Alan Woodward
Encyclopedia
Alan Woodward was a professional footballer who played in the position of outside right for Sheffield United
over a 16 year period between 1962-1978.
Woodward or Woody as he was nicknamed, will be best remembered for his powerful shots. He was also dead-ball
specialist, especially effective with corners
, and scored directly from them on many occasions. Wearing the No.7 shirt; he possessed pace, power and skill and was a local lad who, it is often said, missed out on international recognition because of his temperament. He also played in the Sheffield United goal
to cover for injuries.
His first appearances for Sheffield United came in the their two County Cup (a regional competition for teams in South Yorkshire
) fixtures of season 1963-64
, against Rotherham United
in the semi-final and Barnsley
in the final. The County Cup competition was won by United
4-3 with Woodward scoring the first goal of the game and the first of his first team career.
His League debut came against Liverpool
at Anfield
on October 7, 1964 and his first goal came on October 31 against Leeds United at Elland Road
. He also scored 4 goals (including a penalty) in a 7-0 home victory against Ipswich Town
on November 27, 1971. He finally left United at the start of season 1978-79
, his final goal being a penalty against River Plate
of Argentina
, in order to play for the Tulsa Roughnecks
, where he was nicknamed "the Boomer" for his strong, high arching and accurate passes and shots on goal, in the North American Soccer League
.
He remains the Blades leading post-war
scorer and made a total of 536 league
appearances for United
.
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
over a 16 year period between 1962-1978.
Woodward or Woody as he was nicknamed, will be best remembered for his powerful shots. He was also dead-ball
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
specialist, especially effective with corners
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
, and scored directly from them on many occasions. Wearing the No.7 shirt; he possessed pace, power and skill and was a local lad who, it is often said, missed out on international recognition because of his temperament. He also played in the Sheffield United goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
to cover for injuries.
His first appearances for Sheffield United came in the their two County Cup (a regional competition for teams in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
) fixtures of season 1963-64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
, against Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
in the semi-final and Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in the final. The County Cup competition was won by United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
4-3 with Woodward scoring the first goal of the game and the first of his first team career.
His League debut came against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on October 7, 1964 and his first goal came on October 31 against Leeds United at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
. He also scored 4 goals (including a penalty) in a 7-0 home victory against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on November 27, 1971. He finally left United at the start of season 1978-79
1978-79 in English football
-FA Cup:Manchester United had seemingly pulled off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final to make the score 2–2 after being two goals down, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal lift the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline...
, his final goal being a penalty against River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, in order to play for the Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
, where he was nicknamed "the Boomer" for his strong, high arching and accurate passes and shots on goal, in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
.
He remains the Blades leading post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
scorer and made a total of 536 league
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
appearances for United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
Sheffield United Career
| Season | Division | League Apps (Sub) | League Goals | FA Cup Apps | FA Cup Goals | FL Cup Apps (Sub) | FL Cup Goals | Other Apps | Other Goals | Total Apps (Sub) | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1964–65 | One | 27 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 |
| 1965–66 | One | 23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 5 |
| 1966–67 | One | 41 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 4 (1) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 52 (1) | 15 |
| 1967–68 | One | 32 (1) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 (2) | 8 |
| 1968–69 | Two | 42 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 12 |
| 1969–70 | Two | 42 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 22 |
| 1970–71 | Two | 42 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 49 | 16 |
| 1971–72 | One | 39 (1) | 15 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 46 (1) | 21 |
| 1972–73 | One | 39 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 49 | 13 |
| 1973–74 | One | 42 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 18 |
| 1974–75 | One | 42 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 51 | 15 |
| 1975–76 | One | 41 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 51 | 15 |
| 1976–77 | Two | 40 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 10 |
| 1977–78 | Two | 39 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 12 |
| 1978–79 | Two | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Total | 536 (2) | 158 | 25 | 3 | 30 (2) | 14 | 48 | 16 | 639 (4) | 191 | |