Calum Willock Explained

Calum Willock
Upright:0.8
Fullname:Calum Daniel Willock[1]
Birth Date:29 October 1981
Birth Place:Lambeth, England
Position:Forward
Youthyears1:?–2000
Youthclubs1:Fulham
Years1:2000–2003
Clubs1:Fulham
Caps1:5
Goals1:0
Years2:2002
Clubs2:Queens Park Rangers (loan)
Caps2:3
Goals2:0
Years3:2003
Clubs3:Bristol Rovers (loan)
Caps3:5
Goals3:0
Years4:2003
Clubs4:Peterborough United (loan)
Caps4:7
Goals4:1
Years5:2003–2006
Clubs5:Peterborough United
Caps5:72
Goals5:23
Years6:2006–2007
Clubs6:Brentford
Caps6:41
Goals6:4
Years7:2007–2008
Clubs7:Port Vale
Caps7:15
Goals7:3
Years8:2008–2009
Clubs8:Stevenage Borough
Caps8:38
Goals8:5
Years9:2009–2010
Clubs9:Crawley Town
Caps9:16
Goals9:2
Years10:2010
Clubs10:Cambridge United (loan)
Caps10:14
Goals10:0
Years11:2010–2012
Clubs11:Ebbsfleet United
Caps11:86
Goals11:39
Years12:2012–2013
Clubs12:Dover Athletic
Caps12:27
Goals12:5
Years13:2013
Clubs13:Boreham Wood
Caps13:6
Goals13:0
Years14:2013
Clubs14:Harrow Borough (loan)
Caps14:9
Goals14:0
Years15:2014–2015
Clubs15:Staines Town
Caps15:39
Goals15:7
Years16:2015
Clubs16:Lewes
Caps16:10
Goals16:0
Years17:2015
Clubs17:Dulwich Hamlet
Caps17:15
Goals17:5
Years18:2015–2017
Clubs18:Merstham
Years19:2017
Clubs19:Farnborough
Caps19:2
Goals19:0
Years20:2018–2019
Clubs20:Cray Valley Paper Mills
Totalcaps:407
Totalgoals:93
Nationalyears1:2004
Nationalteam1:Saint Kitts and Nevis
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:3

Calum Daniel Willock (born 29 October 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. In his career, he played in each of the top seven levels of English football. Born in England, he represented the Saint Kitts and Nevis national team internationally.

Beginning his career with Fulham in 2000, he enjoyed loan spells with Queens Park Rangers, Bristol Rovers, and Peterborough United, before switching permanently to Peterborough in 2003. In 2006, he signed with Brentford, moving to Port Vale in summer 2007. He switched to Stevenage Borough in January 2008 before joining Crawley Town the following year. He played on loan at Cambridge United 2010, before transferring to Ebbsfleet United later in the year. He helped the club to win promotion out of the Conference South in 2011 before he returned to the division when he signed with Dover Athletic in June 2012. He joined Boreham Wood in July 2013 and was dual registered with Harrow Borough before he joined Staines Town in January 2014. He moved on to Lewes in February 2015 before going on to join Merstham via Dulwich Hamlet later in the year. He went on to help Cray Valley Paper Mills win the Southern Counties East League Premier Division title in 2018–19 and also played on the losing side in the 2019 FA Vase final.

Club career

Willock started his career at Fulham, impressing manager Gary Brazil enough to win the chance to sign schoolboy forms at the club.[2] He made his professional debut as a substitute in the First Division on 4 November 2000, in a 3–0 over Huddersfield Town at Craven Cottage. The youngster played no further part in the season. He played two games of the 2001–02 Premier League season, both against Blackburn Rovers, both times the home side winning. In November 2002, he was loaned out to Queens Park Rangers of the Second Division,[3] playing three games. Willock went on to say playing in the Premier League was a "dream coming true".[4]

At the start of the 2003–04 season, he joined Fourth Division club Bristol Rovers. In two months, he made just five appearances, all as a substitute, though at age 21, he had now played at every level of the English Football League. In October 2003, he joined Peterborough United of the Third Division on loan.[5] He scored his first professional goal on 1 November in a 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at London Road. On 17 December the loan deal was made permanent for an undisclosed fee.[6] He finished the season with nine goals for the "Posh". He started the 2004–05 season struggling with hamstring trouble,[7] also fighting a calf injury at the end of the season,[8] as well as rumours of a big money move to Gillingham.[9] Despite all this he finished the season with 14 goals, though this was not enough to save Peterborough from relegation to League Two.

