Viv Woodward (Welsh footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Viv Woodward

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = Vivian Woodward{{Hugman|21654|accessdate=1 November 2017}}

| birth_date = 25 May 1914

| birth_place = Troed-y-rhiw, Wales

| death_date =

| height =

| position = Inside forward, wing half

| youthyears1 = 1932–1933

| youthclubs1 = Troed-y-rhiw

| years1 = 1933–1936

| clubs1 = Folkestone

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1936–1947

| clubs2 = Fulham

| caps2 = 95

| goals2 = 26

| years3 = 1947–1948

| clubs3 = Millwall

| caps3 = 42

| goals3 = 13

| years4 = 1948–1950

| clubs4 = Brentford

| caps4 = 20

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1950–1951

| clubs5 = Aldershot

| caps5 = 53

| goals5 = 5

| years6 = 1951–1954

| clubs6 = Bedford Town

| caps6 = 149

| goals6 = 62

| years7 =

| clubs7 = Biggleswade Town

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = Wales Schoolboys

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1941

| nationalteam2 = Wales (wartime)

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 1

}}

Vivian Woodward was a Welsh professional footballer who played in the Football League for Fulham, Aldershot, Millwall and Brentford as an inside forward. He represented Wales in a wartime international match in 1941.

Career

= Early years in non-League football =

An inside forward, Woodward played for hometown club Troed-y-rhiw as a youth and moved to Southern League club Folkestone in 1933 and departed in 1936.{{Cite web |title=Woodward Viv Fulham 1938 |url=http://vintagefootballers.com/product/woodward-viv-image-1-fulham-1938/ |url-status=live |access-date=24 December 2018 |website=Vintage Footballers |language=en-GB |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128053848/https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/woodward-viv-image-1-fulham-1938/ }}

= Football League (1936–1951) =

In January 1936, Woodard earned a move to the Football League with Second Division club Fulham for a £300 fee.{{Cite web |title=Viv Woodward |url=http://www.11v11.com/players/viv-woodward-33229/ |access-date=30 November 2014 |publisher=11v11.com |archive-date=5 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205045922/http://www.11v11.com/players/viv-woodward-33229/ |url-status=live }} During an 11-year spell at Craven Cottage, which was interrupted by the Second World War, he made 95 appearances and scored 26 goals.{{Cite book |last=Turner |first=Dennis |title=Fulham The Complete Record |date=4 January 2012 |publisher=DB Publishing |isbn=9781780911328 |location=Derby |language=English}} Woodward signed for Second Division strugglers Millwall in February 1947. He scored seven goals in 15 league games to help the Lions stave off relegation to the Third Division South.{{Cite web |title=Millwall Season 46/47 Stats |url=http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-Stats46-47.htm |access-date=14 January 2017 |publisher=millwall-history.org.uk |archive-date=19 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119073117/http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-Stats46-47.htm |url-status=live }} He was in and out of the team during the 1947–48 season, making 27 appearances and scoring six goals.{{Cite web |title=Millwall Season 47/48 Stats |url=http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-Stats47-48.htm |access-date=14 January 2017 |publisher=millwall-history.org.uk |archive-date=20 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520083951/http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-Stats47-48.htm |url-status=live }} He departed the club at the end of the campaign after Millwall's relegation was confirmed with a bottom-place finish in the Second Division. Woodward made 42 appearances and scored 13 goals in just over a year with Millwall.{{Cite web |title=Millwall Players S to Z |url=http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-A2Z-StoZ.htm |access-date=30 November 2014 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006094150/http://www.millwall-history.org.uk/Millwall-A2Z-StoZ.htm |url-status=live }}

Woodward moved back to West London to sign for Second Division club Brentford in July 1948. He began his time with the Bees as a regular in the team,{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |page=171}} before being dropped for large part of the 1948–49 season and not returning until the final month of the campaign.{{Cite book |title=100 Years of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=380}} He made just 10 appearances and scored one goal. He failed to fare much better in the following season, scoring one goal in 10 games and eventually departing Griffin Park in February 1950. Woodward signed for Third Division South strugglers Aldershot in February 1950. He quickly established himself in the team, making 16 league appearances before the end of the 1949–50 season. He made 37 appearances during the 1950–51 season (the highest of his career), but failed to inspire the Shots to more than an 18th-place finish. He left the club in May 1951, after making 53 league appearances and scoring five goals.

= Return to non-League football =

Woodward dropped into non-League football to sign for Southern League club Bedford Town in 1951. Despite failing to enjoy much success in the league, he was a regular pick for the team and showed good goalscoring form, scoring 62 goals in 149 appearances for the club.{{Cite web |title=Best Years Players S-Z |url=https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/introduction/best-years-players-s-z |access-date=30 November 2014 |website=bedfordoldeagles |archive-date=24 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224213419/https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/introduction/best-years-players-s-z |url-status=live }} In 1954, he transferred to Eastern Counties League club Biggleswade Town in exchange for Percy Duggan.{{Cite web |title=1954/5 -back in the basement |url=https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/season-by-season-in-photos-1950-67/1954 |access-date=23 September 2020 |website=bedfordoldeagles |language=en-US |archive-date=26 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026081939/https://sites.google.com/site/bedfordoldeagles/best-years-introduction-page/season-by-season-in-photos-1950-67/1954 |url-status=live }}

International career

Woodward represented Wales at schoolboy level. He represented the senior team in a wartime international on 7 June 1941, scoring in a 3–2 defeat to England at Ninian Park.{{Cite web |title=Wales v England, 07 June 1941 – 11v11 match report |url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/wales-v-england-07-june-1941-225119/ |access-date=27 March 2023 |archive-date=27 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327121542/https://www.11v11.com/matches/wales-v-england-07-june-1941-225119/ |url-status=live }}

Coaching career

During his time as a player with Bedford Town, Woodward also served as assistant manager and had a coaching spell at South Midlands League club Potton United.

Personal life

One of Woodward's relatives, Laurence (nicknamed 'Dai'), was also a footballer and made over 270 appearances for Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. Woodward served as a lorry driver in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during the Second World War.{{Cite web |title=Fulham and the Second World War Part 3 – Seasons 1943/44-1944/45 |url=https://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/centres/centre-for-historical-research/football-and-war-network/football-and-war-blog/2020/fulham-and-the-second-world-war-part-3---seasons-194344-194445/ |access-date=27 March 2023 |website=University of Wolverhampton |archive-date=27 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327121535/https://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/centres/centre-for-historical-research/football-and-war-network/football-and-war-blog/2020/fulham-and-the-second-world-war-part-3---seasons-194344-194445/ |url-status=live }}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="3" \|Millwall \|1946–47 \| rowspan="2" \|Second Division \|15 \|7 \| colspan="2" \|— \|15 \|7
1947–48 \|27 \|6 \|0 \|0 \|27 \|6
colspan="2" \|Total !42 !13 !0 !0 !42 !13
rowspan="3" \|Brentford \|1948–49 \| rowspan="2" \|Second Division \|10 \|1 \|0 \|0 \|10 \|1
1949–50 \|10 \|3 \|0 \|0 \|10 \|3
colspan="2" \|Total !20 !4 !0 !0 !20 !4
colspan="3" \|Career total !62 !17 !0 !0 !62 !17

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals