Kelleher leads Chris Ramsey Goalkeeper Day at Jersey Road

Kelleher leads Chris Ramsey Goalkeeper Day at Jersey Road

Brentford recently hosted its annual Goalkeeper Day at Jersey Road, with academy goalkeepers joining Caoimhín Kelleher and the other first-team keepers for an unforgettable day in memory of former head of academy goalkeeping Chris Ramsey.

Ramsey died in October 2025 following a battle with bowel cancer; however, he has left a lasting legacy through Goalkeeper Day.

The west Australian organised the first Goalkeeper Day at Jersey Road last year, in line with International Goalkeeper Day on 14 April.

Like in 2025, this year saw academy goalkeepers and parents welcomed to Robert Rowan Performance Centre, where they met Kelleher, Hákon Valdimarsson, Ellery Balcombe, Julian Eyestone and first-team goalkeeping coach Manuel Sotelo, observing a training session up close.

Roles were then reversed after a shared lunch, as the first-team goalkeepers observed an academy training session, with the Premier League players providing coaching and advice for the youngsters throughout.

The day finished with a Q&A, as the academy players picked the brains of their goalkeeper heroes, who shared their own stories of climbing through the ranks from grassroots to professional football.

Sotelo remembered Ramsey fondly and spoke about the impact he had on kick-starting the Goalkeeper Day tradition last year.

He said: “Chris was not just a work mate, he was my friend.

"Three years ago, we went through a process to hire the [Academy] goalkeeper coaches. Chris was one of the candidates and it was so clear and so easy to see that he had this aura.

“He was really big on creating this engagement with the Academy, so we were really happy to do it. It’s something that, along with the other goalkeeping coaches at the football club, we’re trying to keep this legacy.

'He was really big on creating this engagement with the Academy, so we were really happy to do it. It’s something that, along with the other goalkeeping coaches at the football club, we’re trying to keep this legacy'

“Spending the day with Caoimhín, Hákon, Ellery and Julian is pretty special. We could see the whole day how they were watching training, asking questions, it was a brilliant day.”

Brentford B goalkeeper Connor Wolfheimer has been on hand for both Goalkeeper Days across the past two years and highlighted the amazing opportunity afforded to the academy players.

“Last year and today have been amazing. It’s an incredible way to celebrate and honour what Chris did for the club while he was here… it’s a really nice way to carry on that legacy for years to come,” said Wolfheimer.

“When they’re standing there watching, I know exactly how they’re feeling. Back when I was that age, that’s the dream. You see all these players on TV and many of these children idolise Caoimhín, so to see him train has to be amazing for them.

“That’s why I think it’s such a great thing to bring into the club and wonderful to give them those opportunities.”

'It’s an incredible way to celebrate and honour what Chris did for the club while he was here… it’s a really nice way to carry on that legacy for years to come'

Wolfheimer had a special bond with Ramsey, with the pair linking up in the U18s ahead of the 2023/24 season, after Wolfheimer joined the club as a scholar while Ramsey took up the U18s goalkeeping coach position.

Their relationship goes even further back, however, to their brief spell together at Fulham.

“He was my first goalkeeper coach here, and when I was 14 years old and went to Fulham on trial, so I’ve known him for a long time and my family built a strong relationship with him,” said Wolfheimer.

“We grew a strong bond. I just remember training with me and Evan [Anderson], the group we had and the fun we had as well.

"The most important thing to him was if we enjoyed it while learning."