Is Goalkeeping Hazardous to Your Hairline?
My father is a bit obsessed with hair, or more specifically, the lack of it. Normally, his obsession revolves around politicians, their lovely locks or bald noggin, and its effect on their chances of being elected. Something along the lines of, “John Edwards has to do well. Just look at that hair!” or “Rudy Giuliani can’t get the Republican nomination – he’s going bald!”
But recently he took his follicle interest in a different direction and asked me a question: Why is it that all American goalkeepers are bald? This was just after the United States’ third game in the Copa America, in which Brad Guzan had been given his competitive debut in the net. As my father pointed out, Guzan is relatively young (24) to be losing his hair.
A small picture, but notice Brad Guzan’s hair thinning on top
Is there something about being a goalkeeper that makes people lose their hair? Nearly all of the American goalkeepers in recent memory have been a bit shiny on top (except you Tony Meola, long live the mullet you sported at the 1990 World Cup).
(R to L): Howard, Keller, Friedel (and Robbie Savage)
But is this true of goalkeepers worldwide? Certainly, there are many examples of bald goalies around the world. Two examples:
Former Chelsea and Holland goalkeeper Ed de Goey (L) and Marcos of Brazil
In contrast, how many balding field players can you name? Zidane, of course (and Danny Dichio). The Little Buddha, Ivan de la Peña, also comes to mind, but I’m not convinced that his baldness is natural. Same goes for Thomas Gravesen, Roberto Carlos, Thierry Henry and many more who have razor-enhanced shiny coconuts.
In this supremely unscientific survey, there do seem to be more bald goalkeepers than field players. Why might this be?
My dad wondered whether the stress of being a goalkeeper causes hair loss. There is some evidence to support the view that stress causes baldness, including the work of Mayo Clinic doctor Daniel Hall-Flavin and a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (get your subscriptions today!).
But soccer does provide some evidence against position-specific stress as the main factor responsible for causing baldness. Just think about Jens Lehmann. If anyone should have gone bald from stress, it is surely Arsenal’s German goalkeeper. Every time Lehmann is touched, he freaks out and yells at the aggressor and referee he thinks are ignoring his plight. But he’s got a full head of hair.
And the Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel was known for stressing himself out over every mistake by his defenders (his stress usually manifested itself in him yelling at said defenders). But Schmeichel, too, has that beautifully spiked Nordic hairdo to this day.
What do you think? Is my dad right? Are there more bald goalkeepers? Is the stress associated with being a goalkeeper the reason so many players in this position go bald? As you can tell, my interest in this topic is not backed by much scientific evidence, so don’t feel obligated to constrain yourself in this way.
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July 16th, 2007 23:59
Great blog — I wish I had an answer for the balding-keepers thing, but it does seem to be a requirement, at least for the US. (And as a Liverpool fan, I’ll add Pepe Reina to your bald keepers list, and he’s Guzan’s age.
July 17th, 2007 02:40
I think the problem is more specifically with keepers from the US. Most of the keepers from England and Spain (except Pepe Reina perhaps) are capable of sporting a headful of hair.
July 17th, 2007 08:32
Well, Lehmann’s hair isn’t entirely all there…if you watch as many Arsenal games as I do, the bald spot in the back is visible and looks to be growing. But then again, he’s of an age when that normally happens to people, goalkeepers or not.
July 17th, 2007 11:00
[...] Become a keeper, save money on haircuts (Culture of Soccer) [...]
July 17th, 2007 12:17
Louis – You’re right. Now that I think about it, Lehmann is going a bit bald. And I think you also have a good point that because goalkeepers play longer than field players typically do, they are more likely to go bald while still playing.
July 17th, 2007 12:45
Kahn, though, continues to somewhat resemble a blond gorilla and sports a full head of hair. And Timo Hildebrand’s hair is commercial-worthy. He’s younger, though. As far as field players…I’m convinced that Freddie Ljungberg started shaving by choice before it all went away by nature. Not that it doesn’t look fantastic on him, of course.
July 18th, 2007 19:25
The lack of hair probably comes from a lack of marbles. Nowhere on the pitch are mind games more involved than inside the box. You have to be a bit crazy to be a keeper…
July 19th, 2007 02:17
I’ve got the answer: bald guys have the most skills and thus are more able to hold down the #1 important position. Problem solved, glad I could help. Next bday gift though, family and freinds please get a subscription to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. You have to love this blog. Keep it up DK!
July 19th, 2007 17:20
How about Arjen Robben? He’s only 21 or something and will be bald in about three weeks at the rate his hair is thinning!
November 15th, 2007 13:38
Yeh. Absolutely right. The thought has been passing under my own balding scalp for some time. My preferred position is in net. But more than that, taking the 10-1 ratio into account, there is a far higher proportion of bald professional goalkeepers than outfield players. God knows why. There appears to be no good explanation for it (and stress is no answer, its already proven that although an established connection to hair loss, has no relation to male pattern baldness)
I believe that the revenues that go into British football should be invested completely into researching the answer.
Now, to the tune of Hey Macarena, altogether now “He’s big and he’s bald and he’s called Pepe Reina, he’s big and he’s bald and he’s called Pepe Reina, he’s big and he’s bald and he’s called Pepe Reina, heeeeeyy Pepe Reina – ayiee”
November 15th, 2007 13:57
By the way, how come nobody mentioned Barthez, really the most famous of all baldy goalies?
Is it because he’s a former manc and therefore doesn’t deserve a mention in any context?
I agree fully, let’s forget about him, he doesn’t count.