Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Thanks to Matthew Bell of Flashing Blade for sending me the attachment of the feature I did for Flashing Blade in around 2002. I will copy and paste each season per page so that you can read about Woody's goals and assists in one particular season you enjoyed in one page rather than having to read the whole lot in one page.
Having watched the Blades regularly since 1970 it was a real privilege seeing many of Alan Woodward's great goals and assists from crosses or corners. I have therefore been to the Sheffield Library to look in the Green ‘Un and Morning Telegraph archives to look up reports of the games he played and the goals he scored or created.
Woodward joined the club as an apprentice in 1962 after being a regular in the Barnsley schoolboys team the previous season. His wing exploits in the Northern Intermediate League and Central League drew many admirers and during the 1963/64 season quite a few of the Lane faithful wrote to the Green ‘Un sportsbag suggesting that Woodward should be given a chance in the first team. The United youth team had won the Northern Intermediate League and Cup double.
Here are a couple of paragraphs from the United v Leeds second leg of the N.I.L. Cup final report. The Blades won 2-1 at Leeds in the first leg and won the second leg by 1-0; “Barry Wagstaff slung a 30-yard pass out to Woodward and Birchenall soared like an eagle to head home the winger's pin-point centre. After tasting the heady heights of success, the 5,101 crowd saw a dejected Woodward kneeling on the spot ten minutes later after blazing a spot kick wide.”
The United team that evening was Dave Walton, Len Badger, Bernard Shaw, Frank Barlow, Charlie Bell, Sam Clarke, Alan Woodward, Barry Wagstaff, Alan Birchenall, Mick Jones and (?) Disney. Walton, Clarke and Disney never played for the first team. Included in the Leeds side were David Harvey (who was Scotland's goalkeeper for a few years and still played for Leeds in the 1980s), Jimmy Greenhoff (who had success at Stoke and Manchester United), Paul Madeley (who went on to be a long servant for Leeds and played for England), Eddie Gray (another long servant who played for Scotland), Rod Belfitt (who played for Ipswich under Bobby Robson) and Terry Hibbitt (who went on to be a crowd favourite at Newcastle).
In recognition of Woodward’s achievements, produced below are descriptions of his goals and assists from reports in the Green ‘Un and Morning Telegraph during his first-team career:-
1964-65
27 league plus 3 FA Cup appearances
8 goals, 6 assists
GOAL - v Leeds (a) 31.10.64. Woodward jabbed home his first goal for the club after Hartle had beaten three men to feed Jones and the centre forward pulled the ball back for Woodward to do the rest.
ASSIST- v Sunderland (h) 21.11.64. Hartle headed the goal following a fine centre by Woodward.
ASSIST - v Aston Villa (h) 5.12.64. Woodward created a fine opening for Tony Wagstaff to fire in an oblique shot past Withers.
GOAL - v Tottenham (h) 12.12.64. Jennings tried to bounce the ball on a soggy surface, Woodward challenging hopefully and pounced on the sticky ball, swept it past the goalkeeper and crashed it into the net.
GOAL - v Burnley (a) 19.12.64. From a bad back pass Woodward snapped up the chance to lob the ball over the advancing goalkeeper's head. GOAL - v Manchester United (a) 28.12.64. Graham Shaw swung a long ball into the home goal, Pat Dunne failed to cut it out when challenged by Jones and Woodward pounced to score.
ASSIST - v Sheffield Wednesday (h) 2.1.65. Woodward swung a centre over and Birchenall timed his leap magnificently to head over the advancing Springett.
GOAL - v Bristol City (h) FA Cup replay 11.1.65. Matthewson's pass was coolly flicked on for Woodward to sweep a left-foot shot past Gibson.
ASSIST - v Bristol City (h) FA Cup replay 11.1.65. Jones headed home a shot by Woodward.
GOAL - v Birmingham (a) 21.1.65. Hartle dribbled the ball away from United's penalty area and the ball was carried right the length of the field for Jones to slip the ball inside Green for Woodward to beat Schofield as the goalkeeper came out.
ASSIST - v West Ham United (h) 6.2.65 Jones headed United into the lead but praise for the effort must be given to Woodward who chased a long ball by the right corner flag, stopped the ball, fell and still got up in time to pull back the centre which Jones converted.
ASSIST - v Blackpool (a) 20.2.65. Badger's free kick was neatly helped on by Kettleborough to Woodward and the outside right's lob had Waiters challenged by Jones in severe trouble. GOAL - v Blackburn (h) 27.2.65. Jones and Hartle had shots blocked on the line; the winger joined in the scramble to make sure.
