Alf Wood – SkyBlueArchive

Position

Goalkeeper

Nationality

Place Of Birth

Aldridge

Date Of Birth

May 14, 1915

Date Of Death

December 17, 2001 (86)

Games Played

111

Per Game

Games Started

111

1.0

Per Game

Minutes

9990

90.0

Per Game

Goals Conceded

157

1.4

Per Game

Clean Sheets

0.3

Per Game

Alf joined Coventry City, managed at that time by the legendary Harry Storer, in December 1935 after playing for Nuneaton Town and Sutton Town. Prior to the war he only made two appearances for the first team, both when regular goalkeeper Bill Morgan was injured. Morgan, only a year older than Alf, was his chief mentor, teaching him the importance of dominating his penalty area. Alf made his debut for the club in a 5-0 home win over Swansea in February 1938 and just over a year later he kept another clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

During the war he was in the army, and played almost 100 games as a guest player with Northampton Town, playing alongside Bill Shankly and future City scout Bob Dennison. He was invalided out of the army with spinal meningitis a disease which resulted in him losing all his hair and making him look older than he really was. Doctors warned him that he would never play football again but he recovered and with Morgan forced to retire through injury Alf won the first team jersey and in the transitional season of 1945-46 he was an ever present. In fact he was an ever present from August 1945 until May 1951 making 260 consecutive games in goal. In the record books however the first season’s games were not treated as official games and his final official tally was 218, a record overhauled by Steve Ogrizovic in 1989 who went on to make 238 consecutive appearances.

Alf was a fearless goalkeeper. He controlled his penalty area so well and was never afraid to come rushing off his line to dive at a forward’s feet. Perhaps his finest game was the third round FA Cup tie at Sunderland in 1951, which despite Wood making numerous courageous saves including one from a penalty, City lost 0-2. In those days football was a much more physical game and goalkeepers were given little protection from hefty centre-forwards who took great delight in bundling goalkeepers into the net. In September 1951, after a 7-1 defeat at Swansea, he lost his place to Peter Taylor. Unhappy with reserve team football he joined Northampton (for £2,100) and was an ever-present for Northampton in two of his three full seasons at the County Ground. In 1955 he returned to Highfield Road as assistant trainer under Jesse Carver. He was reunited with City’s dazzling young keeper Reg Matthews who learned enormously from Alf’s knowledge and experience. Injuries meant that Alf had to play in goal against Reading that season and again for two games the following season.

In 1958, when Jim Saunders suffered a broken leg Alf was recalled and played 12 consecutive games in Division 4 and didn’t concede a goal in the first four. In the home game against York on 1 December his penalty save from Colin Addison brought the house down. He finally hung his boots up after the 3-1 FA Cup defeat against Plymouth having made 583 appearances for City and the Cobblers and continued as the club’s head trainer. Alf is still the oldest player to have played for the club and was the third oldest player to have played league football since the war.

He continued as trainer until 1961 when he was a victim of the Jimmy Hill revolution and left the club. He had a spell as manager of Walsall in 1963-64 before returning to Coventry and managing works side, Massey Ferguson and was still coaching local youngsters way past his 80th birthday.

Penalties faced (18 - 4 saved)
1949-50
7 September 1949 v Barnsley A, scored
12 November 1949 v Hull City A, scored
24 December 1949 v Grimsby Town H, saved
26 December 1949 v Leicester City A, scored
26 January 1950 v Swansea Town A, scored
6 May 1950 v Barnsley H, scored
1950-51
16 September 1950 v Chesterfield A, scored
23 September 1950 v Leicester City H, scored
2 December 1950 v Sheffield United A, missed (over)
6 January 1951 v Sunderland A, saved
13 January 1951 v Queens Park Rangers A, saved
24 February 1951 v Brentford H, scored
3 March 1951 v Blackburn Rovers A, scored
14 April 1951 v Barnsley A, scored
1951-52
8 September 1951 v Hull City H, scored
1956-57
6 October 1956 v Torquay United A, scored
1958-59
1 November 1958 v York City H, saved
6 December 1958 v Plymouth Argyle H, scored

FA Cup (England)

1958-1959

180′

1956-1957

90′

1950-1951

90′

1949-1950

90′

450′

Football League Fourth Division (England)

1958-1959

900′

Football League Third Division South (England)

1956-1957

180′

1955-1956

90′

270′

Football League Second Division (England)

1951-1952

900′

1950-1951

3690′

1949-1950

3780′

8370′

132

Totals:

111

9990′

157