Carl’s taking on a goalkeeping challenge for the new season

 

 

At 35 years of age Carl Woodhouse is about to undertake a new footballing challenge as the former Goodwick United goalkeeper over the last nine years has switched his allegiance to Merlins Bridge, where he will join former Goodwick boss Bernie Armstrong’s squad for the 2013/14 season.

 

“I didn’t play as well as I hoped last season,” admitted Carl, “and I am sure that playing for the Bridge will stimulate my enthusiasm after ten enjoyable years at Phoenix Park with Steve Blackford and the rest of the lads there.

 

“But I have the utmost respect for Bernie and I know all the Bridge boys really well so I am very much up for the challenge since I enjoy playing as much as ever and hope for years more football before I throw away my goalkeeping gloves.”

 

 

Carl has always been known as a colourful character, especially with regard to his kit as he stands between the sticks, with all black, all grey and all white strips in seasons gone by.

“Perhaps the all-orange kit that I had last season was a bit over the top,” says Carl with a chuckle, “but life is too short to be miserable and I enjoy looking that little bit different on the pitch!”

 

Carl has already clocked up 25 years of football since he came to this area from Sheffield (he is still an ardent Sheffield United supporter!) and joined the likes of James Dean, Michael a’ Hearne and Steve Evans playing in the nearby pitch at St Mary’s Field.

“I was always the first to volunteer to go in goal and loved getting covered in mud trying to make spectacular saves, and I joined the Sports’ junior side coached by Colin George.”

 

 

Carl did have one season playing in midfield and says that he quite enjoyed it but was soon back in goal, where he has stayed ever since. He suffered almost a year out of the game when he suffered a broken leg against Solva.

“It was a 50/50 ball and it was a pure accident but I knew straight away that I had broken my leg. It was very frustrating and I couldn’t wait to recover and get back into action.”

 

And recover he did because he had a spell with Barnsley AFC after going there for trials. His uncle had played for Chelsea and knew the youth coach Colin Walker. In his time there, Carl and the other youth players trained with the first team run by Danny Wilson and Viv Anderson, and played at top venues like Elland Road, took on a team from Denmark and lots of other clubs from the area.

But they wanted a much bigger keeper on their books and so Carl moved for a while to Doncaster Rovers, but then returned to Pembrokeshire when things didn’t work out there.

 

 

During his time with Fishguard Sports Carl was part of a Wiltshire Cup-winning team that beat Hakin United 3-2 in the final, and then moved into the first team alongside top players like John Luke, Kevin ‘Chalkie’ White and Brian Kinsella, plus youngsters like James Dean, Steve Evans and Michael a’ Hearne.

 

Carl also had spells at Haverfordwest County, where he played quite a few games in the Welsh Premier League alongside Deryn Brace, Eston Chiverton, Dylan Blain and Tom Billing, plus a season under Peter Fearn at Milford United in the Welsh League.

 

 

Outside of his football, Carl enjoys golf and currently plays off a handicap of 12 at Newport Links Club, where he sometimes plays for the Tigers, and occasionally for Priskilly’s ‘Super Six’ team when they have been short.

“I lived as a nipper in Newport and used to go up the course with Rob Hughes, James Dean, Michael A’Hearne and Steve Evans.  The game suits me because I know I will be able to carry on long after my football has finished and if I want to I can nip up there at any time and just play the course, rather than other golfers.”

 

He also likes playing tennis against former team mate Steve Summers and old-timer John Deason at the new courts at the Phoenix Project in Goodwick.

“Steve is very erratic and John hates being beaten but when he does blames it on the fact he is a pensioner – but it is great fun,” said Carl.

 

 

But football has always been Carl’s first sporting love and he joined Goodwick almost a decade ago when Sean O’Connor was the manager. Ask him about highlights since then and he would quickly nominate winning the Senior Cup in 2010.

“It was a great day out and although Paul Thomas put a penalty past me we won 2-1 and I will never forget the excitement of winning, or the celebrations afterwards.

“There have been other lower moments when we just missed out on winning the league or getting into the final – with defeat in last season’s West Wales Cup semi-final at Stebonheath Park, Llanelli, as the worst because we knew it was a match we should have won.

“But that’s football and I wouldn’t have missed anything about it!”

 

 

Ask Carl about other players and he would quickly nominate Duggie Bowen as a top keeper of the past and Martin Langdon (Johnston) and Peter Blain (Haverfordwest County) as the pick of today’s bunch. With regard to strikers, Carl is also quick to answer.

“Matthew Price must spring to mind from the last few years and Steve Summers was a real handful in the box – he never made things easy for any keeper.”

 

 

So what of the future for Carl?

“At the moment I manage to go to the gym almost every day and I run over three miles as well so I keep fit and can still play well – and I am already looking forward to watching my sons Ben (10) and Seth (7) for a long time to come. Both play football at Fishguard Sports, with Ben playing in midfield and Seth up front.

“I’ll enjoy seeing them develop and hopefully getting the support I did. But I have no plans to retire for a while to come so you will see me around, still wearing my bright kits and looking to make spectacular saves like I did when I was 13!”