Colin Woodthorpe
Encyclopedia
Colin Woodthorpe is a veteran English
footballer
currently serving as assistant manager at Colwyn Bay F.C.
.
in the 1985-86 season
at Rochdale in the Freight Rover Trophy
as a 17-year old apprentice.
The following season saw Woodthorpe make his Football League debut at Bury
in a 1-1 draw and he ended the campaign with 30 league starts and two goals to his name. He also found the net in the northern final of the Freight Rover Trophy, but Chester lost 2-1 on aggregate to Mansfield Town
. He remained a regular in the left-back slot for the remainder of his time at the club and did not miss a game in the 1989-90 season
. At the end of the campaign he joined top-flight side Norwich City
for a six-figure sum, having made 155 league appearances and scored six times in four years with Chester's first team.
, with Mark Bowen picked ahead of him. However, his four years with Norwich included some highlights, such as playing against Inter Milan in a UEFA Cup
tie (1993), appearing in an FA Cup
semi-final against Sunderland (1992) and scoring in a 3-0 win over Liverpool
(1991).
for £400,000, again providing matches in European competition. In three years at Pittodrie
Woodthorpe made 51 league appearances before returning to the north-west with Stockport County in 1997.
.
at the start of the 2002-03 season
. His first goal for the Shakers was a local derby winner at Rochdale in the LDV Vans Trophy
and his first season ended with Bury reaching the Division Three play-offs.
Woodthorpe remained a regular figure in the Bury defence, despite being 20 years older than some team-mates and opponents. He was released from Bury in May 2008.
at UniBond Premier Division club Colwyn Bay F.C.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
currently serving as assistant manager at Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...
.
Early career
Woodthorpe has enjoyed an extremely long professional playing career, having made his first-team debut for Chester CityChester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the 1985-86 season
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
at Rochdale in the Freight Rover Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
as a 17-year old apprentice.
The following season saw Woodthorpe make his Football League debut at Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in a 1-1 draw and he ended the campaign with 30 league starts and two goals to his name. He also found the net in the northern final of the Freight Rover Trophy, but Chester lost 2-1 on aggregate to Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
. He remained a regular in the left-back slot for the remainder of his time at the club and did not miss a game in the 1989-90 season
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
. At the end of the campaign he joined top-flight side Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
for a six-figure sum, having made 155 league appearances and scored six times in four years with Chester's first team.
Norwich City
Woodthorpe was not always a first choice defender at Carrow RoadCarrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
, with Mark Bowen picked ahead of him. However, his four years with Norwich included some highlights, such as playing against Inter Milan in a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie (1993), appearing in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final against Sunderland (1992) and scoring in a 3-0 win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
(1991).
Aberdeen
In 1994 he moved north of the border when he joined AberdeenAberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
for £400,000, again providing matches in European competition. In three years at Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
Woodthorpe made 51 league appearances before returning to the north-west with Stockport County in 1997.
Stockport County
Stockport County had just won promotion to Division One, a level the club would remain at until 2002 when they were relegated and Woodthorpe left on a free transfer, despite captaining the side in his final season at Edgeley ParkEdgeley Park
Edgeley Park is an association football and rugby union stadium in Stockport, England. The stadium was initially built for the rugby league club Stockport in 1901, but by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and in the same year, Stockport County Football Club, who were looking for a bigger ground,...
.
Bury
Woodthorpe joined BuryBury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
at the start of the 2002-03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
. His first goal for the Shakers was a local derby winner at Rochdale in the LDV Vans Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
and his first season ended with Bury reaching the Division Three play-offs.
Woodthorpe remained a regular figure in the Bury defence, despite being 20 years older than some team-mates and opponents. He was released from Bury in May 2008.
Management career
In May 2010 Colin Woodthorpe was appointed as assistant to player manager Dave ChallinorDave Challinor
David Paul "Dave" Challinor is an English former footballer who is currently the manager of AFC Fylde. He played in the Football League as a professional from 1994 until 2008 with Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Bury....
at UniBond Premier Division club Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C.
Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club, as of the 2011–12 season are playing in the Conference North. Nicknamed the Seagulls, the club play at Llanelian Road in Old Colwyn.-History:...
.