|
|
|
Vivian
Woodward |
Tottenham
Hotspur FC, Chelsea FC
23 appearances, 28 goals
2
goals on his debut
P 23 W 18 D
4 L 1 F 86: A 18
87% successful
1903-14
captain: 14
minutes played: 2070 |
|
 |
|
Timeline |
| |
Major
Vivian John Woodward |
|
Birth |
Tuesday,
3 June 1879 at 10 Crown Villa, Kennington, Surrey |
|
|
registered in Lambeth July-September 1879 Lambeth was in the Surrey County Registration until 1889. |
|
Baptism |
Thursday,
17 June 1880 at St. Mark's Church in Kennington.
Seven of the Woodward
children were all baptised on the same day by H.H. Montgomery. |
|
|
According to the 1881
census, Vivian J. is the youngest of six children to John Alexander James
and Anne Margaret (née Stephens). Living at 10 Crown Villas in
Kennington with one servant. His father is an architect and district
surveyor. |
|
|
According to the 1891
census, Vivian J. is the youngest of four siblings living together at
'Engelfield', Ellis Road in Great Clacton. Annie is the oldest, followed
by Isabella Evangeline and Alexander. He is the seventh of eight children
all together |
|
|
His father
died in Tendring on 20 January 1900.
According to the 1901
census, Vivian J. is one of four siblings living at 69 Kennington Road.
The others being head of the house Alice, also Isabella and Egbert. They
are all architects and surveyors.
His widowed mother is living with
his sisters Annie and Ethel at Silver Cloud, Pier Avenue in Great Clacton. |
|
|
According to the 1911
census, Vivian John, still an architect, is living with his sister, Ethel
and her husband, William Frederick Davall (m.1902). They live at Moss Rose Villa,
on St Osyth Road in Clacton-on-Sea. |
|
"FOOTBALLER'S COMMISSION |
...Vivian J. Woodward, the
International footballer, has accepted a commission in the Footballers'
Battalion now being raised by Mr. W. Joynson Hicks, M. P." -
Yorkshire Telegraph and Star, Tuesday evening, 29 December 1914. |
|
|
"Temporary Lieutenant Vivian J.
Woodward to be temporary captain, dated 19 October, 1915." -
London Gazette, Wednesday, 29 March 1916 |
|
"FOOTBALLER WOUNDED IN |
FRANCE
"We regret to learn from a private source
that Captain V. J. Woodward, of the 17th Middlesex Regiment (Footballers'
Battalion), has been wounded [by shrapnel in both legs, his thighs being
severley pierced] in France. The communication states that the
famous international
centre-forward met with his unfortunate mishap on Saturday, and
that the injury is somewhat serious. It is understood that Captain
Woodward is returning to England." - Birmingham Gazette
[Sheffield Daily Telegraph],
Thursday, 27 January 1916.
"When war broke out Captain
Woodward enlisted as a private in the London Rifles Brigade, and from
there was a given a commission in the Footballers' Battalion"
- Hampshire Telegraph and Post. Friday, 4 February 1916. |
|
|
His mother
died sometime in 1921
.According to the
1921 census, Vivian John, now a farmer, is living with his older sister,
Isabella (now a Sergant and widowed), who is a manager of her dairy farm in
The Towers in Weeley, along with her four children and a servant.
The Essex 1922-25 editions of Kelly's Directory has Woodward as a farmer
at The Welches farm in St. Osyth, and a Cowkeeper at 39 Connaught Avenue
in Frinton. |
|
|
According to the London Electoral Registers, Vivian
John was living at 61 Kennington Oval since at least 1930, until 1938,
when he moved on to 30 Elm Grove.
The Essex edition of Kelly's
Directory still identifies Woodward as a cowkeeper in 1933, still at 39
Connaught Avenue.
