{"product_id":"9781801509510-tiny-keeper-steve-death-record-breaker-shy-genius-and-maverick","title":"Tiny Keeper","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteve Death, Record Breaker, Shy Genius and Maverick\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eTiny Keeper\u003c\/i\u003e is the extraordinary story of Steve Death, once the shortest goalkeeper in the Football League. He was good enough to keep Peter Shilton out of the England Schoolboys side, yet spent his career in Divisions Three and Four and became a lower-league legend. His league record of 12 consecutive clean sheets still stands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe extraordinary story of Steve Death, once the shortest goalkeeper in the Football League – at just 5ft 7in. He was good enough to keep Peter Shilton out of the England Schoolboys side, yet spent his career in Divisions Three and Four and became a lower-league legend.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tale of a shy genius, record-breaker and maverick covers:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeath’s time as part of the legendary West Ham United academy under Ron Greenwood when he trained and played alongside World Cup-winning trio Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Bobby Moore\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow only his lack of height stopped him playing at the highest level\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow he carved out a brilliant career in Divisions Three and Four, playing 537 games for Reading and winning Player of the Year four times, on the first occasion while still on loan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow in 1979 he set a Football League record for the longest run of clean sheets – that record still stands!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis modest life outside of football, living quietly with his family in a club house at the old Elm Park ground\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExclusive first-hand accounts from West Ham and Reading players, journalists, supporters and family members\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDescribed on his debut as ‘an insignificantly built bundle of daredevil energy’, Death played without gloves, caught crosses one-handed and saved penalties instinctively. His remarkable story provides a fascinating insight into the lost world of 1970s lower-league football.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41822961598561,"sku":"9781801509510","price":20.91,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_31622862_ae5c7002-fedf-4a01-952f-cc0900fb87a4.jpg?v=1744903424","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781801509510-tiny-keeper-steve-death-record-breaker-shy-genius-and-maverick","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}