Full name Derek George Woodley Playing position Name Derek Woodley | Date of death 2002 (aged 59–60) Role Footballer Place of death Shoebury, England Died 2002 | |
Date of birth (1942-03-02)2 March 1942 | ||
Place of birth Isleworth, England | ||
Derek George Woodley (2 March 1942 in Isleworth – 2002) was an English footballer who played for West Ham United, Southend United, Charlton Athletic and Gillingham during a 12-year professional career.
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Playing career
Woodley played for the England Schoolboys team during the 1950s, including scoring a goal against Wales in 1957 after just 13 seconds; it was the fastest goal scored in any competitive fixture at the original Wembley Stadium. In 1957, he joined West Ham United as a junior and later turned professional with the club. He found his first team opportunities limited, however, and moved on to Southend United in 1962. He made over 150 appearances for the Roots Hall club in two spells (separated by a brief stint with Charlton Athletic) before moving to Gillingham in 1968.
During his time at Priestfield Stadium he made exactly 100 Football League appearances, before leaving in 1971 to wind down his career with non-league Folkestone.
Later life
In later years Woodley lived in Felixstowe and Shoebury. He died in January 2002, with former England star Martin Peters attending his funeral.