According to the 1939 register, Vivian J. is living at
30 Elm Grove in Camberwell. He is a retailer of farm produce.
The
London Electoral Register places Vivian John at 30 Elm Grove in 1945-53. |
|
"V. J. WOODWARD IN |
HOSPITAL
"Described
as 'the perfect gentleman of the soccer field,' Vivian John Woodward is
lying ill in Lewisham Hospital with a form of paralysis. Yesterday (Thursday) Mr. Woodward
was not on the danger list and was said to be quite comfortable. He was
admitted to the hospital on July 13 from his home 30, Elm-grove, Peckham." -
Sydenham, Forest Hill & Penge Gazette & Borough News, Friday, 23 July 1948 |
|
"OBITUARY |
..."The
death occurred on 31st January of Mr Andrew T. Ralston, a divisional
representative on the Council of the Football Association of England, a
prominent and greatly loved figure in amateur football circles. 'Andy'
Ralston, who died suddenly at the bedside of his old friend, Vivian
Woodward, a patient at a nursing home in Castlebar Road, Ealing, had long
been a big figure in Amateur soccer for many years." - The
Campbeltown Courier, Thursday, 16 February 1950 |
|
"HE LIVES ALONE IN A GARRET |
...Forty years ago
Vivian J. Woodward, international Soccer player, was the idol of
thousands. Those who played against him found him the most difficult man
on the field to hold. ('His feet have that magic touch,' they said.) •
TODAY, Vivian Woodward—72 and crippled—lives alone in a garret above a
disused garage in Elm Grove, Peckham, S.E. When I called on him yesterday
he was finishing a simple meal of bread and jam. 'I prepared it myself,'
he said. Everything was in easy reach, for his right arm and leg are
paralysed. He told me that for the last three years, following a stroke,
he has spent most of his times in hospitals. There are few callers. Yet
this man, whose name once increased football gates by thousands, does not
feel his loneliness. 'I have my memories to look back upon,' he said. • MEMORIES? He has a box full of them
. . . 66 England 'caps'—more than any other international player.
Each is carefully wrapped in a sheet of newspaper. He watched me packing
them back in their box. 'I still love the game,' he said. 'I always will.'
He became silent. Perhaps he was thinking of the days when, as centre-forward
for Tottenham Hotspur and later for Chelsea, he captured public admiration
as few players have done. 'The greatest sportsman in the game . . . the
most skilful . . . a human chain of lightning.' Those are the things they
said about him then. • THE 1914 war came and he enlisted in the ranks,
rising to be a major. On his discharge he bought a small farm but lost it
in the depression. He sold eggs, became a heavy rescue worker during the
last war; after that, a general labourer. Now, unable to leave his room
without assistance, Vivian Woodward has one ambition . . . to get back the
power of his paralysed limbs. . . . 'Because,' he said, 'I will then be
able to watch a football match again.'" -
News Chronicle, Saturday, 20 January 1951. |
|
|
"Vivian
[Woodward] is now in King's College, Denmark Hill, where he is being well
looked after. He became ill three years ago and is fighting a game fight
to recover." - The Football Post, Saturday, 27 January 1951 |
|
"F.A. DID THEIR PART |
..."The
F.A. have done their share in looking after Vivian Woodward, 30, Elm-gve.,
Peckham, former Spurs, Chelsea and England soccer star. It was at the end
of 1948 that they heard he was in hospital and not happy there. They
arranged for him to be moved to a private ward. All expenses and fees were
met by the F.A., I am informed. Woodward was also supplied with a radio.
After a while the old soccer star became restless so the F.A. arranged for
him to go to a private nursing home, where they paid the weekly fee of £4
14s. 6d. While he was there, Sir Stanley Rous, secretary of the F.A., used
to visit him as well as a panel of members. Woodward's brother eventually
approached the F.A. and said that the one-time famous centre-forward
wanted to return to his home at Elm-gve. as the surroundings would
probably improve him mentally. After his return, however, the F.A. still
kept up their interest in him and it was decided to allow him a weekly
grant. In addition, the Essex County Association have sent him two gifts
and a television set. Woodward also has a medical care and benefits
through the Welfare Department of the L.C.C." - The
South London Observer, Thursday, 1 February 1951 |
|
Death |
Sunday night, 31 January 1954 at Castlebar Road Nursing Home in
Ealing,
Middlesex |
|
aged
74 years 269 days |
registered in Ealing January-March 1954 |
|
Obituary |
"A GREAT ENGLAND CENTRE-FORWARD—Vivian
Woodward dies in Ealing.
"After
spending two years in an Ealing nursing home, Mr. Vivian J. Woodward, one
of the greatest England centre-forwards of all time, died there at the age
of 74 on Monday. He had been ill for some years. Woodward had a brilliant
career with Tottenham Hotspur and then with Chelsea, and became a director
at both clubs. He remained an amateur throughout his playing career and
appeared in 66 England teams, gaining full caps as well as amateur caps.
He scored six goals in an amateur international against Holland, and five
in another against France. In the first world war, Woodward joined the
famous Footballers' Battalion and rose to the rank of major. He did A.R.P.
work in the last war. During his illness, which left him paralised down
one side, he was cared for by a committee set up the Football Association.