GOAL - v Liverpool (h) 13.3.65. Bernard Shaw carried the ball well into the danger zone before tricking Liverpool defenders and slipping a ball out onto the right, which gave Woodward the chance to hammer a magnificent and oblique shot past Lawrence and just inside the far post.
Having watched the Blades regularly since 1970 it was a real privilege seeing many of Alan Woodward's great goals and assists from crosses or corners. I have therefore been to the Sheffield Library to look in the Green ‘Un and Morning Telegraph archives to look up reports of the games he played and the goals he scored or created.
Woodward joined the club as an apprentice in 1962 after being a regular in the Barnsley schoolboys team the previous season. His wing exploits in the Northern Intermediate League and Central League drew many admirers and during the 1963/64 season quite a few of the Lane faithful wrote to the Green ‘Un sportsbag suggesting that Woodward should be given a chance in the first team. The United youth team had won the Northern Intermediate League and Cup double.
Here are a couple of paragraphs from the United v Leeds second leg of the N.I.L. Cup final report. The Blades won 2-1 at Leeds in the first leg and won the second leg by 1-0; “Barry Wagstaff slung a 30-yard pass out to Woodward and Birchenall soared like an eagle to head home the winger's pin-point centre. After tasting the heady heights of success, the 5,101 crowd saw a dejected Woodward kneeling on the spot ten minutes later after blazing a spot kick wide.”
The United team that evening was Dave Walton, Len Badger, Bernard Shaw, Frank Barlow, Charlie Bell, Sam Clarke, Alan Woodward, Barry Wagstaff, Alan Birchenall, Mick Jones and (?) Disney. Walton, Clarke and Disney never played for the first team. Included in the Leeds side were David Harvey (who was Scotland's goalkeeper for a few years and still played for Leeds in the 1980s), Jimmy Greenhoff (who had success at Stoke and Manchester United), Paul Madeley (who went on to be a long servant for Leeds and played for England), Eddie Gray (another long servant who played for Scotland), Rod Belfitt (who played for Ipswich under Bobby Robson) and Terry Hibbitt (who went on to be a crowd favourite at Newcastle).
In recognition of Woodward’s achievements, produced below are descriptions of his goals and assists from reports in the Green ‘Un and Morning Telegraph during his first-team career:-
1964-65
27 league plus 3 FA Cup appearances
8 goals, 6 assists
GOAL - v Leeds (a) 31.10.64. Woodward jabbed home his first goal for the club after Hartle had beaten three men to feed Jones and the centre forward pulled the ball back for Woodward to do the rest.
ASSIST- v Sunderland (h) 21.11.64. Hartle headed the goal following a fine centre by Woodward.
ASSIST - v Aston Villa (h) 5.12.64. Woodward created a fine opening for Tony Wagstaff to fire in an oblique shot past Withers.
GOAL - v Tottenham (h) 12.12.64. Jennings tried to bounce the ball on a soggy surface, Woodward challenging hopefully and pounced on the sticky ball, swept it past the goalkeeper and crashed it into the net.
GOAL - v Burnley (a) 19.12.64. From a bad back pass Woodward snapped up the chance to lob the ball over the advancing goalkeeper's head. GOAL - v Manchester United (a) 28.12.64. Graham Shaw swung a long ball into the home goal, Pat Dunne failed to cut it out when challenged by Jones and Woodward pounced to score.
ASSIST - v Sheffield Wednesday (h) 2.1.65. Woodward swung a centre over and Birchenall timed his leap magnificently to head over the advancing Springett.
GOAL - v Bristol City (h) FA Cup replay 11.1.65. Matthewson's pass was coolly flicked on for Woodward to sweep a left-foot shot past Gibson.
ASSIST - v Bristol City (h) FA Cup replay 11.1.65. Jones headed home a shot by Woodward.
GOAL - v Birmingham (a) 21.1.65. Hartle dribbled the ball away from United's penalty area and the ball was carried right the length of the field for Jones to slip the ball inside Green for Woodward to beat Schofield as the goalkeeper came out.
ASSIST - v West Ham United (h) 6.2.65 Jones headed United into the lead but praise for the effort must be given to Woodward who chased a long ball by the right corner flag, stopped the ball, fell and still got up in time to pull back the centre which Jones converted.
ASSIST - v Blackpool (a) 20.2.65. Badger's free kick was neatly helped on by Kettleborough to Woodward and the outside right's lob had Waiters challenged by Jones in severe trouble. GOAL - v Blackburn (h) 27.2.65. Jones and Hartle had shots blocked on the line; the winger joined in the scramble to make sure.
GOAL - v Liverpool (h) 13.3.65. Bernard Shaw carried the ball well into the danger zone before tricking Liverpool defenders and slipping a ball out onto the right, which gave Woodward the chance to hammer a magnificent and oblique shot past Lawrence and just inside the far post.