It's best being a striker. If you miss five then score the winner, you're a hero. The goalkeeper can play a blinder, then let one in… and he's a villain.
- Ian Rush

Goalkeepers need an element of insanity.
- Oliver Kahn.

Herne Bay have had fifteen (plus Sam Hasler) players between the sticks in their nearly eight season tenure in the Isthmian League.

Promotion from the Kent League in 2011/12 had been achieved with Dan Eason as No.1. and Bradley Ashmore in the wings.

Eason continued for 2012/13, Bay’s first season at Step Four and Ashmore had moved on to Sittingbourne. Reserve keeper Juan Miguel Figueroa was in goal for the 1-5 Isthmian League Cup defeat at Dulwich Hamlet in November 2012. At the beginning of 2013 Eason decided that he needed a new challenge elsewhere and joined Hythe Town. He has since played for Ashford United and Whitstable Town. In came Rob French, previously with Ebbsfleet, Faversham and Whitstable. Injury to French gave an opportunity for Luke Prentice. Prentice had held the County U18 jersey for a record three seasons and had been a regular for the Reserves for two campaigns. With both French and Prentice injured Gillingham loaned Bay Luke Nalder. He was not a success and Prentice returned for the rest of the campaign.

For 2013/14 Sam Denly had replaced Simon Halsey as manager and he brought in Jack Delo, from Folkestone Invicta. Delo had previously played for Herne Bay between 2003/04 and 2007/08, making 195 appearances. He won the Man of the Match award for the Charlton Athletic Academy side against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup Semi-Final in May 2003. Delo played in all but one game, where Prentice came in. Following Delo’s sending off in the closing stages at Sittingbourne on 26/10/2013, for bringing down an opponent in the penalty area, Sam Hasler took the gloves and immediately conceded the spot kick.

Young prospect Ben Kitcherside was put on a contract for the start of the 2014/15 season. Kitcherside made four league and two cup appearances with Delo in goal for the rest of the 42 league and 4 cup games. The Isthmian League Cup match at Maidstone United will long be remembered for the wrong reasons. Schoolboy goalkeeper Kitcherside was on the receiving end of foul abuse for almost the entire match from elements of the Maidstone crowd whilst the paid stewards looked on, and to make matters worse Bay were charged for their portion of the inept stewarding. Kitcherside had played for Kent Schools in their victory over Essex Schools in the National Schools Final in March 2014 and won the Kent Youth League Premier Division title with the Under 18s the same season.

2015/16 saw ex-Crystal Palace Under 18s goalkeeper Brad Comins join from Maidstone as understudy to Delo, after teenager Kitcherside’s move to Whitstable Town. Delo was ever-present in all 46 league and 12 cup matches and Comins was restricted to one outfield appearance in pre-season. Delo won the Isthmian League Division One South Golden Gloves award in November 2015. He kept a clean sheet for 641 minutes until ex-Bay favourite Steven Ita scored for Sittingbourne on 08/12/2015.

Delo struggled with injury towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign with Toby Wood becoming his stand-in. Wood had represented Crystal Palace and Bromley at Under 16 level before moving onto Faversham Town and playing for their Under 18s and Under 21s. Wood was sent off just before half-time at Faversham Town on 29/08/2016 at which time he had conceded four goals. Delo came on as substitute and let in a further two. Delo made his 400th (and last) appearance for Herne Bay at home to Ramsgate on 17/04/2017, despite carrying a knock, and with Wood also injured Under 16s keeper Scott Banks was on the bench.