During his playing days Woodward was so true-blue an amateur that he even
refused to accept money for expenses incurred in travelling to the ground
of the club he was playing for." - County Times and Gazette,
Saturday, 6 February 1954
"HE STOOD DOWN FOR A
FRIEND—by CHARLES BUCHAN
"So Vivian Woodward, first gentleman of
Soccer, is dead. He was the man who refused to play in an F.A. Cup Final
because it would have deprived a friend of the honour. He was the forward
who gave to the game an air of distinction and grace, a great footballer
who never acted as a star but always remained unassuming. He was 74, and
had been ill for several years. Frail and tall, this dark-haired amateur
came into the game with an uncanny knack of turning up in the right place
at the right time, with wonderful ball control and the happy ability to
bring the best out of his colleagues. I remember playing against him
several times. Once I had the privilege of being in the same team—the
Football League side which met the Scottish League in Glasgow in 1913. I
have never ceased to wonder how the slenderly-built Woodward evaded the
opposition. For in those days the opposition was really rugged! There was
much to learn from his superb skill., And modern players could learn much
from his manner off the field. Typical of his generous spirit was the
occasion in 1915 when, an officer in the Footballers' Battalion, he
travelled with the Chelsea team to Old Trafford and was asked by the
directors to turn out against Sheffield United in the Cup Final. Knowing
that it would mean replacing Bobbie Thompson, who had helped Chelsea
through the pervious round, Woodward firmly refused. Once when playing for
Spurs he scored two goals without knowing anything about either of them.
He had received concussion early in the game but went on playing. Woodward
was the only footballer in my experience who was a director of a club at
the same time as he played for it. This was in his Tottenham Hotspur days
which began in 1901. After eight years with the Spurs he retired from the
game altogether. But in less than six months he was persuaded to return by
Chelsea. His reason: 'The Chelsea ground is only a bus ride from my home.'
As an England player Woodward holds the record number of appearances. He
played no fewer than 66 times in the colours of English amateur and
professional teams. Woodward did not turn out again in big football after
the first world war." - News Chronicle, Tuesday, 2 February
1954. |
|
Probate |
"WOODWARD
Vivian John of 30 Elm-grove Peckham
London
died 31 January 1954 at 63 Castlebar-road Ealing Middlesex Administration
London
14 May to Egbert Gordon Woodward retired civil engineer. Effects £335 3s. 5d." [2024 equivalent £7,782] |
|
Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
|
Biographies |
Vivian
Woodward: Football's Gentleman - Norman Jacob
(Tempus, 1 August 2005) |
|
Playing Career |
Club(s) |
Attended and played for Ascham College XI in
Clacton. He played with Clacton Town FC, of the North Essex League, and
Harwich & Parkeston FC as well as representing Old Clactonians AFC. Woodward also featured for Chelmsford FC and at the same
time, from 1901, played with and made his name for, Tottenham Hotspur FC,
he initially retired from the game on 31 July 1909. However Woodward signed amateur
forms with Chelsea FC on 22 November 1909 and although he broke his arm in
a cup tie on 25 March 1911, he remained until the outbreak
of war. Also captained the Footballers Battalion during war games. He
retired during the hostilities, probably due to his wounding on 22 January
1916. |
League honours
133 appearances 48 goals |
Tottenham Hotspur FC 1908-09
27 appearances, eighteen goals
debut (div two): 1 Sept 1908 Tottenham Hotspur FC 3
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 0.
Chelsea FC 1909-14 106 appearances, thirty
goals
debut: 27 November 1909 The Wednesday FC 4 Chelsea FC 1.
last:
28 April 1915 Notts County FC 2 Chelsea FC 0. |
Club honours |
World Championship runners-up
1901-02;
Southern League runners-up 1901-02, 1903-04;
The Sheriff of London's Charity Shield winners 1902; FA
Charity Shield
runners-up 1913;
Football League Division Two
runners-up 1908-09 (27ᵃ 18ᵍ), 1911-12 (14ᵃ 2ᵍ), third place (19ᵃ 6ᵍ);
FA Cup
semi-finalists 1910-11 (3ᵃ 3ᵍ), runners-up 1914-15 (0ᵃ); |
|
Individual honours |
Essex FA
Football League (three appearances) |
Distinctions |
Assisted Essex CCC Second XI in
1902-03;
Scored Tottenham Hotspur FC's first ever League goal,
against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, 1 September 1908; |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
10½", 11st.
