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The Ex-Files : 35 yards??? Ha
By Nathan Jackson February 15 2007
Walsall midfielder Dean Keates was just a Lincoln player for 7 short months, but in that time he became a crowd favourite. In his time here, he broke a 5 year jinx by scoring a great free kick at Rushden, following that up with beautiful goals against Peterborough United and Bury.

The midfielder, who stands at a measley 5ft 6 inches, makes up for his lack of height with an abundance of skill and willingness to get stuck in. Dean is full of energy and even just a second too long on the ball for the opposition and there will be Keates about to challenge for the ball. It was very refreshing to see a midfielder who is so willing to get stuck in after the sometimes half-hearted attempts of Peter Gain who left the Imps during the summer of 2005.

Keates, like his fellow former teammate Gary Birch, joined City in that summer from Kidderminster Harriers and also played together at Walsall. Harriers fans, including my friend Scott, were distraught to see the player allowed to leave on a free transfer and apparantly, there was no fight at the Aggborough end to keep him.

Keates' performance against Rushden in the beginning of the 2005/6 season, resulted in something that wasn't seen for a very long time for City fans. It was the first time under Keith Alexander tenure that we scored directly from a free kick in the league. It was the first of it's kind since Kingsley Black's 86th minute effort against Exeter in March 2001. The only other goal City had scored directly from a free kick under Keith Alexander was from Adam Buckley in the LDV Vans Trophy against Shrewsbury Town.

Keates, who used to play for City's local rivals, Hull City said that goal ranked right up their with the best he's ever scored and I spoke to him before the game against Carlisle in the 05/06 season and he had this to say:

"It was a screamer wasn't it? I can't recall scoring a better goal and despite it only earning us a point, I am pleased to have got my first of hopefully many goals for the Imps."

When I informed him of being the first goalscorer direct from a free-kick, he was incredibly surprised.

"Seriously? Wow, that's something surprising, especially when you consider how many goals the club have scored from set pieces in the last few seasons"

As all my friends know, I was incredibly excited by the signing of Keates, a player who had impressed me everytime we'd played against him and he looked like he could play at a considerably higher level than League 2.

Dean started his career for his home-town club of Walsall and he played 159 league games for the club between 1995 and 2002 before leaving for Hull City in the summer before the 2002/3 season. He was rated by many as the best midfielder in the division but that didn't save his Hull career after an injury ended his Hull career and he was sold to Kidderminster in early 2004 after 50 league games for the Tigers. At Kidderminster, Keates was the proverbial big fish (no pun intended) in a small pond and he often outshone the rest of the squad and in his 49 league games for the Harriers, he scored an impressive 7 goals before moving onto Sincil Bank during the summer.

Keates, who was one of 12 players to join the club in the 2005/6 pre-season, said he jumped at the chance to join the Imps.

"Kidderminster had just got relegated and as soon as I heard about Lincoln's interest there was only one place I really wanted to go. I had a great rapport with the fans at Aggborough but the chance to continue playing in the football league was too good to turn down"

Just a few short weeks after the game against Rushden, Keates scored a brilliant bicycle kick against Peterborough. 2 weeks later and he scored what is quite possibly my favourite ever goal that City have scored. City were drawing 0-0 at a stubborn Bury side that had been second best all game. A foul on Mayo gave City a free kick roughly 35 yards out, and to say that Keates hit it with power would be an understandment. The ball sailed over the Walsall, and left the goalkeeper clutching air as the free kick thundered past him.

As the season entered the middle region of January however, the problems started for Dean as personal problems forced him to leave the club by mutual consent. He re-signed for former club Walsall within just hours of leaving Sincil Bank. It seems almost ironic that him leaving Sincil Bank seemed to coincide with Lee Frecklington's emergence into a first team player, so much so that he described Frecklington as a fantastic prospect.

It also seems ironic that as soon as he left City, the club's form picked up whilst Walsall's suddenly collapsed. The Imps finished in the Playoffs whilst Walsall had turned from a side with a outside chance of the playoffs, to a side that got relegated. He was however made Captain though because of his whole-hearted displays. He has also been rated as many Walsall fans as one of the main reasons that the Saddler's have succeeded last season.

Keates helped Walsall gain promotion last season but surprisingly joined Peterborough United back in the 2007/8 season.

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