Alfie Wood
By Malc King
Alfred Ernest Wood was born on 27th November 1883 in Wolverhampton. He had a short playing career at Gloucester, from 1905-6 to partway through the 1907-8 season. During the 1906-7 season, he was a regular for both Gloucester and Gloucestershire.
Bill Bailey of the Citizen, when compiling his greatest Gloucester team of the previous 40 years in 1930, chose A E Wood as the best full-back of that period, and commented that he was “one of the best full-backs of all time”.
Wood played his last game for Gloucester at the end of 1907, and later played for Cheltenham. He won 3 caps for England v France/Ireland/Wales early in 1908, when he was still regarded as a Gloucester player, and indeed Gloucester hosted a dinner in April 1908 to celebrate their internationals, Hudson and Wood.
A week after Alf's third (and as it turned out, last) Rugby Union International on February 15 1908, he attended the last of three Rugby League internationals between the touring New Zealand "All Golds" and England, as a spectator. The international was held at the Athletic Ground Cheltenham and was the deciding game, the first at Headingley being lost 6-14 and the second at StamfordBridge being won by the tourists 18-6. (In the event, New Zealand won the match 8-5 to take the first-ever series). Alf Wood was recognised at the match and approached by the Oldham committee; he was signed by the Rugby League side in time for the start of the 1908-09 season.
Reporting on the England v Scotland international the following month, The Times said that Lyon the full back in that match was "hardly a substitute for A E Wood, the Gloucestershire man."
Alf Wood played for Oldham until 1920-21. He would have felt at home with the club as Oldham played in red and white hoops and their leading player "Mad" Arthur Smith, who played in the Cheltenham international against the "All Golds", had played Rugby Union for Cinderford. Alf went on to play Rugby League intenationals for England (twice) and Great Britain (4 times).
He died at Oldham on February 15 1963, exactly 55 years after his first encounter with Rugby League on the Athletic Ground Cheltenham.