With manager Sam Denly leaving, along with Delo and the rest of the squad, Herne Bay appointed Jermaine Darlington and John Embery as joint-managers for 2017/18. They brought with them Kent Under 18 goalkeeper Tom Carey but required someone with more experience to take the No1. jersey. Rob Budd fitted that bill. He had played for Southend, Concord, Redbridge and Ilford, where he made 122 appearances over four seasons. He joined Thamesmead Town for 2012/13 where he saved three penalties in a shoot-out that helped Thamesmead win promotion to the Ryman Premier in the play-off final against Maldon & Tiptree. Budd was also voted Ryman League North goalkeeper of the season. He left in June 2015 and signed for VCD Athletic making 27 league appearances. He joined AFC Hornchurch for 2016/17 but his appearances were limited through injury. In the first pre-season match at home to Folkestone Invicta, and after producing some top draw saves, it was obvious that he was suffering some discomfort, and was replaced by Carey. Budd had suffered a break to his hand and that was effectively the end of his Herne Bay career, although he did make one appearance, at home to Margate, in the Kent Senior Cup in September 2017.

Back to the drawing board. Former Dagenham & Redbridge keeper Tyler McCarthy (now with Whyteleafe) and Rhys Hughes both trialled but failed to make the grade and then Ben Hunter made contact. He had previously been with Glasshoughton, Yorkshire Amateur and Selby Town and signed for Garforth Town in March 2014. He was Garforth Town’s long-serving goalkeeper and Supporters’ player of the Year for 2014/15. He left to join Ossett Town on dual-registration terms in February 2016 before moving south for his work. His superb performances during the season won him three Herne Bay FC Supporters’ Association Man of the Match awards and the Managers’ and Supporters’ Player of the Season accolades. Jordan Carey had played for Ramsgate at Winch’s Field and 33 days later returned, this time in Bay’s colours, with Hunter unavailable due to work commitments. Carey had become an internet sensation when a video of him headbutting the post after conceding a goal went viral. He smashed his forehead several times against the upright after letting one in for Cray Valley PM against Ashford United in a Southern Counties East League Premier Division clash in March 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpT0rrIgVqg On 31/03/2018 Carey started at VCD Athletic but in the 58th minute went down with a knee injury. For the first time this season there was a recognised goalkeeper on the bench in the form of Hunter. Carey had conceded two goals at that stage and Hunter went on to keep a clean sheet for the rest of the match and retained the jersey for the remainder of the campaign.

Onto the second season under Darlington and Embery in 2018/19 and the pre-season injury jinx struck again. At home to Tonbridge Angels Hunter was carried off with a knee injury with 17-year-old Hayden Chippen taking his place. Jordan Carey had left to join Greenwich Borough and Herne Bay were facing a goalkeeping crisis with Hunter needing an MRI scan. 21-year-old Ryan Nicholls, second choice stopper for Dartford and previously with Chatham Town and Hastings United, trialled against Brentwood Town, with Budd in goal for Brentwood. Against Folkestone Invicta Bay had no goalkeeper so Invicta loaned their second-choice Nick Shaw. Development keeper Harry Earls was a prospect, but he was probably not quite ready to take the number one spot, although he went on to make two Kent Senior Cup appearances and won the Supporters’ Association Man of the Match award against Gillingham.

For the season’s opener at Faversham Town Louie Catherall joined on loan from Gillingham for a month, it was his only appearance. Herne Bay then signed 20-year-old goalkeeper Jordan Beeney. The son of former Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Mark Beeney, Jordan had progressed through the Addicks’ ranks since joining the club from Chelsea in 2014. In 2016/17, he made the step up to the U23s, helping them to the PDL2 South crown and also gained senior experience at Greenwich Borough. He had played twice for Dartford whilst on loan the previous season. He had been released by Charlton from his four-year contract and he became Bay’s first choice keeper. Simon Overland had been a thorn in Herne Bay’s side when playing for both Faversham Town and Sittingbourne putting in some great performances and in October 2018 Overland was brought in to challenge for the keeper’s jersey and by the end of November had made it his own.

Ben Hunter was always going to be a tough act to follow but the Herne Bay faithful have taken Simon Overland to their hearts and barring injury will prove to be an excellent addition to the team for the rest of the season.