Ken Wookey (footballer, born 1946)

Ken Wookey
Personal information
Full name Kenneth George Wookey[1]
Date of birth (1946-12-30)30 December 1946[1]
Place of birth Newport, Wales[1]
Date of death 16 December 1992(1992-12-16) (aged 45)[1]
Place of death Taunton, England[1]
Playing position Centre-forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1969 Newport County 63 (5)
1969 → Lovell's Athletic (loan)
1969–1970 Port Vale 24 (4)
1970–1971 Workington 16 (4)
Yeovil Town
Salisbury
Barry Town
Westland Sports
Chard Town
Glastonbury
Sturminster Newton
Total 103+ (13+)
Teams managed
Sturminster Newton
Shaftesbury

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Kenneth George "Ken" Wookey (30 December 1946 – 16 December 1992) was a Welsh footballer and football manager. A striker, he spent six years in the Football League. His father, also called Ken Wookey, was also a professional footballer.

He started his career with local club Newport County in 1964. After five years with County, he was loaned out to Lovell's Athletic, before signing permanently with Port Vale in 1969. After helping the "Valiants" to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1969–70, he transferred to Workington. In 1971 he dropped into non-league football when he joined Yeovil Town. He later played for Salisbury, Barry Town, Westland Sports, Chard Town, Glastonbury, and Sturminster Newton. He later managed Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury.

Playing career

Wookey began his career at Newport County, as the "Exiles" posted a 16th-place finish in the Fourth Division in 1964–65. He helped Billy Lucas's side up to ninth place in 1965–66, before they dropped down to 18th in 1966–67. Leslie Graham then took charge at Rodney Parade, and led Newport to 12th in 1967–68 and then 22nd in 1968–69. Wookey also had a loan spell with Lovell's Athletic.

He signed with Gordon Lee's Port Vale in July 1969.[1] He scored four goals in 29 games of the 1969–70 Fourth Division promotion winning season, but lost his first team place at Vale Park in February 1970 and was given a free transfer to Workington in May of that year.[1] He scoured four goals in 16 Fourth Division games in 1970–71, before leaving Borough Park and the Football League to join Yeovil Town in the Southern League.[1] He later played for Salisbury, Barry Town, Westland Sports, Chard Town and Glastonbury, before becoming player-manager of Sturminster Newton. After leaving Sturminste he then became the manager of Shaftesbury.[1]

Family

His father Ken was also a professional footballer.

Ken married Elizabeth Ann Cotterill in 1970, the next year they had a son, called Gary. In June 2008 Gary married Helen (née Minchington), and the pair raised three children together: Jacob Tomas Williams (stepson), Megan Olivia Wookey, and Owain George Wookey. Owain was so named for his Welsh heritage, and has his grandfathers middle name.

Statistics

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Newport County 1963–64 Fourth Division 00000000
1964–65 Fourth Division 10000010
1965–66 Fourth Division 1130000113
1966–67 Fourth Division 1510010161
1967–68 Fourth Division 1720010182
1968–69 Fourth Division 19020002140
Total 6362020676
Port Vale 1969–70 Fourth Division 2444010294
Workington 1970–71 Fourth Division 1740010184

Honours

with Port Vale

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 316. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ Kent, Jeff (1990). "Surviving on a Shoestring (1969–1979)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 227–257. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
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