Widely accepted, Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at home to secure the Premier League championship, and 32 year old goalkeeper Alisson also welcomed a moment worth recording. Since Manchester United's Schmeichel in 1999, Alisson is the first goalkeeper to wear the Leitch gloves in the English Premier League. Leitch is one of the brands with a long history of manufacturing goalkeeper gloves. In 1973, they collaborated with goalkeeper Mayer of the Federal German team to create the world's first latex gloves. In the 1974 World Cup, the Federal Republic of Germany won the championship, and Mayer's outstanding performance quickly made latex gloves popular.
The popularization of goalkeeper gloves took nearly 100 years. In 1885, a British manufacturer named Sikes designed a leather glove for goalkeepers, which was the earliest known patented glove design. But for a long time, the usage rate of football goalkeeper gloves was not high. Some goalkeepers wear rubber gardening gloves on the field, while others choose warm wool gloves in winter. In world football, the earliest goalkeeper to use gloves was Argentine Carrizo, who played more than 500 times for River Plate from 1945 to 1968.
In 1966, Banksy wore gloves and helped the England team win the World Cup. It is said that he is very thrifty, putting away the old gloves used in competitions and using them again when planting flowers. At the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Banksy wore an experimental pair of gloves with rubber bumps on the palms. With these gloves, he made a famous save, blocking the shot of Brazilian striker Pele. After the 1974 World Cup, latex gloves became popular. By the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, only Scotland goalkeeper Ralph did not wear gloves.
The technical content and aesthetic level of goalkeeper gloves are constantly improving. The bulky design that didn't fit the hand shape of the 1980s and 1990s has become a distant memory. Nowadays, top goalkeepers wear gloves that are very lightweight and can be called second skin, customized according to the shape of their hands. Whether smearing strange things on gloves or using a new pair of gloves every game, goalkeepers nowadays cannot do without gloves.
Technical support
The fabric used for goalkeeper gloves is generally mesh and rubber, which can be mass-produced at a lower cost. The gloves used by top goalkeepers emphasize ergonomics and are made of materials such as chloroprene rubber used in diving suits, making them expensive. The common design of goalkeeper gloves also includes Velcro wristbands, but many glove manufacturers prefer a wristband free design to help goalkeepers better control the ball. Breathable holes are becoming a popular design that helps reduce hand sweating. The hitting surface of gloves has been a focus of design innovation in recent years. When the Italian team won the 2020 European Championship, goalkeeper Donnarumma wore gloves with nearly 300 spikes on the back. Canadian women's football goalkeeper Burns, who plays for Nantes in France, said: 'This is a specific design that is said to improve hitting ability. If you want to hit the ball in some way, it will be helpful.' Even with the most expensive gloves, goalkeepers often find a decrease in glove grip after using them for a month. Glove manufacturer Fidler said, "This situation is very common. Schmeichel wears out 50-60 pairs of gloves in a season. Some goalkeepers also wear training gloves, so the number will be even higher." Wellington goalkeeper Ashton said, "Good gloves are too expensive, most brands have to be replaced in less than a month. Even the most frugal goalkeepers have to replace eight or nine pairs a year." 26 year old Durham women's football goalkeeper Foster said, "I clean the gloves after every training and every game, but when playing on artificial turf, the gloves will be worn out faster." Sponsors provide free gloves to goalkeepers, and they can handle them as they want. It is part of the sponsorship agreement. Normally, goalkeepers would sign their used gloves and throw them to fans or give them to friends and family. Foster said, "Most goalkeepers give old gloves to young fans. If it can motivate even one person to become a goalkeeper, then I am willing to do so. Our industry is not very attractive, we have to constantly persuade people to try it out." In 2016, former England women's football goalkeeper Telford teamed up with sportswear brands to design goalkeeper gloves suitable for women. Its advantage is that it has a better fit with the female palm and fingers, and has a better hand feel when attacking. But nearly a decade has passed, and most female football goalkeepers still wear smaller men's gloves to play. Foster is also in talks with a brand to design gloves for female goalkeepers. She said, "Most goalkeeper gloves are universal, but women's goalkeepers have smaller hands and it's difficult to find suitable gloves. We have had a lot of discussions about this." Some goalkeepers like to wear smaller gloves to ensure fit, but for women's goalkeepers, finding gloves that fit their hands is still a challenge.
Safety is another key factor in glove innovation. Adidas explores how gloves can protect goalkeeper fingers from excessive stretching and has introduced a technology that incorporates padding into the gloves to reduce the impact on fingers during saves. Canadian women's football goalkeeper Burns said, "This technique can prevent finger injuries during saves. In the past, I used to wrap my wrists and fingers with tape, not for the purpose of injury protection, just a bit superstitious." There are various styles of gloves, and goalkeepers have their own preferences. Retired Swedish goalkeeper Pizdrovsky said, "I remember the first time I put on latex gloves, I was stunned. I felt like the contact area had increased, allowing me to better catch and control the ball." When a goalkeeper rushes into a group of players trying to hit or catch the ball, they may get injured, which requires the goalkeeper to wear specially improved gloves. Southampton goalkeeper Ramsdale wore gloves with only four fingers in December last year. Former England goalkeeper Green revealed that in the last decade of his career, his right little finger lost consciousness due to repeated fractures and dislocations, so he wore a mesh glove to adapt to this situation.
In order to improve their game performance, some goalkeepers wear frictionless gloves during training. Glove manufacturer Mark Robinson said, "This is a glove that makes training more difficult. Take it off and put on the game gloves, and you will feel much more relaxed. This glove can increase the goalkeeper's error rate during training, establish a more positive relationship with setbacks, and help them quickly recover from the frustration of conceding goals." Burns said, "This forces goalkeepers to believe in their hands, improve their hand skills, and have more confidence in their ability to receive the ball