Willock was signed by Brentford on the last day of the 2006 January transfer window as a replacement for DJ Campbell, for an undisclosed fee.[10] The "Bees" finished the 2005–06 in third place in League One, though failed to gain promotion. Despite being on the transfer list and receiving interest from Mark Wright of Chester City,[11] [12] Willock was a regular in the Brentford team in the 2006–07 season, due to the serious groin injury sustained by striker Lloyd Owusu. After the signing of Neil Shipperley, Willock dropped to the bench. Brentford released him in May 2007.

In August 2007, Willock had a trial with Martin Foyle's Port Vale.[13] He was soon signed on a short-term deal, due to finish at the end of the year.[14] The first ten games of his 2007–08 season went without a goal before he scored in an FA Cup encounter with Morecambe.[15] He was to score a further three goals in nine games before being released in January 2008 by new manager Lee Sinnott, after Willock rejected a longer contract at the club.[16] He quickly signed for Stevenage Borough of the Conference National.[17] Willock struck six times in 31 games during the 2008–09 season. He was an unused substitute in the FA Trophy 2009 final,[18] and was released by Stevenage in May 2009.[19]

On 28 July 2009, Willock scored twice for AFC Wimbledon in a friendly against a Fulham XI.[20] However, a day later it was announced that Willock would not be joining the club as both parties were unable to reach an agreement regarding Willock's contract demands.[21] He joined Crawley Town on a short-term contract in September.[22] He later signed an extended deal, and went on to play sixteen games for the club. Willock joined Cambridge United in February 2010, playing fourteen games for the club. At the end of the season, he was a free agent.

In August 2010, he joined Conference South side Ebbsfleet United.[23] He told the press that he believed Liam Daish's team would achieve promotion at the first attempt,[24] before going on to fulfil this prophecy by scoring in the club's 4–2 play-off final victory over Farnborough.[25] Finishing as "Fleet's" top scorer, he was rewarded with a new one-year deal.[26] Both Willock and the club took to life in the Conference National well, as he scored 19 league goals in 2011–12 to help the Stonebridge Road club to a comfortable mid-table finish.

He dropped back into the Conference South in June 2012 to sign a contract with Dover Athletic.[27] He played in the 3–2 play-off final defeat to Salisbury City on 12 May 2013.[28]

He joined Boreham Wood, also of the Conference South, in July 2013. He was dual registered with Isthmian League club Harrow Borough to help him overcome an injury. He signed with Conference South rivals Staines Town in January 2014,[29] in a move that reunited him with the manager Marcus Gayle, his former teammate at Brentford.[30] He played 19 games for the "Swans" in the second half of the 2013–14 season as the club posted an eighth-place finish. He scored six goals in 20 games in the first half of the 2014–15 season, before joining Isthmian League side Lewes in February 2015.[31] The "Rooks" finished 19th in the Premier Division in 2014–15.

After his release from Lewes at the end of the season, he signed forms with Dulwich Hamlet ahead of the start of the 2015–16 Isthmian League Premier Division campaign following a successful trial period in pre-season,[32] with the signing being funded by the 12th Man Scheme.[33] He scored just three minutes into his debut, a 3–0 win over Canvey Island,[34] before scoring again in his second game, a 2–0 win over Merstham.[35] He went on to score seven goals in nineteen appearances in all competitions before his release from the club in November 2015, with Hamlet manager Gavin Rose commenting "Calum made a fantastic contribution to our club in the time he was with us and was also a great person to have in the dressing room. I'd like to wish him every success and I'm sure he has a long term future in football well beyond his playing days."[36] Later in the month he signed with Merstham.[37] Merstham finished tenth in the 2015–16 campaign and then 14th in 2016–17.

