Peter Withe

Lore & Background

Withe began his career at Southport but left in 1971 after a handful of appearances. Late that year he made an appearance for the reserve team of Preston North End but soon moved on to Barrow for whom he made one appearance (against his former club Southport on 1 January 1972). After this he played in South Africa. He played for Wolverhampton Wanderers in two seasons from 1973, scoring three goals in 17 league games.

During the summer of 1975, he spent one season in the United States with the Portland Timbers of the NASL, scoring 17 goals and adding 7 assists in 22 games, leading the Timbers to first place in their division and to Soccer Bowl '75, where they lost 2–0 to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He returned to the West Midlands to join Birmingham City in 1975, scoring nine goals in 35 league games in just over a season before departing early in the 1976–77 season.

At Nottingham Forest, he made his debut on 25 September 1976, scoring in a 5–1 win v Carlisle United. He ended the season as club top scorer with 19 goals and Forest's Player of the Year. He won the Anglo-Scottish Cup in December 1976, and the following season won the First Division and Football League Cup. He scored in the 1978 FA Charity Shield 5–0 win against Ipswich Town.

He was sold to Newcastle United for £225,000 at the end of August 1978. At Newcastle he scored 25 goals in 76 league games in just under two seasons. Aston Villa paid £500,000 for him on the eve of the 1980–81 season. He scored 20 times in 36 games to finish joint-top scorer in the league as Villa won the Football League title.

He scored the only goal in the 1982 European Cup final win against Bayern Munich and played in the 1982 European Super Cup 3–1 aggregate win against FC Barcelona. He scored 90 goals in over 200 games for Villa. He later joined Sheffield United, scoring 18 goals in 74 league games from 1985 to 1988, and ended his senior playing days scoring once in 38 league games at Huddersfield Town between 1988 and 1990. His England debut was in a 1–0 home friendly defeat by Brazil on 12 May 1981.

He was capped 11 times, scoring once, and was a squad member at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. His goal was against Hungary on 27 April 1983 in his 7th cap. His last cap was on 14 November 1984 when Turkey were beaten 8–0.

Reader's Guide

Peter Withe was a big, tall, strong, powerful and imposing centre-forward, dangerous in the air and able to shield the ball. His biggest successes came when paired with a sharp, quick strike partner, such as Tony Woodcock at Nottingham Forest or Gary Shaw at Aston Villa.

Did You Know?

• Withe was joint-top scorer in the First Division in 1980–81 with 20 goals, alongside Tottenham's Steve Archibald.
• He won the ASEAN Football Championship as manager of Thailand in 2000 and 2002.

Early Career and NASL Success

Withe began at Southport before a brief spell at Barrow where he played against his former club on 1 January 1972. He then moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1973, scoring three goals in 17 league games. A significant chapter occurred in the summer of 1975 with Portland Timbers in the North American Soccer League (NASL). There, he scored 17 goals and added 7 assists in just 22 games, leading the team to a first-place division finish and a 16–6 record. Fans dubbed him 'The Mad Header' and 'The Wizard of Nod'. The Timbers advanced to Soccer Bowl '75 but lost 2–0 to Tampa Bay Rowdies. Withe returned to England in late 1975, joining Birmingham City where he scored nine goals in 35 league games before departing early in the 1976–77 season.

Nottingham Forest Glory

After Peter Taylor joined Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest in the summer of 1976, the club signed the 25-year-old Withe. He debuted on 25 September 1976, scoring in a 5–1 Second Division win over Carlisle United. By November, he was paired with Tony Woodcock, creating a formidable strike force that saw both score against Ayr United in the Anglo-Scottish Cup. Withe ended the 1976–77 season as Forest's top scorer with 19 goals, earning Player of the Year honors despite his late start, while helping the club win promotion and the Anglo-Scottish Cup. In 1977–78, he and Woodcock were joint top scorers with 19 goals each as Forest won the First Division and Football League Cup. Withe also scored in the 5–0 FA Charity Shield victory over Ipswich Town. He left just before his 27th birthday for £225,000 after scoring 39 goals in 99 competitive games.

Aston Villa and European Triumph

Ron Saunders signed Withe to Aston Villa for a record £500,000 at the start of the 1980–81 season. Paired with Gary Shaw, Withe scored 20 league goals, sharing top scorer honors with Steve Archibald as Villa won the First Division title. In the 1981 FA Charity Shield, he and Mark Falco each scored twice in a 2–2 draw. The following season, Withe scored the only goal in the European Cup final against Bayern Munich, securing the trophy for Villa. He also featured in the 1982 European Super Cup win over FC Barcelona (3–1 aggregate). Over five years at Villa Park, he netted 90 goals in more than 200 appearances before his departure.

International Duty and Later Years

Withe made his England debut on 12 May 1981 in a 1–0 home loss to Brazil. He earned 11 caps total, scoring once against Hungary on 27 April 1983 (his 7th cap). Notably, he was the first Aston Villa player selected for an England World Cup Finals squad, featuring at the 1982 tournament in Spain. His final cap came on 14 November 1984 in an 8–0 victory over Turkey. Post-Villa, Withe joined Sheffield United (1985–1988), scoring 18 goals in 74 league games. During a loan back to Birmingham City, he scored twice against his parent club, Sheffield United. He ended his playing career at Huddersfield Town between 1988 and 1990 with 38 appearances and one goal.