Goalkeepers' Attire

Foulke- Bradford City

Doig- Sunderland*

Looking at pictures of 19th and early 20th century football matches one thing that is noticeable is that the goalkeepers wore the same colours as the outfield players. This must have led to considerable confusion during goalmouth scrambles.
It was decided at the annual meeting of the Football League in June 1909, that the goalkeeper must play in distinctive colours (they prescribed scarlet, royal blue, or white) in order to assist the referee. Royal (?) green was added in 1912. From June 1921 all goalkeepers in international matches were to wear jerseys of deep yellow.

Goalkeepers today might suffer the trials of wearing particularly lurid kit. In days gone by, with the selection of knitwear and headgear at their disposal, goalkeepers could emphasize their alleged eccentricity via their onfield attire.
Here are some great custodians who also happened to cut a spectacular dash:

 Ricardo Zamora (Spain)

Rudolf Hiden (Austria)

Leigh Richmond Roose (Wales)

Gianpierro Combi (Italy)

Elisha Scott (Ireland)

 Harry Linacre (Nottingham Forest)

Américo Tesoriere (Argentina)

* Many sources assert that wearing of gloves was pioneered in the 1950's and only became common in the 1970s. However, early images show goalkeepers from many lands wearing a selection of gloves, and surely not only for keeping their hands warm.

Américo Tesoriere

Football in the 1920s was not the glamorous sport that it is today. However, there will always be special people who stand out from those around them. Américo Tesoriere, who could have been from the imagination of Jean Cocteau, was such a man. He first kept goal for Boca Juniors as a 17 year old in 1916, and went on to play 184 times for the club, winning 5 league titles. Tesoriere was also capped 38 times by Argentina- winning the Copa America in 1921 and 1925.