The goalkeepers' union, headed up by Bob Wilson, the much respected keeper and coach, has cited the new ball used this season in the Premiership as favouring the outfield players and not the keepers.

But really, has it ever been any different?

Some may remember the heavy leather-panelled ball with the bladder inserted and the laces which could bring tears to the eyes of even the strongest of men.

It was eventually replaced by the all-in-one ball which was supposed to fly quicker through the air.

All I know is that the brilliance of players like Brazil's Garrincha could make the ball dip and swerve no matter what it was made of, or how heavy it was with the rain.

And having worked with Peter Shilton on a day-to-day basis, I tend to think that it is really about hard work in training.

Bob Wilson never allowed his keepers to punch the ball. His theory was always to catch it.

Shilton, like the Tiger Woods' of this world, would work just as hard on the one occasion which might crop up as the things he always knew would happen in a game.

He was an obsessive by nature. He worked endless hours at his craft and was never the first to leave the training pitch, even though when he came to me his career already established. He was a great example to younger players.

I remember when we were working on free-kicks asking him what was the most difficult one to defend. He explained it was the one which is taken from a wide position with the player's opposite foot.

In other words, a right-footed cross from the left wing or vice-versa which would be about waist high and whipped in towards the far corner of the goal.

It made it difficult for the keeper to know whether to come or not with bodies of players rushing across the line of the ball.

I always remembered this and, in fact, when I did the first training session on Alan Ball's return to the club as manager, I pointed it out to the players and asked Matt Le Tissier, who could use either foot, to take free-kicks from either side.

We went off to Newcastle and Matt took one of those sort of free-kicks in first half which beat the whole rush of outrunning defenders and forced the Newcastle keeper to scramble the ball away for a corner, from which Neil Maddison scored.

And the points gained in that win helped set us along the road to recovery.

So while I sympathise with the modern keeper - undoubtedly the new Nike ball is lighter - they should take the Shilton route and work that bit harder to get used to it.

Things never change really and managers will agree that to succeed it's good to have goalscorers, but you have to have a top class number one as well.