Gerry Ward (footballer)

Gerry Ward
Personal information
Full name	Gerald Ward
Date of birth	5 October 1936
Place of birth	Stepney, London, England
Date of death	January 1994
Position(s)	Left wing, wing half
Youth career
1952–1953	Arsenal
Senior career*
Years	Team
1953–1963	Arsenal
1963–1964	Leyton Orient
	Cambridge City
	Barnet
Managerial career
1973–1974	Barnet
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gerald Ward (5 October 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 22 August 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 Fàbregas), 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

Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.

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