Footballers and Wood – The First in a Very Occasional Series...

2 guest posts in a day? You lucky people you!  Here, Giles Metcalfe takes a look at the relationship between footballers and wood...and not a roast in sight!

Normally, when you talk about footballers hitting the woodwork it means the crossbar or goalposts, but this picture was taken in 1992, to promote Sheffield United’s main sponsor timber merchant Arnold Laver’s involvement with the American Hardwoods Export Council (AHEC).

Standing in front of what appears to be a mobile, roadshow-type stand; Sheffield United players Brian Deane, Tommy Cowan, Charlie Hartfield and Bob Booker (“Ooh Ah Bob Book-ah!”) look decidedly awkward and uncomfortable posing “woodenly” with Mr David Laver.

Unfortunately, there is no photographic evidence of them putting shelves up in the team dressing room, or using the wood for karate chopping practice...

Rumours that the goal frames at Bramall Lane were made out of American Ash (Fraxinus Americana) that season are also unfounded.

Our thanks go to Giles for his guest post. If you have any wood based football nostalgia memories, or indeed anything else, why not send them to us? Just drop us a line to admin [at] thefootballattic [dot] com and we'll do the rest!