The Yugoslavian goalkeeper Petar Radenkovic hardly ever enters any discussion about all-time great goalkeepers, although he's considered a legend in Germany and probably also in the former Yugoslavia. While he was a very good goalkeeper what made him outstanding during his time were his forays deep into the opposing half which he regularly did. So I guess simply for that, he deserves a bit more recognition (if Rene Higuita still gets recognized today why not Radi Radenkovic?). And he was also a successful singer! Check out these two clips:
Great vids Greg. I was shocking seeing the pitch totally snow-covered in the 1st vid. ... and in the second one at 2:25, the player behind him almost falling from the stairs.
Snow-covered pitches were a regular sight on "the continent" up to the 1980s, especially in those parts not close to the sea, hence with a land-climate and freezy winters and leagues that had a August to May schedule (unlike Scandinavia or Russia). In the football magazines that I own from the 1960s, one can see that usually from November/December to February/March, the pitches were either covered with snow or were a muddy mess or - worst - frozen with ice and snow. The players today don't imagine what hardship it was to play roughly half of the season in these circumstances. Players never had it so good as they have it today! The player who almost fell from the stairs was Wilfried Kohlars, an graduate engineer by profession.
Snow covered pitches where common in Germany. The Temperature can be easily at -10C (14F) at the beginning of february. Now (since 2007/2008) undersoil heatings are obligatory in Bundesliga and 2. Liga. Still some games have to be cancelled in snowy weather cause the standings are dangerously icy, the parking lots can't be cleared sufficiently or the streets are not safe enough.