Alan Woodward 1969-70
42 League plus 2 FA Cup and 3 League Cup appearances
21 goals, 29 assists
ASSIST - v Middlesbrough (h) 9.8.69. After a fine run and cross by Woodward, Reece hit a brilliant volley while in mid-air to leave Short hopelessly beaten.
GOAL - v Middlesbrough (h) 9.8.69. Mick Heaton began the hard work down the left flank with an intelligent interception and follow up and when Woodward got control just inside the penalty box he sent the three white-shirted defenders the wrong way before beating Short with a beautiful low drive to the far corner.
GOAL - v Middlesbrough (h) 9.8.69. Though Reece and Currie were thwarted in scoring efforts the ball rolled out to Woodward, near the six yard box, and he hammered the ball home.
GOAL - v Charlton (h) 12.8.69. Woodward shot away the cobwebs with a memorable 74th minute goal. Currie and Reece provided the short build-up, leaving Woodward to coolly and brilliantly dribble on a sixpence around Went and Wright, before plonking the ball into the net.
ASSIST - v Portsmouth (a) 16.8.69. A minute later Currie was on the mark again with a drive from close range, Woodward's work on the right having left the home defence looking very tatty.
GOAL - v Portsmouth (a) 16.8.69. Woodward ran nearly half the length of the field, leaving Travers and Hand trailing in his wake, and deceived Milkins with a smart side-step and rolled the ball home.
ASSIST - v Portsmouth (a) 16.8.69. A low drive from Woodward was deflected into the net by Pompey defender Youlden.
ASSIST- v Bristol City (h) 26.8.69. Addison collected a Hodgkinson clearance and sent Woodward off down the right with a brilliant pass. The winger outpaced Drysdale and Connor, attempting to clear his cross, screwed the ball past his own goalkeeper.
GOAL - v Newcastle (h) 2.9.69. A corner was won within thirty seconds of the start. Woodward came across from the right to take it and his banana kick sneaked in at the near post as Powell harassed Craggs.
ASSIST - v Newcastle (h) 2.9.69. Woodward chased down the right flank and curved over an immaculate cross for Tudor to mark his return to the first team with a perfect header.
ASSIST - v Birmingham (a) 13.9.69. Tudor opened the scoring with a truly glorious goal. Currie began the work on the right before sending Woodward away and the outside right's made-to-measure centre was met by a jack-knifing header on the part of the centre forward.
GOAL - v Luton (h) 23.9.69. Colquhoun's pass gave Staniforth the chance to beat a defender. The inside left did the job well, zipping the ball forward for Woodward to run on and shoot past Davie in grand style.
GOAL - v Luton (h) 23.9.69. Woodward doubled the account ten minutes after half time, finishing a move he began with a splendid run down the middle, and steering the left-wing cross from Reece into the net.
GOAL - v Preston (a) 27.9.69. Woodward was sent away down the right by Badger. The winger beat a man and from way out near the corner flag hit a low one which swerved a little, was missed by the onrushing Currie and left alone surprisingly by Kelly.
ASSIST - v Hull (h) 4.10.69. With seven minutes gone Badger, Addison and Woodward combined to tee up a chance which Currie swept into the net from close range.
GOAL - v Hull (h) 4.10.69. Then in the eighth minute Woodward moved brilliantly away from his rival, cut in and unleashed a fierce left foot volley from 25 yards which sizzled past the diving McKechnie.
ASSIST - v Portsmouth (h) 7.10.69. At half time, United led by one goal, headed by Reece in 41 minutes from a Woodward corner.
GOAL - v Portsmouth (h) 7.10.69. Hand intercepted a Powell pass intended for Currie, the centre half played the ball across the goalmouth instead of to Milkins who had left his goal. Harris struck out a boot, but only diverted the ball to Woodward and the winger shot all along the ground and into the net from 25 yards.
ASSIST - v Portsmouth (h) 7.10.69. Reece took a pass from Woodward and slotted the ball past an apparently unsighted Milkins from the left corner of the penalty area.
GOAL - v Swindon (a) 11.10.69. There was only a minute and half left when a Woodward rocket shot from thirty yards left Downsborough wondering what day it was.
GOAL - v Blackpool (h) 18.10.69. Woodward raced fully thirty yards in chasing a long ball from Badger which was misjudged by Hatton. The Blackpool man then tried holding off Woodward with his arm, but the winger ignored all distractions, fastened on to the ball and hit a glorious low left-foot drive past Thomson.
ASSIST - v Blackburn (h) 1.11.69. Rovers' fine defence had its reputation damaged as a Reece cross was headed on by Woodward and Currie controlled the ball before slamming it home from close range.
GOAL - v Blackburn (h) 1.11.69. Credit must go to Addison for a magnificent pass from the centre circle that sent Woodward away. Wilson frantically tried to handle the ball but failed and Woodward was round him and placing a shot to the far corner.
GOAL - v QPR (a) 8.11.69. In the 74th minute Woodward got the goal the team's play deserved. The outside right collected a ball from Barlow beautifully on the edge of the box, left Harris well behind, and beat Kelly with a glorious shot.
ASSIST - v Aston Villa (h) 22.11.69. United eventually broke the ice, thanks to another bad mistake by the young Villa keeper Phillips who dropped a corner from Woodward. Colquhoun raced in to lash the ball to the roof of the net.
