Andy Goram

Football player infobox
playername = Andy Goram
fullname = Andrew Lewis Goram
height =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1964|4|13
cityofbirth = Bury
countryofbirth = England
currentclub =
position = Goalkeeper (Retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1981–1987
1987–1991
1991–1998
1998
1998
1998–2001
2001
2001
2001–2002
2002
2002–2003
2003–2004
caps(goals) = 195 (0)
138 (1)
184 (0)
001 (0)
007 (0)
057 (0)
002 (0)
001 (0)
007 (0)
004 (0)
019 (0)
005 (0)
clubs = Oldham Athletic
Hibernian
Rangers
Notts County
Sheffield United
Motherwell
→ Manchester United (loan)
Hamilton Academical
Coventry City
Oldham Athletic
Queen of the South
Elgin City
nationalyears = 1985–1998
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 043 (0)

Andrew Lewis Goram (born April 13, 1964 in Bury, Lancashire, England) is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He started his career with Oldham Athletic and Hibernian, but he is best remembered for playing for Rangers during the 1990s, when he earned the monicker "The Goalie". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/2154195.stm The Goalie joins Queen of the South] , BBC Sport, 26 July 2002.] In 2001 he was voted Rangers' greatest ever goalkeeper by the Rangers fans.

After his time with Rangers he played for many clubs, most notably at Motherwell and a brief loan spell at Manchester United. Goram also represented Scotland at cricket. [Dick, William. [http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/cricket/display.var.2348060.0.Goram_answers_call_to_return_for_Freuchie.php Goram answers call to return for Freuchie] , The Herald, June 18 2008.]

Career

Goram joined Oldham Athletic as a teenager and spent seven years with the English club, winning his first Scotland caps and selection for the 1986 World Cup. In 1987, he moved to Hibernian, where his father had also been a goalkeeper, for a fee of £325,000. He was a great success at Hibs and achieved the remarkable feat of scoring a goal in a Premier Division match, against Morton.

He was sold to Rangers in 1991 for £1m and went on to help the club to win six of their nine Scottish League titles in a row between 1989 and 1997. He was also involved in Rangers' notable run in the European Cup in 1992-93, as they came within one point of reaching the final.

Goram was also an important player for the Scotland national team, winning 43 caps. He had a long-running rivalry with Jim Leighton for the goalkeeping position in the Scotland team. Craig Brown controversially selected Goram ahead of Leighton for Scotland's matches in Euro 96, despite the fact that Leighton had played in most of the qualifiers. Brown then selected Leighton for France 98, which prompted Goram to walk out of the squad completely. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/6501037.stm Goram recounts Scots walk-out] , BBC Sport, 27 March 2007.]

After it was reported in the press that Goram had a mild form of schizophrenia, fans responded with a chorus of "Two Andy Gorams, there's only two Andy Gorams". [ [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/turin2006/story/0,,1712472,00.html The Guardian] ] This chant quickly gained popularity, and became the title of a book documenting humorous football chants. ["Two Andy Gorams: The Funniest Football Songs Ever" (ISBN 1902927532).]

While playing for Dumfries club Queen of the South in 2002, he won the Scottish Challenge Cup. This made Goram the first player to collect a full set of winners medals from the four senior Scottish football competitions. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/2340231.stm BBC SPORT | Scotland | Queen of the South lift Bells Cup ] ]

Goram is now an after-dinner speaker and regularly attends Rangers' fan gatherings. He has also worked as a goalkeeping coach, joining Airdrie United in March 2006 and then Clyde in February 2008. [ [http://www.clydefc.co.uk/latestnews.cfm?id=2606 Goram comes in] , Clyde F.C..]

On 30 September 2008, Goram left Clyde, due to personal and business reasons. [ [http://www.clydefc.co.uk/news/2008/09/30/2885/ Andy Goram leaves the club] , Clyde F.C..]

Cricket

Also a cricketer, Goram represented the Scottish cricket team four times: twice (1989 and 1991) in the annual first-class game against Ireland and twice (again in 1989 and 1991) in the NatWest Trophy.

A left-handed batsman and right-arm medium-pace bowler, he never achieved any great success, his most significant act was probably to bowl England Test player Richard Blakey in a NatWest Trophy game against Yorkshire in 1989.

He was also a league cricketer, appearing as a wicket-keeper and batsman for various Oldham clubs in the Saddleworth League including Delph & Dobcross, Moorside and also [http://www.elpmcc.co.uk East Lancashire Paper Mill] in Radcliffe, Bury.

Recently Andy Goram has been making a cricketing comeback. [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES2/articles/000036/003629.shtml] , Scottish cricket.] He has played for Freuchie Cricket Club and their most recent match was against the Sussex Ladies.

References

*cite book| last=Jeffrey | first=Jim | title=The Men Who Made Hibernian F.C. since 1946 | publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2005 | isbn=0-7524-3091-2

Notes

External links

*SFA Profile|id=9623|name=Andy Goram