Willock went on to join Southern Counties East League Premier Division club Cray Valley Paper Mills. The "Millers" won the league title at the end of the 2018–19 season and reached the 2019 FA Vase final. Willock was a late substitute in the final at Wembley Stadium, which Mills lost 3–1 to Chertsey Town after extra time.[38]

International career

Willock represented Saint Kitts & Nevis at international level, earning a total of three caps in 2004. He scored twice against Barbados in a 3–2 win on 19 June 2004 in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification qualifying game.[39]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fulham2000–01First Division1000000010
2001–02Premier League2000000020
2002–03Premier League2000000020
Total5000000050
Queens Park Rangers (loan)2002–03Second Division3000000030
Bristol Rovers (loan)2003–04Third Division5000000050
Peterborough United2003–04Second Division298210000319
2004–05League One35123200003814
2005–06League Two153200000173
Total79237300008626
Brentford2005–06League One131000000131
2006–07League One283001000293
Total414001000424
Port Vale2007–08League One153311000194
Stevenage Borough2007–08Conference Premier91000091
2008–09Conference Premier2942200316
Total3852200407
Crawley Town2009–10Conference Premier1620000162
Cambridge United (loan)2009–10Conference Premier1400000140
Ebbsfleet United2010–11Conference South432022004522
2011–12Conference Premier431920004519
Total863942009041
Dover Athletic2012–13[40] Conference South275104[41] 1326
Boreham Wood2013–14Conference South60000060
Harrow Borough (loan)2013–14[42] Isthmian League Premier Division90001[43] 0100
Staines Town2013–14Conference South1910000191
2014–15Conference South2060000206
Total3970000397
Lewes2014–15[44] Isthmian League Premier Division1000010110
Dulwich Hamlet2015–16[45] Isthmian League Premier Division155103[46] 2197
Merstham2016–17[47] Isthmian League Premier Division31000031
Farnborough2017–18Southern League Premier Division South20000020
Career total410 94 18 8 2 0 9 3 437 105

