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Chris Ward (footballer)

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Chris Ward
Personal information
Full name Christopher Ward
Date of birth (1981-04-28) 28 April 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Preston, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Springfields
Fulwood Amateurs
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Lancaster City
2001–2002 Birmingham City 0 (0)
2001–2002 → Forest Green Rovers (loan) 5 (1)
2001–2002 → Southport (loan) 3 (0)
2002–2003 Barrow[1] 8 (3)
2002–2003 Leigh RMI 5 (1)
2002–2003 Lincoln City 6 (2)
2003–2004 Northwich Victoria
2004–2005 Bamber Bridge[2] 37 (14)
2005–2007 Kendal Town
2006–2007 Mossley
2006–2009 Clitheroe
2008–2009 Chorley
2009–2013 Lancaster City 5 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Chris Ward (born 28 April 1981) is an English footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder. He played in the Football League for Lincoln City.

Early career

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Hailing from the Preston suburb of Ashton-on-Ribble, Ward began his career with local sides Springfields and Fulwood Amateurs whilst studying at Ashton-on-Ribble High School and Preston College before signing for Lancaster City at the age of 18.[3] Ward quickly made an impression at Lancaster, scoring on his full debut in the 2–0 away victory over Winsford United on 24 August 1999.[4] A deluge of goals for Lancaster attracted the attention of scouts and on 24 April 2001 Ward agreed to join Birmingham City for £25,000; his contract would officially begin at the start of the 2001–02 season.[5]

Ward failed to make the first team at Birmingham and in October 2001 he joined Forest Green on a month's loan,[6] making his debut in the 2–2 home draw with Northwich Victoria on 29 September 2001 and scoring his first, and only, league goal for the club a week later in the 5–1 away defeat to Doncaster Rovers. In March 2002 he joined Southport, again on loan,[7] debuting in the 3–2 home defeat to Boston United on 1 April 2002.

Released by Birmingham at the end of the season, he joined Barrow, making his debut in the 1–1 home draw with Hucknall Town on 17 August 2002[8] and scoring his first league goal for the club in the 1–1 away draw with Runcorn on the following Tuesday. Ward's time with Barrow would be brief as after just a month with the club he signed for Leigh RMI.[9] After making his debut in the 1–0 away defeat to Farnborough Town on 21 September 2002,[10] Ward notched his only league goal for Leigh in the 2–1 home victory over Stevenage Borough on 12 October.[11]

Lincoln City

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In October 2002, Ward returned to the Football League signing for Lincoln City[12][13] where he linked up with sometime Lancaster City teammate Mark Bailey.[14] He made his Football League debut for the club as a 74th-minute replacement for Adie Mike in the 0–0 draw at Darlington on 2 November,[15] and scored his first goal for the club on his full league debut against Carlisle United on 4 February 2003,[16] but he struggled to establish himself at Sincil Bank and was released at the end of the season.[17]

Return to the non-leagues

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He linked up with Northwich Victoria[18] then Bamber Bridge.[19] Moves to Kendal Town and Mossley followed. He moved on to Clitheroe, scoring on his debut in the 3–1 home defeat to Bradford Park Avenue on 6 January 2007.[20] Teaching commitments caused Ward to miss most of the 2007–08 season but he resumed his Clitheroe career at the start of the 2008–09 season. In November 2008, Ward linked up with his one-time Lancaster City manager Tony Hesketh at Chorley,[21] debuting in the 3–1 away defeat to FC Halifax Town on 15 November 2008. Hesketh departed the hot seat at Chorley to return to Lancaster City and Ward was one of five players who followed him from Chorley to the Giant Axe-based club ahead of the 2009–10 season.[22] He marked his return to the club by scoring on his debut in the 5–0 home Northern Premier League Division One North victory over Prescot Cables on 15 August 2009.[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Chris Ward Player Details 2002–2003". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Chris Ward Player Details 2004–2005". SoccerFactsUK. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  3. ^ "Football star nets Brum deal". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 29 June 2001. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Boost for the blues". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 27 August 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Cup Blues". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 27 April 2001. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Ward joins Rovers strikeforce". NonLeagueDaily.com. 4 October 2001. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Southport sign Ward". NonLeagueDaily.com. 29 March 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Ward joins Barrow". NonLeagueDaily.com. 19 August 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "Ward in at Leigh". NonLeagueDaily.com. 20 September 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Farnboro 1–0 Leigh RMI". BBC Sport. 21 September 2002. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  11. ^ "Leigh RMI 2–1 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 12 October 2002. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Leigh lose Ward to Lincoln". NonLeagueDaily.com. 25 October 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Conference Striker Links Up with the Imps". Lincoln City F.C. 24 October 2002. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  14. ^ ""I'm Here To Score Goals" Says Ward". Lincoln City F.C. 24 October 2002. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  15. ^ "Darlington 0 Lincoln City 0 Match Report". Lincoln City F.C. 2 November 2002. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  16. ^ "Super City Come to the Four". Lincoln City F.C. 4 February 2003. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  17. ^ "Trio Released By Imps". Lincoln City F.C. 26 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012.
  18. ^ "Vics snap up three". NonLeagueDaily.com. 4 August 2003. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ^ "Big signings for Ambitious Brig". NonLeagueDaily.com. 22 July 2004. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. ^ "Clitheroe 1 Bradford Park Avenue 3". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  21. ^ "Magpies enlist Ward's help". NonLeagueDaily.com. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. ^ "Hesketh brings five Magpies with him". NonLeagueDaily.com. 4 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. ^ "Lancaster City 5–0 Prescott Cables". Lakeland Echo. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2010. [dead link]
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