How good was he - Alan Woodward

[Silent Blade]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2pxy04vz2o

Have to be honest, never heard it called an "Olimpico" before.
Was it 4 times that Woody scored direct from a corner? Has anyone ever scored more in the English leagues?

Yes, v Newcastle (h) in the League Cup Sept 1969, v Leicester (a) Sept 1971, v Coventry (h) Nov 1971 and v Norwich (h) Jan 1973

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2pxy04vz2o

Have to be honest, never heard it called an "Olimpico" before.
Was it 4 times that Woody scored direct from a corner? Has anyone ever scored more in the English leagues?

I read that today about the ‘Olimpico’, and like you I had never heard it and I’m in my 70s. Has anybody else heard of this?
I certainly saw Woody score at least one directly from a corner, but I’m not sure how many he scored. Silent Blade incoming……..

Oops. Already replied

 

[gordoncharles]

Bill Glazier had originally played for Crystal Palace at a time when their nickname was still "The Glaziers".

Which means he's on that gag about players with names which are the same as their club's nicknames, and ends with the question "did Stefan Kuntz ever play for Sheffield Wednesday?"

As for Alan Woodward, in retrospect what a relief it was he left during that utterly shite Harry Haslam season in Division Two and therefore was not associated with our damned free fall.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I read that today about the ‘Olimpico’, and like you I had never heard it and I’m in my 70s. Has anybody else heard of this?
I saw Woody score one directly from a corner, but I’m not sure how many he scored. Silent Blade incoming……..

Oops. Already replied

Remember very clearly the late winner at Leicester.

 

[1066blade]

Woodward was the best. Whenever it was a pen you knew it was a goal. Frankly when it was a corner there was a high chance of a goal. He could hit a ball so hard. But what I find amazing was he was quite a smoker. How the hell did he run so fast for so long?

My first away game (a local for me as I lived on the Isle of Wight) was a 5-1 win in a midweek game at Fratton Park where we tore them apart in the second half. Badger to Currie, long ball to Woodward and wow a good chance of a goal. Quite frankly he was just brilliant but played with really good other players (not average ones) like Gil Reece, Geof Salmons, Billy Dearden, John Tudor et al. We regularly scored 5 goals in a season. This season we struggle to score three !

Not so. I saw him miss a penalty against Man City.

 

[Kenilworth]

thanks for putting me right mate

He does that.

 

[Tazzy]

My fav player growing up .Had a hell of a shot on him i cant recall any tap in from him just thunderbolts outside the area and the keepers diving seconds after the ball hit the back of the net sledge hammer of a shot

 

[Panini]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2pxy04vz2o

Have to be honest, never heard it called an "Olimpico" before.
Was it 4 times that Woody scored direct from a corner? Has anyone ever scored more in the English leagues?

Heard / seen it referred to as an Olympic goal, but it feels clunky to use the borrowed term Olimpico.

Either way, that article could do with a proofread...

 

[Greystones Blade]

Out of interest who is the first best?

Mick Jones?

 

[Silent Blade]

Mick Jones?

Capped 3 times

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

The times you saw him 25/30 yards out unleash a shot and you'd know it was in when it left his boot.
Absolute brilliant player.

14th April 1976 at Elland Road in a 1-0 Blades win.
Woody received the ball 30 yards from goal and me old Dad was the first to jump up and shout Goal before it left his foot.

 

[BalticBlade]

My fav player growing up .Had a hell of a shot on him i cant recall any tap in from him just thunderbolts outside the area and the keepers diving seconds after the ball hit the back of the net sledge hammer of a shot

Foot like a traction engine?

 

[RAP51]

Not so. I saw him miss a penalty against Man City.

I remember that penalty miss but it was in his first phase of taking penalties. At that point he missed a few and scored a few. At that time Woodward tended to rely on raw power. We continued having problems finding a reliable penalty taker, Ted Hemsley missed one TC missed one and it moved John Harris to take a hands on approach to coaching which he usually left to others. I recall a photograph in the Star showing Harris in trousers and long sleeved shirt taking a penalty in training. Following this, Woody took over again. Every penalty was the same, low, fast and to the keeper's left resulting in a goal.
Even Peter Shilton who knew where the pen was going and dived early could only feel the ball brush his fingertips as it ended up in the back of the net.
After this change of style I only remember Woodward missing one penalty v West Ham and this was after he had been fouled then put the penalty away but after a retake was awarded he change his technique and missed. My memory could of course be playing tricks on me.
Today however when keepers are generally much taller Woody's style might not have been as successful.