Honours

Fulham

Stevenage Borough

Ebbsfleet United

Cray Valley Paper Mills

Notes and References

  1. Book: The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09 . Hugman . Barry J. . Mainstream . 2008 . 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. News: Smith . Dan . Q&A with Calum Willock . 6 April 2020 . Fulham Focus . 16 April 2018.
  3. News: Loan Ranger . 7 November 2002 . 10 April 2014 . Fulham Official Website.
  4. News: Willock's Dream . 18 December 2002 . 11 April 2014 . Fulham Official Website.
  5. News: Posh sign striker . 14 October 2003 . . 3 July 2009.
  6. News: Peterborough sign Willock . 17 December 2003 . . 3 July 2009.
  7. News: Willock boost for Posh . 14 September 2004 . . 3 July 2009.
  8. News: Posh suffer Willock injury blow . 21 February 2005 . . 3 July 2009.
  9. News: Gills deny chasing Posh striker . 10 February 2005 . . 3 July 2009.
  10. News: Willock leaves Posh for the Bees . 1 February 2006 . . 3 July 2009.
  11. Web site: Brentford News Latest News Latest News FITZGERALD AND WILLOCK PLACED ON TRANSFER LIST . 10 July 2006 . world.brentfordfc.co.uk . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180408074037/http://world.brentfordfc.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10421~866026,00.html . 8 April 2018 . 7 April 2018.
  12. News: Chester target Steele and Willock . 24 October 2006 . BBC Sport . 3 July 2009.
  13. News: Port Vale 0–1 Shrewsbury Town . 7 August 2007 . . 3 July 2009.
  14. News: Vale sign ex-Bees striker Willock . 10 August 2007 . . 3 July 2009.
  15. News: Willock hoping for regular start . 13 November 2007 . . 3 July 2009.
  16. News: Port Vale snap up Chasetown duo . 11 January 2008 . . 3 July 2009.
  17. News: Stevenage complete Willock swoop . 10 January 2008 . . 3 July 2009.
  18. Web site: Stevenage 2–0 York . 9 May 2009 . . 2 July 2009.
  19. Web site: Willock Released . 21 May 2009 . stevenageborofc.com . 2 July 2009.
  20. Web site: Calum Willock offered AFC Wimbledon deal . 28 July 2009 . London informer . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090802074316/http://www.londoninformer.co.uk/london-sport/allsport/2009/07/28/calum-willock-offered-afc-wimbledon-deal-113489-24263033/ . 2 August 2009 . 10 August 2009.
  21. Web site: Willock Dons deal dead . 29 July 2009 . London informer . 10 August 2009.
  22. News: Crawley bring in striker Willock . 9 September 2009 . . 8 September 2009.
  23. News: Ebbsfleet United sign ex-Crawley striker Calum Willock . 19 July 2010 . 11 August 2010 . BBC Sport.
  24. News: Ebbsfleet United striker Calum Willock eyes promotion . 19 October 2010 . . 21 July 2011.
  25. News: Farnborough 2–4 Ebbsfleet United . 15 May 2011 . . 21 July 2011.
  26. News: Calum Willock signs new Ebbsfleet United deal . 22 June 2011 . . 21 July 2011.
  27. News: Dover Athletic sign Ebbsfleet striker Calum Willock . 6 June 2012 . . 6 June 2012.
  28. Web site: Salisbury City 3–2 Dover Athletic . bluesqsouth.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621073721/http://www.bluesqsouth.com/story/0%2C20970%2C13042_8709540%2C00.html . 21 June 2013 . 13 May 2013.
  29. Web site: Much-Travelled Striker Joins Staines . nonleague.pitchero.com . 2 January 2014 . 2 January 2014.
  30. News: Staines Town players 'can learn from me', says new man Willock . Youlton . Clive . 10 January 2014 . Get Surrey . 5 May 2014.
  31. News: Lewes bring in experienced striker . Griggs . Howard . 3 February 2015 . The Argus . 9 May 2015.
  32. News: Willock Signs . Hickey . Liam . 2 August 2015 . Dulwich Hamlet F.C. . 2 August 2015.
  33. News: 12th Man Scheme Bolsters Hamlet Playing Squad . Cole . Neil . 10 August 2015 . Dulwich Hamlet F.C. . 10 August 2015.
  34. News: Dulwich Hamlet 3–0 Canvey Island . Hickey . Liam . 8 August 2015 . Dulwich Hamlet F.C. . 9 August 2015.
  35. Web site: Merstham 0–2 Dulwich Hamlet . 12 August 2015 . Dulwich Hamlet F.C. . 13 August 2015.
  36. Web site: Ryan Moss Signs from Margate as Willock Departs . 12 November 2015 . Dulwich Hamlet F.C. . 12 November 2015.
  37. News: Former Leicester City goalkeeper among six to join Merstham . 23 November 2015 . Surrey Mirror . 2 January 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151124152750/http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Leicester-City-goalkeeper-join-Merstham/story-28226387-detail/story.html . 24 November 2015.
  38. News: Association . The Football . Chertsey Town lift the Buildbase FA Vase after extra-time victory over Cray Valley . 6 April 2020 . www.thefa.com . 19 May 2019 . en.
  39. News: Willock hits double . 20 June 2004 . . 3 July 2009.
  40. Web site: Calum Willock Profile Aylesbury United FC . www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk . 24 December 2019.
  41. 2 appearances in Conference South play-offs, 2 appearances and 1 goal in FA Trophy
  42. Web site: Harrow Borough Appearances Calum Willock 2013–2014 Football Web Pages . www.footballwebpages.co.uk . 24 December 2019.
  43. Appearance in FA Trophy
  44. Web site: First Team Player Stats 2014/15 . lewesfc.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150424024419/http://www.lewesfc.com/first-team-stats/ . 24 April 2015 . 9 May 2015.
  45. Web site: Teams – Player – C Willock . pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/ . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924130152/http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/teams/56196/player/c-willock-1525942/32619 . 24 September 2015 . 9 August 2015.
  46. 2 appearances and 2 goals in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy
  47. Web site: Merstham Appearances Calum Willock 2016–2017 Football Web Pages . www.footballwebpages.co.uk . 24 December 2019.