Noel Gerard Ward (born 8 December 1952) is a Northern Irish former footballer who played as a defender.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noel Gerard Ward[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Donemana, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Derry City | |||
| 1972–1974 | Portadown | ||
| 1974–1976 | Aberdeen | 7 | (0) |
| 1976–1980 | Wigan Athletic | 134 | (11) |
| Total | 141 | (11) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Born in Donemana, County Tyrone, Ward started his career at Derry City, helping the club reach the final of the 1970–71 Irish Cup, but were ultimately defeated 3-0 by Distillery. Following Derry's withdrawal from the Irish league, Ward moved to Portadown in 1972. He played in the 1972–73 Gold Cup final, which Portadown lost 2–0 against Linfield.
Ward joined Aberdeen in 1974, but made only seven first team appearances in two seasons for the club. He signed for Wigan Athletic in 1976, making over 100 appearances for the club, and helping Wigan gain election to the Football League in 1978. In 1979, Ward broke his leg in a match against Portsmouth, an injury which prematurely ended his career.[3] In 1982, he was awarded a testimonial match by Wigan, which was played against Chelsea.[4]
Career statistics edit
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aberdeen | 1974–75[5] | Division One | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1975–76[5] | Premier Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 1976–77[4] | Northern Premier League | 42 | 2 | 42 | 2 | ||||||
| 1977–78[4] | Northern Premier League | 44 | 5 | 44 | 5 | |||||||
| 1978–79[6] | Fourth Division | 44 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 4 | |
| 1979–80[6] | Fourth Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 134 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 140 | 11 | ||
| Career total | 509 | 198 | 20 | 10 | 35 | 16 | 21 | 9 | 585 | 233 | ||
References edit
- ^ "Noel Ward". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 380. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
- ^ Struthers, Greg (26 February 2006). "Caught in Time: Wigan win election to the Football League, 1978". The Times. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Hayes, Dean (1996). The Latics: The Official History of Wigan Athletic F.C. Harefield: Yore Publications. ISBN 978-1-874427-91-9.
- ^ a b "Player Profile - Noel Ward". Aberdeen Football Club Heritage. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ a b Noel Ward at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
External links edit
- Profile at NIFG
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