Tony Woodcock

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Anthony Stewart "Tony" Woodcock (born 6 December 1955) is an English former football player, who played as a striker.

[edit] Career

Born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, Woodcock started his career at Nottingham Forest, whom he joined as an apprentice in 1974. After loan spells at Lincoln City and Doncaster Rovers, Woodcock broke into the Forest first team in 1976-77, helping the team to promotion to the First Division. Under Brian Clough, Forest went on to win the League Championship in 1978 (Woodcock winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award that year as well), and the European Cup in 1979. Meanwhile, he had made his debut for England in 1978 against Northern Ireland; he would go on to win 42 caps for his country (scoring 16 goals), and play in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Woodcock was signed by West German side 1. FC Köln in the summer of 1979 (thus missing out on Forest's successful defence of their European title), where he spent three seasons, his side finishing as runners-up in the Bundesliga in 1982. He scored 28 goals in 81 matches for the German side.

He returned home after the 1982 World Cup, signing for Arsenal for £500,000. Woodcock was Arsenal's top scorer for the next four seasons, his best tally being 21 in 1983-84; he hit five in a single game against Aston Villa, a post-war record for the club, he also scored the final goal in the last ever British Home Championship . However, he suffered a serious injury in March 1985, which disrupted his career. With the arrival of George Graham, who was looking to rebuild the team, as Arsenal manager in 1986, the 30-year-old Woodcock was told he was surplus to requirements. In all, Woodcock scored 68 goals in 169 matches for the Gunners.

Woodcock re-signed for 1. FC Köln making 49 Appearances and scoring 11 goals. He finished his career playing for Fortuna Köln, making 37 appearances and scoring 5 goals, before retiring from playing in 1990. He later worked as a coach in Germany, coaching at VfB Leipzig and was sports director at Eintracht Frankfurt, but has since returned to the UK, and now runs a sport media business with former Nottingham Forest and England team-mate Viv Anderson.

[edit] Honours

• Anglo-Scottish Cup winner 1977
• Football League Championship winner 1978
• Football League Cup winner 1978, 1979
• FA Charity Shield winner 1978
• European Cup winner 1979
• European Super Cup winner 1979
• PFA Young Player of the Year 1978

v • d • e England squad - 1980 UEFA European Championship 1 Clemence • 2 Neal • 3 Sansom • 4 Thompson • 5 Watson • 6 Wilkins • 7 Keegan • 8 Coppell • 9 Johnson • 10 Brooking • 11 Woodcock • 12 Anderson • 13 Shilton • 14 Cherry • 15 Hughes • 16 Mills • 17 McDermott • 18 Kennedy • 19 Hoddle • 20 Mariner • 21 Birtles • 22 Corrigan • Coach: Greenwood

v • d • e England squad - 1982 FIFA World Cup 1 Clemence • 2 Anderson • 3 Brooking • 4 Butcher • 5 Coppell • 6 Foster • 7 Keegan • 8 Francis • 9 Hoddle • 10 McDermott • 11 Mariner • 12 Mills • 13 Corrigan • 14 Neal • 15 Rix • 16 Robson • 17 Sansom • 18 Thompson • 19 Wilkins • 20 Withe • 21 Woodcock • 22 Shilton • Coach: Greenwood