Yaffer Ward

Fred Ward (30 January 1895 – 10 September 1953), commonly known as Yaffa Ward attended Monks Road Council School, played for its football team, and played representative football as a left half for Lincoln Boys. In 1916, he and another man were awarded Certificates of the Royal Humane Society for their involvement in the rescue of two workmen who had fallen into the River Witham when the railings they were leaning against gave way.

By September 1931, Ward was the licensee of a pub, the Golden Eagle in Lincoln's High Street.

Ward died at his home in Lincoln in September 1953 at the age of 58.

Football career As a teenager, Ward played Lincoln League football for Stamp End, South Bar and West End, and had a trial with Sheffield Wednesdayduring which he played for their reserve team against Lincoln City's reservesbefore turning professional with his home-town club on 12 August 1914. and made a further 55 league appearances before the club's financial difficulties meant he and wing half James McGrahan were sold to Wigan Borough in 1922. When available, Ward was a regular at left back in the 1923–24 season: he was injured during Wigan's FA Cup tie against Nelson on 1 Decemberaccording to the Athletic News report, "it was unfortunate that [he] should have been injured, for he played strongly, tackling vigorously but cleanly, and kicking a fine length" and did not return until the end of January, and was suspended for a month. He made 30 appearances in 1924–25, and had a run of ten first-team games in the middle of the season, seven in the league and three in the FA Cup, but was mainly used in the reserves. and remained in it, partnering Davie Parkes at full back, for the next two seasons, helping Rochdale finish as runners-up in the 1926–27 Third Division North.

Style of play Ward was well known for sliding tackles, and was reported to be "a back known on every Northern Section ground for his ultra robust methods" whose "hefty kicking [was] not always tempered by discretion". Asked in a 1931 interview about how the game had changed during his career, Ward said that full-backs "used to have to get rid of the ball quickly" but now were encouraged to run and pass (he preferred the more basic approach), and that the game had become less physical: "If you just touch a man now it is a foul", while conceding that for those on the receiving end, that was an improvement.

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1914–15

1919–20

1920–21

1921–22

1922–23

1922–23

1923–24

1924–25

Lincoln City 1925–26

1926–27

1927–28

1928–29

1929–30

1930–31