Peter’s
Previous Clubs

Southport

1970–1971   |   Appearances 3   |   Goals 0

Peter Withe started his career at Southport but left after a few games in 1971.

Barrow

1971–1972   |   Appearances 1   |   Goals 0

Peter moved on to Barrow after leaving Preston North End’s reserve squad and made one appearance there (against his former club Southport on 1 January 1972).

Port Elizabeth City

1972–1973

Peter then moved to South Africa to play for Port Elizabeth City.

Arcadia Shepherds

1973   |   Appearances 26   |   Goals 16

After leaving Port Elizabeth City Peter went on to play for Arcadia Shepherds.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

1973-1975   |   Appearances 17   |   Goals 3

From 1973/74 to 1974/75, Withe played for Wolverhampton Wanderers for two seasons. He scored three goals in 17 league games.

Portland Timbers

1975   |   Appearances 22   |   Goals 16

Withe played for the North American Soccer League’s (NASL) expansion Portland Timbers for one season starting in the summer of 1975.  In 22 games, he contributed 17 goals and 7 assists, helping the Timbers finish first in their division and tie for the best record in the league with a 16-6 record.

Withe became a favourite among Timbers supporters that summer thanks to his goals, earning the nicknames “The Mad Header” and “The Wizard of Nod.” For US soccer at the time, the Timbers’ two home play-off matches in August each drew crowds of more than 30,000 spectators. On August 24, at San Jose, California, they advanced to Soccer Bowl ’75, the League Championship final, where they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0.

Birmingham City

1975-1976   |   Appearances 35   |   Goals 9

In 1975, Withe joined Birmingham City and later went back to the West Midlands. Before leaving early in the 1976–1977 season, he had nine goals in 35 league games in just over a season.

Nottingham Forest

1976-1978   |   Appearances 75   |   Goals 28

In January 1975, Brian Clough became the new manager of Nottingham Forest. Peter Taylor, who had been his assistant at Derby County during their Football League championship in 1971–1972, joined him in the summer of 1976. Taylor’s arrival caused Forest to quickly improve. On September 25, 1976, Forest signed Withe, a 25-year-old player who would make his club debut that day. In a 5-1 Football League Division Two home victory against Carlisle United, he scored on his debut alongside striking partner John O’Hare. On November 3, 1976, Withe received a new strike partner in a 2-0 Anglo-Scottish Cup victory at Ayr United. Withe’s height, strength, and power were complemented by Tony Woodcock’s speed and anticipation in the front two after he was called back up to the first team. At Ayr, Withe and Woodcock both scored. Despite making his season debut in November, Withe finished the year as the club’s leading scorer with 19 goals, followed by Woodcock with 17 goals and Player of the Year honours for Forest. In December of that year, Forest won its first trophy during the Clough and Taylor era by defeating Orient over two legs in the Anglo-Scottish Cup final. Withe participated in the 1-1 away first-leg tie on December 13, 1976, but missed the 4-0 second-leg victory due to a two-week absence from the team. Forest finished third in Division Two and was awarded promotion to the top division at the end of the season.

With Forest, Withe and Woodcock won the Football League Cup and First Division in 1977–1978. With 19 goals apiece, they finished the year as Forest’s joint leading scorers. On August 12, 1978, Withe scored in a 5-0 victory over Ipswich Town in the FA Charity Shield. Just before he turned 27 at the end of that month, Forest decided to sell him for £225,000 after he participated in the 1-1 league home draw the following week against Tottenham Hotspur. In 99 competitive first team games for Forest, Withe scored 39 goals. In 75 league games, 28 goals were scored. Steve Elliott, who was playing in his first league game, took his position in the following three games, all of which were scoreless. The 22-year-old Garry Birtles was subsequently given the number 9 jersey. He quickly established himself as a regular first choice and helped Forest win the European Cup in this season and the season after.

Newcastle United

1978-1980   |   Appearances 76   |   Goals 25

For a transfer price of £225,000, Withe joined Newcastle United, who were at the time in the Second Division. His first game was a 1-1 home tie with Luton Town. He played in 76 league games and scored 25 goals in just under two seasons.

Aston Villa

1980-1985   |   Appearances 182   |   Goals 74

On the eve of the 1980–81 campaign, Ron Saunders drove him to Aston Villa, where the Birmingham club had just paid £500,000 for the club’s then-record signing. At the end of the month when the league season began, he was 29. Withe was teamed with Gary Shaw, a strike partner who played similarly to Tony Woodcock while Withe was at Forest because of Shaw’s quickness and anticipation. In each of his first three seasons at Villa Park, Withe took home a trophy. In that first season, Withe scored 20 goals in 36 games to tie Steve Archibald of Tottenham Hotspur for the league lead in goals scored as Aston Villa won the Football League championship. Following a 2-2 draw, Withe and Mark Falco of Tottenham each scored twice to share the 1981 FA Charity Shield.

In the 1982 European Cup Final victory over Bayern Munich, Withe scored the game’s lone goal. Withe participated in the 1982 European Super Cup victory over FC Barcelona, 3-1 on aggregate.

In more than 200 games with Villa, he scored 90 goals. He eventually moved on after five years, which he later called “the biggest wrench of my career.”

Sheffield United

1985-1989   |   Appearances 74   |   Goals 18

Peter joined Sheffield United and between 1985 and 1988, he scored 18 goals in 74 league games.

Birmingham City

1987   |   Appearances 8   |   Goals 2

During his final season at Sheffield United, Peter went on loan to his former club, Birmingham City where he scored twice in eight league games.

Huddersfield Town

1989-1990   |   Appearances 38   |   Goals 1

Between 1988 and 1990, Peter played 38 league games for Huddersfield Town, scoring just once. This would be his final season playing senior football.

Peter Withe’s history is produced from Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Withe

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