How good was he - Alan Woodward

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Weasel said:
You would probably say that Woody didn't gave the out and out flair of TC (not many did!) and didn't reach the heights that Currie did when he was on song and fancied it (there was plenty of times he didn't!). But, Woody was more consistent out of the two and was just a very good consistent player. Currie could hit a ball well (Ray Clemence saw a particular Currie rocket go past him from distance) but Woody struck them harder and better.

Basically two very gifted and class players who were criminally underused or in Woodys case not selected by the England set up who even then were biased and clique. I seem to recall Brian Clough commenting once that he couldn't understand why Woodward wasn't in the England set up. He knew a thing or two about football.
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I agree Woody was a 100% er every match where as Currie was a world beater when he fancied it . You knew which matches Currie was going to turn it on by the opposition where as Woody played ever match with full commitment who ever it was .
 

The Bear said:
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 !
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He could score direct from a corner from either side with his right foot, inswinging obviously from the left but also with the outside of his foot and a wicked spin from the right.
 
What a player. Rocket of a shot in both feet. For me, the best corner taker ever (not just for SUFC). Great crosser, and a handy emergency keeper.
I wonder how many turned up at the Lane thinking "who's this stocky little grey-haired guy?". Well they usually found out pretty sharpish.
TC, Woody, Badger & the rest around the top of the league - great times
 
BarcaBlade said:
Thanks Silent.

3:53 - "I don't know why they did that. I suppose Willie Carlin could have done this just as good as Alan Woodward"

Oh!
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WOW WHAT GREAT MEMORIES CAN REMEMBER THEM ALL ,WHAT A PLAYER AND WHAT A SHOT WITH BOTH FEET .ALWAYS REMEMBER BEATING SHILTON FROM THE CORNER ,SHILTON SAID IT WAS A FLUKE SO NEXT TIME HE PLAYED AGAINST HIM HE DID IT AGAIN HA HA .MY FAVOURITE ONE AGAINST DERBY A 40 YARD SCREAMER . ALSO THE TONY FIELD ONE WAS SO SPECIAL TO . THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES MATE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING THEM AGAIN . AS YOU GET OLDER MEMORIES FADE BUT WATCHING THEM BRINGS THEM ALL BACK .
 
petcharlie said:
I agree Woody was perhaps the best winger in England but England did not play wingers and as you say Woody went about his job in a quiet way so consistently where as Currie was a show man and played to the crowd and how we loved it making defenders look stupid in his wake . Blowing kisses to the crowd while he skipped past half a dozen defenders ,sitting on the ball asking Alan Ball to try and take the ball of him . Woody and Currie were a remarkable double act as was Deane and Agarna but none could hit a ball like Woody .If his shot did not hit the back of the net they would have to retrieve the ball around Hunters Bar ha ha . His corner kicks were unreal as was all his dead ball efforts . Between then they took us to the top of the then called the first division (NOW THE PREM) and we stopped there for some time until George Best came up with a worldy at Old Trafford which was shown every bloody week on Match of the day. I was one of thousands shut out of Old Trafford on that day ended up listen to it on the radio in the car. I think we ended the season in 6th place if my memory serves me well and those two were the main actors but we also had many fine players in that team Badger ,Salmons , Reece ,and Hockey who was another one off .
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If a remember correctly we had 18,000 outside Old Trafford that day ( i know it sounds like the piggies) but the gates were closed at least 1.5 hours before kick off. Woody actually scored quite a few goals direct form corners and even scored a couple with his head. A remarkable player who took players on (wish they do that now) and was so exiting to watch but then again the 70's was great for football and football star's!
 
Once saw a referee move a defensive wall forward at a free kick that Woody was standing over…
 
VictoryBlade said:
If a remember correctly we had 18,000 outside Old Trafford that day ( i know it sounds like the piggies) but the gates were closed at least 1.5 hours before kick off. Woody actually scored quite a few goals direct form corners and even scored a couple with his head. A remarkable player who took players on (wish they do that now) and was so exiting to watch but then again the 70's was great for football and football star's!
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Yes i was there you could not move for the crowd . Thousands locked out .It was the big match of the day in the top flight ,great times to be a Blade
 

I'm sure I saw him jump out of a purple beach buggy (circa 1971) and go into the NatWest at Totley. My dad was assistant manger at the time and didn't even get his autograph for me. Although my memory might be a bit hazy now lol
 
'Doc' Pace my hero said:
Woodward,Salmons,Dearden,Currie,Reece………Memories !!
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Reece was only a small guy but probably the best header of a ball we have had . Was told he had it rough has he got older and had his legs amputated before he died some years ago .
 
I was only young but my memories of Woodward was he hit a ball so cleanly with a lot of power….must be a timing thing.

Also when he took corners he used to power it towards the keeper with swerve and you felt he could score from a corner.
 
petcharlie said:
WOW WHAT GREAT MEMORIES CAN REMEMBER THEM ALL ,WHAT A PLAYER AND WHAT A SHOT WITH BOTH FEET .ALWAYS REMEMBER BEATING SHILTON FROM THE CORNER ,SHILTON SAID IT WAS A FLUKE SO NEXT TIME HE PLAYED AGAINST HIM HE DID IT AGAIN HA HA .MY FAVOURITE ONE AGAINST DERBY A 40 YARD SCREAMER . ALSO THE TONY FIELD ONE WAS SO SPECIAL TO . THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES MATE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING THEM AGAIN . AS YOU GET OLDER MEMORIES FADE BUT WATCHING THEM BRINGS THEM ALL BACK .
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Woody scored direct from the corner against Shilton only once
 
The 1070-71 and 1971-72 were the greatest Sheffield United teams I have had the pleasure of watching from the KOP. Legendary is how I describe that fantastic team Tony Currie was the best-ever player and Alan Woodward was not far behind him. Hockey wins the ball with a tackle like a drop stamp fair and legal back then. passes the ball to Currie who runs ten yards and without looking up chips the ball over the defenders Woodward receives the ball in his stride. runs at a fast pace looks up smashes the ball past the keeper from 30 yards Goal. You will never see a better corner-taker free-kick and penalty taker like Alan Woodward. He was deadly very accurate. scored a lot of goals. Tony Currie was a playmaker who could send defenders the wrong way and score great goals. Not forgetting Len Badger, Ted Hemsley, John Flynn, Eddie Colquhoun, Trever Hockey, Geoff Salmons, Bill Deardon, and Gil Reece with very good goalkeepers Alan Hodgkinson and John Hope.
 
Silent Blade said:
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Just stumbled upon this wonderful tribute whilst a bit bored and watched it again . It's a brilliant effort and it's like looking at your own life !. Would sound a bit sad to some people... but for me I just smiled all the way through it. A few reflections .... I ( we ) will NEVER see the equivalent of Woody & Currie again , simply because they would be bought by the top 6 Prem. teams :(. Just look at the pitches they produced this quality football on lol. The totally perfect surface EVERY time nowadays helps keep from upsetting the top 6 with an occasional shock result. The actual Police were the stewards ...wow ..;). And lastly.... no matter how you try you can't pick your younger self out in the crowd :D I know exactly where I am ,including the Woody goal from the corner at Leicester , my god how Woody struck those penalty's past Shilton ..just wow . I was at 90% of these matches ...nice one Silent. Great memories. 👍.
 

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