IT CAN prove rather easy to achieve legend status in the fickle old game of football. A penalty save, a last-minute winner, a wonder-strike or otherwise will, undoubtedly, make you the toast of the terrace. What can prove difficult, however, is retaining your prominence with the fans.
Plenty of former greats have returned to work for their ex-clubs, going on to reaffirm the supporters' affection, achieve further success or, in some cases, detract from their initial popularity. But few have enjoyed as grand a bond with their side as Mick Kearns.
Saddlers' stopper for the best part of a decade in two spells during the 1970s and 80s, Mick remains an integral figure at the Banks's Stadium as community project manager and goalkeeping coach.
"I am goalkeeping coach and the community project manager - I have been doing the latter for over 20 years," he said. "We work with the local community, whether its children or adults, in trying to get people interested in the football club, but that's not the main priority.
"We also work in schools - in almost a quarter of the schools in Walsall - and try to get the kids interested in sport and in football, and, hopefully of a consequence of that, they become supporters and follow Walsall Football Club."
Not solely implemented in schools, Mick's community team also run a course during school holidays and are involved in a number of other schemes throughout the local area. "Our philosophy, and the way that I drive my staff, is that the children are the most important people in anything that we do.," he added. "If they are involved in any activity, be it at school, a Saturday club or soccer school, we want them to leave with a smile on their face so that they are looking forward to coming back the next day or the next week.
"It's all about putting on credible sessions in a safe environment that parents can be happy with what we are trying to do for them."
A former Irish international, Mick was raised in Banbury and began his career with Oxford United before making close to 300 appearances for Walsall either side of a spell with Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. Unlike many professionals, who often finish a career near to their hometown, Mick never returned to Oxfordshire having settled in the area.
He described the main differences between his experiences as a youngster and that of kids, outlining the importance of Walsall's community project and the difficulty in spotting a potential goalkeeping great. "I was brought up in Banbury but was fortunate enough to come to Aldridge and made some really good friends here. I think that is one of the main reasons why I settled in Walsall.
"In my day, you didn't have Leagues like you do today for children and you used to play matches against other areas of the town.
"We weren't part of organised teams and clubs didn't have centres of excellence or academies, so kids just got better at football through their own devices really.
"It isn't easy to spot a goalkeeper at a young age. All I look at in younger goalkeepers is how good their technique is and how easy they find catching the ball.
"I know that sounds a very obvious thing to say but as they get older, people judge goalkeepers mainly on size. I don't personally look at it like that.
"You can be 7ft 10ins and not be able to catch a ball but, at the end of the day, it's all about having the ability to keep the ball out of the net."
Mick is a firm believer that, in order to succeed, goalkeepers require a stronger character than any other player. A striker, for example, may miss an open goal but has the full 90 minutes to run around and make up for it. If a goalkeeper makes an error, there is every chance they will not see the ball again for another 15 minutes and, consequently, Mick highlights confidence and resilience as two of the most important attributes between the sticks.
Working closely with Chris Hutchings and Martin O'Connor as goalkeeping coach, Mick gives advice the manager but insists he has no control over selection.
The 59-year-old also, unequivocally experienced as a 'keeper, explains the importance of a clean sheet. "Not conceding is all goalkeepers think about," he said without hesitation. "You go out there and you've got a clean sheet to start with, and if you finish that game without letting a goal in, it could be similar to an outfield player scoring a hat-trick.
"It may not fill you with as much joy as that, perhaps, but that is all you strive for when you go out onto the pitch, to have a clean sheet."
Mick, who believes that Walsall's community project is a hugely important social tool, hopes that the side can also benefit from offering coaching to local youngsters. In the past 12 months, the club has introduced a talented and gifted group to the coaching scheme, which serves as a feeder session to the centre of excellence and enables the courses to continue welcoming youngsters of any ability. "What we work on is not just the children with lots of talent - it's any child.
"The talented and gifted group can then benefit the club as it allows children we see with a real aptitude to develop within there before we then recommend them to the centres of excellence.
"There have been quite a few players signed through the group."
Mick, who takes great pleasure in seeing anyone involved with the community scheme enjoying sessions and leaving with a smile on their face, is eager to merge his two roles at Walsall and bring a young goalkeeper through the ranks and into the first team.
A keen golfer, he concluded with his hopes for the future of the club. "I've been a goalkeeping coach with Walsall for a long period of time and the biggest disappointment for me is that we haven't had a young goalkeeper come through to establish themselves as a first-team goalkeeper.
"The nearest we've got at the moment is Rene Gilmartin, who I have high hopes for. He is still very raw at the moment but he is improving all the time and has got the dedication to want to do it.
"When you are running a football club, you have got to do that best you can. I always think that Walsall have over-achieved in a way, when they got into The Championship and did really well under Ray Graydon and Collin Lee.
"But I still think, with Walsall Football Club, that your hopes and aspirations at the beginning of every season should be a minimum of the play-offs."
SHAUN STAFF
