601 Billy Woof

Biography

Forward Billy Woof joined Colin Appleton’s promotion hunting Tigers in October 1982, signing a short term contract and immediately making four appearances – he scored his first goal for City in a November 1982 victory over Peterborough United. Woof spent the winter months in Hong Kong playing for Happy Valley, when he returned the England in January 1983 he again linked up with Hull City on a trial basis, who were challenging a the top of the table. After interest from Hartlepool United, Billy was given a contract to the end of the season and played seven more times, scoring goals in victories against Hereford United and Halifax Town. He was not retained in May 1983 due to the club’s ongoing financial struggles.

William Woof was born in Gateshead and spent his teenage years playing for Redheugh Boys Club while attending Heworth High School. In the summer of 1972 he swapped the Tyne for the Tees and joined Division One side Middlesbrough on apprentice terms, going on to sign professional terms two years later. For several years Woof inhabited the fringes of the Middlesbrough first team squad, occasionally filling in at centre forward when more experienced players were unavailable. He made his first team debut in November 1974 against Queens Park Rangers but waited fifteen months for a second first team call-up, playing in six games towards the end of the season and scoring his first top flight goal against Everton in April 1976.

Spurred on by this, Billy spent May to July 1976 playing North American Soccer League football for Vancouver Whitecaps, scoring five goals in 21 appearances. When he returned to Middlesbrough for the 1976/77 season he made a substitute appearance against Tottenham Hotspur in August 1976 but was then banished to the Reserves for the rest of the season by manager Jack Charlton – in March 1977 Woof had a loan spell at Division Three side Peterborough United where he made 3 appearances. With his time at Middlesbrough seemingly coming to a close, Billy impressed during a May and June 1977 tour of Hong Kong and Australia and when the squad returned to domestic action for the 1977/78 season under new manager John Neal, Woof was back in the first team picture. He competed with new signing Billy Ashcroft for the centre forward’s shirt and was prominent in the League Cup, scoring against Everton in October 1977. Often deployed as matchday substitute, Woof remained on the fringes of the Boro first team during the rest of the season and began the 1978/79 season as a first team starter, scoring an opening day August 1978 goal against Coventry City. However by March 1979 he was made available for transfer and made only one appearance for Boro during the 1979/80 season. In August 1980 a £30,000 transfer to Halifax Town was rejected by the player and he remained a Reserve team operator.

The 1981/82 season saw Middlesbrough sink down the Division One table amid financial problems, which allowed Billy more first team game time in his eight year as an Ayresome Park professional. However by December 1981 he was back on the fringes of the first team and was not offered a new contract in May 1982, when Woof left Middlesbrough having scored six goals in 55 appearances.

In September 1982 Woof joined Division Three side Cardiff City on a trial basis and scored on his Bluebirds debut against Wigan Athletic. However a few days later he took umbrage at being dropped for the next fixture and abandoned his Cardiff trial, joining Northern League side Blyth Spartans on a similar trial basis. Within three weeks he was snapped up by Hull City.

Released by the Tigers in May 1983, he joined National League side Gateshead on trial in August 1983 but was sidelined by a knee injury sustained during his second appearance for the club. In October 1983 he finally yielded to the interest of Division Four side Hartlepool United, spending two months on trial at the Victoria Ground and making 2 appearances – Woof’s final games in senior football.

He left Pools in January 1984 and failed to find a club for the rest of the 1983/84 season. During the opening weeks of the 1984/85 season Billy had short spells at Northern League sides North Shields and Crook Town before signing for another Northern League side Spennymoor United in November 1984. In August 1985 he joined Northern League side Billingham Synthonia, but by January 1986 he had moved to divisional rivals Stockton. In August 1986 he joined Northern League side Norton & Stockton Ancients where he completed his playing days, scoring a hattrick on his debut but suffering recurring knee injuries before drifting out of the game after September 1988. After football he worked for a flooring company in the Teesside area.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 16 August 1956, Gateshead
Hull City First Game: 23 October 1982, Northampton Town H (Division Four), 26 years, 68 days old
Hull City Final Game: 19 April 1983, York City A (Division Four), 26 years, 246 days old

Clubs

Middlesbrough (1974-1982), Vancouver Whitecaps (1976, loan), Peterborough United (1977, loan), Cardiff City (1982), Blyth Spartans (1982), Hull City (1982), Happy Valley (1982-1983), Hull City (1983), Gateshead (1983), Hartlepool United (1983-1984), North Shields (1984), Crook Town (1984), Spennymoor United (1984-1985), Billingham Synthonia (1985-1986), Stockton (1986), Norton & Stockton Ancients (1986-1988)

Hull City Record

Career: 11 apps, 3 goals