Peter Ward (footballer, born 1955)

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Peter Ward (born 27 July 1955) is a retired English footballer who played as a striker. He is best known for his time with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he became a fan favorite.

Ward was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and grew up in a musical family. He worked as an apprentice engine fitter at Rolls-Royce before turning professional. He started his football career with Burton Albion, then joined Brighton in 1975 for £4,000. He quickly rose to prominence, scoring 36 goals in the 1976–77 season and helping Brighton win promotion to the First Division in 1979. In 1980 he moved to Nottingham Forest in a three‑way deal.

At Forest he played in the top flight but spent time on loan in the United States with Seattle Sounders, where he had a productive spell, and he also had a loan back to Brighton. He later played for the Vancouver Whitecaps and then spent many years in the United States playing indoor soccer for teams including the Cleveland Force and Tacoma Stars, before finishing his playing career with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and other teams.

Ward represented England at youth level, scoring a hat-trick for the England under-21s against Norway in 1977. He earned a single full England cap in May 1980 as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Australia—the shortest England appearance on record at the time (about six minutes; later surpassed).

Personal life: Ward eventually settled in the United States. He has been married twice and has three daughters from his first marriage. He has worked as a coach in Florida, including roles at Tampa Catholic High School and Celtic FC Florida.