Peter Ward (English footballer)

Football player infobox2
playername = Peter Ward
fullname = Peter Ward
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1955|7|27|df=y
cityofbirth = Derby
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Retired
position = Striker
youthyears = 1974-1975
youthclubs = Burton Albion
years = 1975-1980
1980-1983
1982
1982 1983
1984
1991
clubs = Brighton & Hove Albion
Nottingham Forest
→ Seattle Sounders (loan)
→ Brighton & Hove Albion
→ Seattle Sounders (loan)
Vancouver Whitecaps
Tampa Bay Rowdies
caps(goals) = 178 (79)
033 0(7)
032 (18)
016 0(2)
30 (13)
24 (16)
14 (2)
nationalyears = 1980
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 0(0)

Peter Ward is a retired footballer, whose most successful times were with Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. He mostly played as a forward.

He now lives in the United States, but can still be seen at Brighton games and events when he visits the UK.

Early career and transfer to Brighton

Peter Ward was an apprentice engine fitter at the Rolls-Royce plant in Derby. While there he played for non-league side Burton Albion. He was transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1975 for a fee of £4000. The move also saw Burton manager Ken Guttridge move to the Albion as Assistant Manager.

Initially Peter Ward played in the Reserves.

First spell at Brighton

His first game with the first team came on March 27 1976 against Hereford United. He scored in the first minute in a game that ended 1-1.

In the 1976-77 season, he scored 36 goals, beating the club record and winning him the golden boot.

The following season Brighton were promoted to the old Division 1. Ward put in a transfer request; however, differences were resolved and he still wore the Brighton shirt for the first game in the top flight which saw Brighton lose 4-0 to Arsenal.

In November of that year Brighton accepted a £400,000 offer from Nottingham Forest, but Forest manager Brian Clough changed his mind and withdrew it. [http://thisisthealbion.co.uk/history/legends/legends06.html]

Move to Nottingham Forest

Ward finally did move to Nottingham Forest in October 1980. He made 28 league appearances for Nottingham Forest and scored 7 goals, [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3749] but things didn't really work out. Ward was sent on loan to American side Seattle Sounders where he scored 18 goals in the 1981-82 season putting him 3rd in the list of top NASL goalscorers that season. [http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1982.html#NASL]

Back at Brighton

Ward returned to Brighton on loan in October 1982. The loan lasted 4 months, during which time he scored 3 goals, including the only goal in a 1-0 defeat of Manchester United. Nottingham Forest refused to extend the loan deal further. [http://thisisthealbion.co.uk/history/legends/legends06.html]

International career

In 1977, Ward had been selected for an England under-21 game against Norway. He scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win for England. He was selected for the full England squad against Luxembourg a month later but didn't make it onto the bench.

His only full cap came on 31 May 1980, in a 2-1 win over Australia. Peter Ward came on in the 85th minute, making his international career the shortest ever for an England player.

Personal life

In 2002, Ward married his second wife, Jacqueline. He has three daughters Rachael, Rebekah, and Louisa from his first marriage.