Ebbsfleet United is saddened to have learned earlier today of the death of one of our greatest players, Brian Woolfe, aged 78.

‘Woolfie’, as he was affectionately known to Fleet fans, spent eight years at Stonebridge Road, going on to make 327 appearances that placed him sixth in the club’s all-time appearances record. And his 102 goals in that time also earned him third place in our all-time scorers’ list.

Born in 1947, Woolfe was an amateur player with Faversham Town and Hoo Institute before being signed by manager Alf Ackerman in 1971. He was a fast and clever left winger with a knack for scoring important goals who attracted a lot of attention from League scouts in his prime. Twice voted the club’s ‘Forward of the Year’ (in the days before a single Player of the Year), he was part of our Southern League Cup-winning side and helped the Fleet become founder members of the Alliance Premier (now National) League.

He left the Fleet in 1979, going on to play for several more clubs in Kent, including Welling United and Margate.

It is perhaps fitting that, completely by chance, he appeared on the front of our 80th anniversary programme cover this weekend – and in those pages we will print a fuller tribute to him at our next home game v Billericay Town.