Peter Ward - So Just How Good Was He??

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

He was my morning my afternoon my evening. No one came close in my eyes (although I loved Tank too). I was devastated when he went to Forest and I will never be able to forgive Cloughie for what he did to Wardy.

Wardy is our Stanley matthews.... we may never see his like again. Do I want a statue of him at Falmer... YOU BET!!!!

 

[Dorset Seagull]

That's right. When Wardy was on form you didn't want to miss a split second of the action - the noise of the crowd would rise signiifcantly. Although as KZN Seagull points out, he certainly had his off-days and there were some detractors.

It's worth pointing out that he never won Player of the Year for us and in terms of consistency he was well behind Nobby and Lawro.

But I can't think of a single other player who's come close to generating that sort of excitement - not Mike Small, Johnny Byrne, Garry Nelson or Bobby Z.

Unfortunately I missed the Zamora era but I was fortunate to be involved in the Wardy era. The hairs stood up on the back of your neck whenever he was on the halfway line with only 3 defenders to beat! He ran in a gangly fashion but was always in total control of the ball and seemed to always know when to pull the trigger.

Was really surprised he didn't succeed at the higher level as he always looked as if he was a different class.

Possibly the most exciting player I ever saw live with perhaps the only exception being George Best

 

[Icy Gull]

Was really surprised he didn't succeed at the higher level as he always looked as if he was a different class.

I am convinced, in the current game he would have gone all the way but he played in an era when whacking a player was deemed acceptable and he was always very slight and I imagine his nerve started to go when he knew he'd be hit by crunching tackles from big top class defenders who were as quick as him. In the lower leagues he could skip past the slow donkeys masquerading as defenders.

 

[Chesney Christ]

He is 53 now. I think he will play for quite a lot of the game. After all he is travelling 7000miles round trip to play.

I thought Brett was manager this year? He has a hard enough job as it is....

 

[GT49er]

He was the best! He had that knack of receiving the ball in a situation where he was surrounded by defenders, with all ways to goal blocked - and then suddenly, without you being quite able to see how, he would be goalside with the ball at his feet and the goal waiting.
The only other players I ever saw at the Goldstone who could do that were Peter Osgood and Mick Channon - that gives you some sort of idea of the level he was at. Should never have gone to Forest (we didn't even get a particularly good deal for him).

 

[Bry Nylon]

When I was playing football at Buxted Primary in the late 70's, nobody wanted to be Kevin Keegan, Gordon Hill, Stevie Coppell, Tevor Brooking, Trevor Francis or Frank Stapleton...

EVERYBODY wanted to be Peter Ward.




And he looked a bit like this....

 

[dougdeep]

He was very quick off the mark, he could collect a ball and turn before the defenders knew what was going on. He got us lots of free kicks and penalties that way. He never made it at the highest level though so I would rate Michael Robinson higher.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Wardy on the ball used to crank up the atmosphere a notch and it created a positive vibe on the terraces. The way he dribbled the ball around players was amazing , as if the football had been superglued to his boot.

 

[Barry Izbak]

When Peter Ward played for the Albion he summed up what following the Albion was all about in those days. You went to the old ground, and didn't mind having to get there early and queue to get in because you expected him to score at least once, to be brilliant, and the Albion to win.

Like for example the Derby league cup tie when I was in position on the East over an hour before kick off and the place was already absolutely packed. These were the recent champions Derby, also in the European Cup, not the modern day 2nd division side.

Just imagine if you had had to get to into Withdean by 6.30 when we played Derby in the League Cup this season to be sure of getting a good view. Imagine there being 33,000 other people there, genuinely expecting an Albion win, us having seen off Ipswich and WBA in the league cup already. Imagine the atmosphere on the terraces building for over an hour until kick off.

And then imagine Wardy skipping round the Derby defence and scoring inside the first minute!
Makes the hairs on my neck stand up to this day.
That was one of my top five ever Albion games.

 

[pork pie]

quite simply THE best striker we have ever had!

 

[Dave the OAP]

he was quite simply "the Best"

 

[SirDouglasLoft]

I'd love to of seen him play, in his day, for us

 

[Dave the OAP]

i suppose Wardy was our Keegan really.

In the 70's the best strike force possibly ever was Toshack and Keegan for Liverpool, they were awesome, and we has Mellor and Ward.

Bristol Rovers had warboys and bannister. Leeds Clarke and Jones,

 

[little al]

He shot, he cum, all over Mullerys bum, Peter Ward, Peter Ward.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

The best I've ever seen in nearly 49 years watching the Albion - my mates and I used to go to reserve games to watch him before he made his first team debut.
That was a day too; Hereford at Edgar Street, TV cameras, top scorer Fred Binney dropped by Mullery and Wardy scores in the first minute - the start of a fairy tale that none who saw him play will ever forget.

 

[BLOCK F]

Just the most exciting player I have ever seen 'live' in my life.He epitomised much that was great about the Seagulls in those days.The anticipation of the crowd,the excitement,the wonder, the joy when the goal was scored against the odds.Decent defenders on their arses.When he was on fire,it was as near as damn' it impossible to stop him legally.Not only did he score plenty of goals,he made it possible for Spider to score plenty as well.....what a great partnership...one shortarse,one gangly 'spider'!!Would have scored more,but Nobby Horton took almost all the penalties in thos e days.
I will NEVER forget the pleasure he gave and I am convinced that if he had not been so mismanaged by Clough at Forest,he would have reached even greater heights.However,we must not forget that he did score a good number of goals in the old 1st Division in a struggling team;he also often played brilliantly on those occasions when he didn't score.
Wardy....How good was he?Just brilliant.I STILL smile when I tell my boy about the genius that was Peter Ward!!!!

 

[Questions]

I remember a goal he scored in a brace against Swindon in a 4-0 win in 76 or 77 when he beat 3 defenders had a open goal but delayed and had to beat 2 of them again before netting. He was simply the most exiting player we have had in the last 40 years for sure.
Oh yes and he was lightweight, jumped tackles and could be a tad lazy but my god you forgave him all that for when he was on fire.

 

[glasfryn]

When Peter Ward played for the Albion he summed up what following the Albion was all about in those days. You went to the old ground, and didn't mind having to get there early and queue to get in because you expected him to score at least once, to be brilliant, and the Albion to win.

Like for example the Derby league cup tie when I was in position on the East over an hour before kick off and the place was already absolutely packed. These were the recent champions Derby, also in the European Cup, not the modern day 2nd division side.

Just imagine if you had had to get to into Withdean by 6.30 when we played Derby in the League Cup this season to be sure of getting a good view. Imagine there being 33,000 other people there, genuinely expecting an Albion win, us having seen off Ipswich and WBA in the league cup already. Imagine the atmosphere on the terraces building for over an hour until kick off.

And then imagine Wardy skipping round the Derby defence and scoring inside the first minute!
Makes the hairs on my neck stand up to this day.
That was one of my top five ever Albion games.

mine too your post bought back those memories......thankyou

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I thought Brett was manager this year? He has a hard enough job as it is....

Its up to Brett but I have a hunch and feel I am not sticking my neck too far out to say Peter Ward will play.

 

[Skaville]

Nice thread this and I love the Relive The Glory Years website. I have never seen the Newcastle footage before. Terrific!