Gerry Ward

Infobox Football biography
playername = Gerry Ward


fullname = Gerald Ward
dateofbirth = birth date|1936|10|5|mf=y
cityofbirth = Stepney, London
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = January 1994
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname =
position = Left wing, wing half
currentclub =
youthyears = 1952-53
youthclubs = Arsenal
years = 1953-63 1963-64
clubs = Arsenal Leyton Orient Cambridge City Barnet
caps(goals) = 081 0(10) 044 00(2)
manageryears = 1973-1974
managerclubs = Barnet

Gerald "Gerry" Ward (October 5 1936 – January 1994) was an English footballer.

Born in Stepney, London, Ward joined Arsenal as a trainee in 1952 and was quickly propelled into the first team. He made his debut on the left wing in a home match against Huddersfield Town on August 22 1953, at the age of 16 years and 321 days; this made him at the time Arsenal's youngest-ever player (since surpassed by Jermaine Pennant and then Cesc Fabregas), and until 2008 he held the record for Arsenal's youngest-ever player in a league match, a record now held by Jack Wilshere. As Wilshere's appearance was as a substitute, Ward remains the youngest Arsenal player to ever start a league match.

Ward turned professional soon after his debut and made two more appearances in the 1953-54 season. However, he did not play for Arsenal for another four years after that; a large portion of that time was spent doing National Service, which prevented him from playing. He was demobbed in February 1957 and regained his place in the 1957-58 season, becoming a regular in 1958-59 at wing half. However, with competition from Tommy Docherty he was only a bit-part player between 1960 and 1963, making just 21 appearances over the three seasons. He left Arsenal in July 1963 for Leyton Orient; in all he played 84 times for Arsenal, scoring ten goals.

He spent one season at Orient, making 44 appearances and scoring two goals. He had a career in non-league football after that, playing for both Cambridge City and Barnet, whom he also managed for a brief period between 1973 and 1974. He died in 1994, aged 57.

References

*cite book
author=Harris, Jeff & Hogg, Tony (ed.)
title=Arsenal Who's Who
publisher=Independent UK Sports
year=1995
id=ISBN 1-899429-03-4