Gavin Ward
| Date of birth | 30 June 1970 |
| Place of birth | Sutton Coldfield |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 92 kg |
| Height | 1.91 m |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
Stoke City's popular 'keeper held his place in the starting line-up for most of the early part of 2000-01 before succumbing to a back injury that kept him out of action for almost six months.
He eventually returned towards the end of March and re-established himself in the side in the closing weeks of the campaign.
A goalkeeper who is an excellent shot stopper and has firm control over his box, he was sorely missed by City during his absence.
Gavin was given special dispensation to sign for Barnsley in April 2004 - after the Transfer Deadline - after Marlon Beresford suffered a back injury.
After being released by Coventry City at the end of the 2003-04 season, Gavin re-joined the Sky Blues on a monthly contract but soon joined Preston North End in a one-year deal.
This was extended to June 2006 in March 2005.
Gavin joined Tranmere Rovers in July 2006 with a one-year contract.
He joined Wrexham in January 2008 with a contract to June 2009.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 01 Jul 1987 | 26 Sep 1988 | |
| Shrewsbury Town | 26 Sep 1988 | 18 Sep 1989 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 18 Sep 1989 | 05 Oct 1989 | |
| Cardiff City | 05 Oct 1989 | 16 Jul 1993 | |
| Leicester City | 16 Jul 1993 | 13 Jul 1995 | |
| Bradford City | 13 Jul 1995 | 29 Mar 1996 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 29 Mar 1996 | 25 Feb 1999 | |
| Burnley | 14 Aug 1998 | 14 Nov 1998 | L |
| Stoke City | 25 Feb 1999 | 30 Jun 2002 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 22 Jul 2002 | 29 Jul 2002 | T |
| Walsall | 09 Aug 2002 | 30 Jun 2003 | |
| Coventry City | 01 Aug 2003 | 16 Jul 2004 | |
| Barnsley | 29 Apr 2004 | 05 May 2004 | L |
| Preston North End | 16 Jul 2004 | 30 Jun 2006 | |
| Tranmere Rovers | 01 Jul 2006 | 30 Jun 2007 | |
| Chester City | 02 Jul 2007 | 08 Jan 2008 | |
| Wrexham | 08 Jan 2008 | 30 Jun 2009 | |
| Hednesford Town | 14 Jul 2009 | 16 Dec 2009 | |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 16 Dec 2009 | 30 Jun 2011 | |
| Shrewsbury Town | 18 Jul 2011 | 30 Jun 2013 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Clean sheets | Conceded | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | Leicester City | League Cup | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 1993-94 | Leicester City | League Division 1 | 32 | 24 | 3 | |||
| 1993-94 | Leicester City | League Division 1 Play-Offs | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1994-95 | Leicester City | FA Cup | 1 |
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| 1994-95 | Leicester City | Premier League | 6 | 13 |
1
|
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| 1995-96 | Bolton Wanderers | Premier League | 5 | 7 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Bradford City | FA Cup | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Bradford City | League Cup | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Bolton Wanderers | League Cup | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Bolton Wanderers | FA Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Bolton Wanderers | League Cup | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Bolton Wanderers | Premier League | 4 | 2 |
9 | |||
| 1999-00 | Stoke City | League Cup | 4 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 2000-01 | Stoke City | League Cup | 3 | 5 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Stoke City | League Division 2 | 17 | 3 | 15 | |||
| 2000-01 | Stoke City | League Division 2 Play-Offs | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Stoke City | FA Cup | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Stoke City | LDV Vans Trophy | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Stoke City | League Division 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
1
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| 2002-03 | Walsall | League Division 1 | 5 | 2 |
1 | 8 |
1
|
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| 2003-04 | Barnsley | League Division 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Coventry City | FA Cup | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 2003-04 | Coventry City | League Division 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 | |||
| 2004-05 | Preston North End | League Championship | 6 | 1 |
13 | |||
| 2004-05 | Preston North End | League Cup | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Tranmere Rovers | FA Cup | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Tranmere Rovers | League Cup | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Tranmere Rovers | League One | 36 | 2 |
9 | 42 |
3
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1
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| 2007-08 | Chester City | Johnstones Paint Trophy | 1 |
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| 2007-08 | Wrexham | League Two | 22 | 4 | 27 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 2008 | Grimsby Town v Wrexham | L | 1-0 | League Two | |
| 19 Jan 2008 | Wrexham v Milton Keynes Dons | W | 1-0 | League Two | |
| 26 Jan 2008 | Wrexham v Bradford City | D | 1-1 | League Two | |
| 29 Jan 2008 | Morecambe v Wrexham | D | 2-2 | League Two | |
| 02 Feb 2008 | Wrexham v Darlington | W | 2-0 | League Two | |
| 09 Feb 2008 | Peterborough United v Wrexham | D | 0-0 | League Two | |
| 23 Feb 2008 | Wrexham v Grimsby Town | D | 0-0 | League Two | |
| 26 Feb 2008 | Wrexham v Peterborough United | L | 0-2 | League Two | |
| 01 Mar 2008 | Wrexham v Mansfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Two | |
| 09 Mar 2008 | Chester City v Wrexham | W | 0-2 | League Two | |
| 11 Mar 2008 | Wycombe Wanderers v Wrexham | L | 2-1 | League Two | |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Wrexham v Bury | W | 2-1 | League Two | |
| 22 Mar 2008 | Brentford v Wrexham | L | 2-0 | League Two | |
| 24 Mar 2008 | Wrexham v Dagenham and Redbridge | D | 0-0 | League Two | |
| 29 Mar 2008 | Barnet v Wrexham | L | 3-2 | League Two | |
| 01 Apr 2008 | Mansfield Town v Wrexham | L | 2-1 | League Two | |
| 05 Apr 2008 | Wrexham v Macclesfield Town | D | 1-1 | League Two | |
| 08 Apr 2008 | Milton Keynes Dons v Wrexham | L | 4-1 | League Two | |
| 13 Apr 2008 | Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham | L | 3-0 | League Two | |
| 19 Apr 2008 | Wrexham v Notts County | W | 1-0 | League Two | |
| 22 Apr 2008 | Hereford United v Wrexham | L | 2-0 | League Two | |
| 03 May 2008 | Lincoln City v Wrexham | W | 2-4 | League Two | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.