0lbs [1903 & 1914]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of seven who became the 278th player
(283) to appear for
England. |
|
Position(s) |
Centre-forward,
inside-right/left |
|
First match |
No. 77, 14 February 1903, England 4 Ireland
0,
a British Championship
match at Molineux, Waterloo Road North, St. Peter's, Wolverhampton, aged 23 years
256 days.
|
|
Last match |
No. 109,
13 March 1911, England 3 Wales
0,
a British Championship
match at The
Den, Cold Blow Lane, New Cross, Londonᶜ, aged
31 years 271 days.
|
|
Major tournaments |
British Championship 1902-03,
1903-04, 1904-05, 1906-07, 1907-08, 1908-09, 1909-100, 1910-11; |
|
Team honours |
British Championship shared
1902-03, 1907-08, winners 1903-04, 1904-05, 1908-09,
1910-11; |
Individual honours |
The South (eight appearances, 3ᵍ 5ᶜ January 1903-;
withdrew in January 1907)
The Amateurs (two appearances, 1ᶜ December
1906-October 1913)
The Stripes (one appearance, 1ᶜ January 1910)
England trial (two appearances, 1ᵍ 1ᶜ January 1913-January 1914)
England Amateur (43 appearances,
52ᵍ 34ᶜ November 1906-June 1914)
FA Tour of South Africa
1910 (23
appearances, 27ᵍ, including the three tests)
Olympic Gold Medal
October
1908, July 1912 (six appearances 6ᶜ); |
|
Goalscoring honours |
England's Top Goalscorer (four 1903, two 1905,
ten 1909ᶜ, two 1911ᶜ ) |
|
Distinctions |
Top Scorer for England (with
Steve Bloomer) until 1956
(when Nat Lofthouse scored his 29th), but fourteen of his
goals were against weak emergent amateur teams, namely Hungary and
Austria. He scored just once against Scotland.
Only lost one of his 23
senior appearances, and that on his third outing. |
|
Beyond England |
|
An architect by trade. He was
Director of Tottenham Hotspur FC 1908 until 31 July 1909. Accepted his
commission to join the 17th Middlesex Regiment
(The Footballers' Battalion) on 29 December 1914. Became a captain on 19
October 1915. Captain Woodward was wounded in France on 22 January 1916, a
fragment of a rifle grenade hit him behind the right knee. Chelsea FC
Director July 1922 until 1930. He was then part of the Royal Artillery
during the Second World War, serving as an Air Warden. In his later life,
he was a farmer at Weeley Heath and a diary seller in Frinton-on-Sea. In
fact, he was fined £1 15s. for selling preserved cream without
adequate labelling, on 19 October 1925. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.276. |
|
The Numbers |
| parties |
Apps |
comp. apps |
minutes |
|
goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
captain |
|
27 |
23 |
16 |
2070 |
28 |
74
min |
14 |
14 |
|
The minutes here given
can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an
approximation. |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
23 |
18 |
4 |
1 |
86 |
18 |
+68 |
0 |
8 |
3.739 |
0.783 |
86.9 |
+17 |
Venue Record
|
Venue |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
Home |
10 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
22 |
6 |
+16 |
0 |
5 |
2.20 |
0.60 |
80.0 |
+6 |
|
Away |
13 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
64 |
12 |
+52 |
0 |
3 |
4.923 |
0.923 |
92.3 |
+11 |
Captain Record
|
Venue |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
Home |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
+9 |
0 |
3 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+3 |
|
Away |
11 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
60 |
11 |
+49 |
0 |
2 |
5.455 |
1.00 |
90.9 |
+9 |
|
14 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
69 |
11 |
+58 |
0 |
5 |
4.929 |
0.786 |
92.9 |
+12 |
Competition Record
|
Competition |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
British Championship |
16 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
38 |
11 |
+27 |
0 |
6 |
2.375 |
0.688 |
81.3 |
+10 |
| Friendly |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
48 |
7 |
+41 |
0 |
2 |
6.857 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+7 |
Tournament Record
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC
1902-03 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
+4 |
0 |
1 |
2.333 |
1.00 |
66.7 |
+1 |
|
BC
1903-04 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
+3 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
| BC 1904-05 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
+3 |
0 |
1 |
1.667 |
0.667 |
83.3 |
+2 |
| BC 1906-07 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
BC
1907-08 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
+8 |
0 |
0 |
2.667 |
1.00 |
83.3 |
+2 |
| BC 1908-09 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
+6 |
0 |
2 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
| BC 1909-10 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
| BC 1910-11 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
+3 |
0 |
1 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
| BC All |
16 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
38 |
11 |
+27 |
0 |
6 |
2.375 |
0.688 |
81.3 |
+10 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
| BC |
16 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
38 |
11 |
+27 |
0 |
6 |
2.375 |
0.688 |
81.3 |
+10 |
|
16 |
11 |
4 |
1 |
38 |
11 |
+27 |
0 |
6 |
2.375 |
0.688 |
81.3 |
++10 |
,%20Vivian.jpg)
|
Club: Tottenham Hotspur F.C. -
21 full appearances (1890
min) 26ᵍ 12ᶜ |
F.A. International Select
Committee - 23 full appearances (2070
min) 28ᵍ 14ᶜx
|
|
apps |
match |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
pos |
|
Weinber OG often credited as Woodward's second |
|
|
England
Football Online
,
November 1906;