 

[Silent Blade]

I remember that penalty miss but it was in his first phase of taking penalties. At that point he missed a few and scored a few. At that time Woodward tended to rely on raw power. We continued having problems finding a reliable penalty taker, Ted Hemsley missed one TC missed one and it moved John Harris to take a hands on approach to coaching which he usually left to others. I recall a photograph in the Star showing Harris in trousers and long sleeved shirt taking a penalty in training. Following this, Woody took over again. Every penalty was the same, low, fast and to the keeper's left resulting in a goal.
Even Peter Shilton who knew where the pen was going and dived early could only feel the ball brush his fingertips as it ended up in the back of the net.
After this change of style I only remember Woodward missing one penalty v West Ham and this was after he had been fouled then put the penalty away but after a retake was awarded he change his technique and missed. My memory could of course be playing tricks on me.
Today however when keepers are generally much taller Woody's style might not have been as successful.

He had a penalty saved against Coventry at home in November 1971

That West Ham match in March 1973, both Woody's penalty attempts were saved. That was the fourth time he failed to convert a penalty. The other two were against Sunderland in February 1966 and Man City in January 1968.

 

[The Vicar]

November 1971 saw him score 4 against Ipswich! Great player. Looking back he seemed so old, but what a player.

RIP

 

[CornwallBlade]

Mick Jones?

Wonderful player (another who went Leeds…) should have won more England caps. As a boy, I remember him getting kicked to pieces by Bobby Moore in an evening game (FA Cup I think). When he’d had enough he waited for the ball to be played into our box, then jogged up to Moore around the halfway line and booted him in the knee. Crowd went crazy and the ref never saw it!

 

[CornwallBlade]

At the time the media used to go on and on about Peter Lorimer of Leeds, and his thunderbolt shots. To be fair, he could strike a ball but Woodward was better. Goodness knows what ge would gave done with a modern ball. Roberto Carlos - who he?

 

[Super Furry Blades]

 

[1066blade]

I also recall a story from an old friend who worked part time at Bramall Lane. When John Harris was undertaking match tactics and various attack minded options, all the players would be spellbound absorbing all the knowledge. Woody would be on his own talking penalty or corner practice.
He did smoke heavily, he also liked a pint. His paunch became more noticeable towards the end of his career. These things could have been contributory factors in not getting an England call up.

 

[The Fox]

At the time the media used to go on and on about Peter Lorimer of Leeds, and his thunderbolt shots. To be fair, he could strike a ball but Woodward was better. Goodness knows what ge would gave done with a modern ball. Roberto Carlos - who he?

I heard an interview with Bob Wilson when Peter Lorimer died.

He said the only 2 players that worried him 25/30 yards from goal in his whole career were Lorimer and Alan Woodward .

His words were , " you could expect the ball travelling towards goal at a ferocious speed at any time "

 

[Banzeye]

TC said he was the best player he has worked with. A legend to me

Saw him score direct from corners a few times.

 

[BerksBlade]

He did smoke heavily, he also liked a pint. His paunch became more noticeable towards the end of his career. These things could have been contributory factors in not getting an England call up.

Different times. Didn't Bobby Moore once do a TV advert extolling the virtues of going to the pub?
My parents used to pop over to the Shoulder of Mutton in Worrall occasionally - Woody was often in there.

 

[davey1889]

Different times. Didn't Bobby Moore once do a TV advert extolling the virtues of going to the pub?
My parents used to pop over to the Shoulder of Mutton in Worrall occasionally - Woody was often in there.

About 00:20 on here. Is that Peters with him?

 

[Back post bob]

Not only was Woodward brilliant but we had Geoff Salmons a very underrated player on the other side.Sold to Stoke and had a good career there.Between them they set so many goals up for Billy Deardon.
The joke of the time was they found Derek Dooley in the grave yard looking for another Deardon.

 

[wak1889]

Out of interest who is the first best?

I reckon it's Kyle walker

 

[Silent Blade]

I reckon it's Kyle walker

He isnt uncapped

 

[wak1889]

He isnt uncapped

That's not the question, the statement was Woodward is probably the 2nd best player ever to come through our academy, and someone asked if he's the second best who is the first

 

[SK10Blade]

Boxing day 1970 free kick against Leicester say it all.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I also recall a story from an old friend who worked part time at Bramall Lane. When John Harris was undertaking match tactics and various attack minded options, all the players would be spellbound absorbing all the knowledge. Woody would be on his own talking penalty or corner practice.
He did smoke heavily, he also liked a pint. His paunch became more noticeable towards the end of his career. These things could have been contributory factors in not getting an England call up.

After a dinner at the Cutlers Hall (long story), there was a free bar left unattended. Woody, me, and a friend of mine were the last to leave, at an ungodly hour early Thursday morning. I was not surprised to watch United lose at home on the Saturday.