on the field are already well known, as she has built a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the women’s game. However, her musical talents were hidden away, figuratively and literally, until she was revealed as one of the star’s appearing on South Africa’s version of The Masked Singer.
Two of Dlamini’s team-mates were unable to recognise her heavenly tones and received the shock of their lives when she was unmasked on the show. Dlamini has discussed furthering her musical career once her football career comes to an end after lighting up the show, so catching her secret set at Glovestonbury will be a real “I was there” moment.
Julio Iglesias – Latin Grammy winner and former Real Madrid goalkeeper
There were a few candidates for the legends slot, as there are a surprising number of talented young goalkeeping prospects who have gone on to make their name as a musician. Nicky Byrne of Westlife came close, having spent time as a goalkeeper in the Leeds United academy as a youngster. But when asked about performing a solo slot at Glovestonbury, he said he would be flying without wings without his bandmates and declined.
Thankfully, Latin Grammy winner, Julio Iglesias was ready on the subs bench to step up and fill Byrne’s gloves. Iglesias was one of the biggest recording artists of the 20th century, but also had a spell in the Real Madrid youth academy before a serious car accident left him unable to walk for two years.
One of his nurses gave him a guitar to help rehabilitate his fingers and the rest is history.
One legend that sadly is no longer with us, Luciano Pavarotti, would have also made an excellent contender for this role. The Italian tenor had a childhood dream of becoming a goalkeeper according to various sources.
Headline act – The Golden Gloves
By now, the sun is setting on another successful Glovestonbury and you’ve fought your way to the front of the crowd, which from on stage looks like the free-kick wall of dreams for the performing goalkeepers.
For one last surprise, the organisers have arranged a supergroup of three of the greats of the modern era to perform. Imagine if the Jam had worn football kits rather than Burton suits and you’re in the right ballpark.
On the drums is Petr “Mic” Cech, the former Chelsea and Arsenal legend. Cech is something of a polymath figure having tried his hand at ice hockey after his football career ended. But anyone who follows him on Instagram knows that Cech is also a talented drummer, who regularly posts of him behind the kit. He is the perfect drummer to keep the group in check.
On the guitar and vocals is Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, who is another talented musician. Not happy with winning the league and Champions League, he also collaborated with local musician Jamie Webster on a rendition of Allez, Allez, Allez, playing the guitar.
Finally, adding a final edge to the group is the Great Dane, Peter Schmeichel, who brings all of the presence he showed in the penalty box to the stage. Schmeichel recently admitted in an interview that he had joined a rock band in his 60s to fulfil one of his life’s ambitions and was working with a group of professional musicians. Now he gets to bellow at an adoring crowd, rather than a terrified back four.
