Ken Wookey (footballer, born 1946)

Ken Wookey

Personal information
Full name	Kenneth George Wookey[1]
Date of birth	30 December 1946[1]
Place of birth	Newport, Wales[1]
Date of death	16 December 1992 (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. † Appearances (goals)

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.

Honours

with Port Vale

• Football League Fourth Division fourth place promotion winner: 1969–70^[2]

References

1. 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.