ASSIST - v Aston Villa (h) 22.11.69. Hemsley and Woodward took the ball half the length of the field before Woodward pulled back for Reece to slide it home.
ASSIST - v Aston Villa (h) 22.11.69. In the last kick of the match Currie celebrated becoming a father this week by hitting the fifth goal following a smart interception by Woodward.
GOAL - v Carlisle (a) 29.11.69. An Addison through ball sent Reece away. The Welshman beat two men smartly then, slipping the ball past Ross, pulled it back for Woodward to head a simple goal.
ASSIST - v Birmingham (h) 13.12.69. Herriot tried to fist away an inswinging corner by Woodward from the left. He failed and the ball struck the far post before Addison just got a touch to score the second goal. Many in the crowd thought the winger had scored direct.
ASSIST- v Birmingham (h) 13.12.69. Then came the explosions. Currie didn't have the pace to beat Pendrey but won a corner, which was taken by Woodward and met by Colquhoun with an impeccable header by the near post.
GOAL - v Birmingham (h) 13.12.69. With 68 minutes gone Woodward, who had had a hand in all four goals, made it five and this time there was no doubt about the owner of the goal. A Barlow through ball, Woodward's shimmy sent two players the wrong way and the outside right was through to place his shot to the far corner.
ASSIST - v Norwich (a) 20.12.69. The move began just outside the Blades’ own penalty area with Currie beginning it, Badger and Barlow carrying it on, then Woodward whipped over a superb cross wide of Vasper for Tudor to head downwards.
ASSIST - v Watford (h) 27.12.69. Good work by Barlow helped to win another corner and when Woodward swung this over, Addison met it with a brilliant header.
ASSIST - v Everton (h) 3.1.70. Barlow foxed Everton on the right flank with a short pass to Woodward, whose long left-footed centre was met twelve yards from goal by Reece and the ball flew off his head into the far corner of the net with West hopelessly beaten.
ASSIST - v Everton (h) 3.1.70. Currie sent Woodward away, the wingman leaving Labone helpless before racing for the goal-line and pulling back the ball, Addison hurled through the air to head the ball firmly into the back of the net.
ASSIST - v Preston (h) 17.1.70. In the fourth minute of injury time Addison headed United's second goal after Woodward caught Ritchie in possession.
(The above match was the first match I attended as a committed Blade. I did attend some matches at the Lane before this but my concentration level was poor and I would not know any of the players' names).
ASSIST - v Hull (a) 31.1.70. Addison reduced the arrears with a header from Woodward's corner.
ASSIST - v Hull (a) 31.1.70. Addison grabbed a 59th minute leveller with a close-range flick that completed a move involving Currie and Woodward.
ASSIST - v Hull (a) 31.1.70. The Blades took the lead in the 72nd minute with a beautiful headed goal by Colquhoun from another Woodward corner.
ASSIST - v QPR (h) 24.2.70. The first corner was a marvel of inswinging accuracy, placed to the near post where Colquhoun headed in while the Rangers defence stared in disbelief.
ASSIST - v QPR (h) 24.2.70. The second corner by Woodward was floated high to the middle, where Reece rose like a dove to head a goal which had the Lane's biggest crowd of the season singing joyfully.
GOAL - v Blackburn (a) 28.2.70. United deservedly drew level in the 24th minute when Woodward, unmarked, volleyed an unstoppable drive past Jones following an excellent cross by Currie on the left.
ASSIST - v Blackburn (a) 28.2.70. Colquhoun, on the halfway line, sent Woodward away with an excellent pass and the wingman left Wilson well behind before whipping over a low cross which was thumped into the net by Currie, who beat Hunter in a determined dash for the ball.
GOAL - v Carlisle (h) 13.3.70. Garbutt brought down Addison just outside the penalty area, Barlow played his free kick a few inches to the right and Woodward walloped an unstoppable shot. Ross did not see the ball until he picked it out of the net.
ASSIST - v Leicester (a) 21.3.70. Addison won a shuddering tackle with Sjoberg in midfield, sent Woodward away and, as Woodward's shot eluded Shilton, Reece raced in to slot home.
(The above match was the first away game I attended. After the match I was autograph hunting outside the Filbert Street players’ entrance. Most of the United players were already in their coach and out of the blue Woodward signalled my dad to bring me over to the other side of the coach. My dad then lifted me up, despite my shyness, so that I could hand in my programme through the top of the coach window to Woodward and then he would make the other Blades players sign their autographs on my programme. It was an unforgettable gesture by Woody!).
ASSIST - v Millwall (h) 31.3.70. Yet another Woodward corner, this time from the left, ricocheted to Currie fifteen yards out and his right-foot volley exploded high into the right-hand corner of the net before King could make a gesture at a save.
GOAL - v Millwall (h) 31.3.70. Currie and Tudor, with a cute reverse pass along the back of the penalty, area set up the chance and Woodward, floating into the inside left position, drove it beyond King with a beautifully clean drive.
ASSIST - v Bristol City (a) 4.4.70. An inswinging corner from the left by Woodward and Colquhoun headed the ball downwards and past the despairing lunge of Jacobs.
GOAL - v Oxford (h) 15.4.70. Colquhoun played a long through ball, Tudor headed it down and Woodward took it round a defender before shooting past Barron.
GOAL - v Oxford (h) 15.4.70. Woodward walloped in number five - his 18th league goal in what for him has been a memorable campaign.
