Wood Norman Image 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1908

Description

Inside left Norman Wood was born in Tooting, played junior football for Bromley and was selected four times for the London amateur representative side in 1907 before joining Southern League Tottenham Hotspur in June 1908. He failed to make any first team appearances whilst at White Hart Lane and moved on to Crystal Palace the following year. After playing just once for the Eagles, his senior debut coming in an away fixture at West Ham United in March 1909, he joined Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 1910, and was described by the club handbook as “a re-instated amateur, an artistic inside-left”.

After beginning the season in the first team Wood lost his place and, despite a couple of appearances towards the end of the campaign, left to join Croydon Common after a single goal in 14 appearances. During his only season with The Robins he played 17 times in the Southern League and FA Cup, scoring 6 goals, impressing enough to earn a move to First Division Chelsea  in March 1912, albeit during his brief spell he didn’t play for the first team there before moving on to Stockport County in June 1913. He made his Football League bow at Birmingham in September 1913 and spent two seasons with Stockport, scoring 12 goals in 60 appearances. He had an unusual day in his 6th game for Stockport at home to Fulham in October 1913 when he scored an own goal, conceded a penalty and missed a penalty!

One observer at the time wrote: “Brushed dark hair and deft touches of the ball with the side of the foot. His type of play was unselfish, for with a crafty left foot he made openings and opportunities for colleagues. Unquestionably he was a fine initiator, but he did not make the mark that he should have done.”

After a brief spell with Stalybridge Celtic, six months into the First World War, Wood enlisted in the 17th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment), otherwise known as The Footballers’ Battalion, in February 1915. Sergeant Norman Wood was killed in action at Delville Wood on July 28th 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. His name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial.