Bill Naughton Quotes

“Goalkeeping was the main interest in Sim’s life. In his nursery days the one indoor pastime that satisfied him was when his mother kicked a rubber ball from the living-room into the kitchen, while Sim stood goal at the middle door. It was rare even then that he let one pass.”

“It was rare indeed that anyone could get a ball past him.”

″‘How’s it goin’, lad?′ she would say, giving sly slaps of apparent goodwill on various parts of the goalkeeper’s person. By this cunning form of greeting she had caught out a stream of employees who had been fiddling- having one pocket for Maggie and one for themselves.”

“From that night on Sim Dalt became famous as ‘The goalie Bob Thropper could never beat!’ The Arcade flourished. Sim got offers from many teams, including one from Hummerton club itself.”

“Sim looked at the man before him. ‘Centre-forwards,’ he remarked significantly, ‘I can buy ‘em an’ sell em’- or,′ he added, ‘I can at least sell ‘em.‘”