CHARLIE Woods has retired from football after a lifetime in the game.

Elvin King

CHARLIE Woods has retired from football after a lifetime in the game.

He joined Ipswich Town as a player in 1966/67 and has since held a number of off-field posts at Portman Road and was advisor to previous Blues boss Jim Magilton and used as a scout up to the end of last season.

“It was my choice and would have been made whoever was manager at Ipswich,” said Woods. “I talked things over with my wife and it was a joint decision.

“I have had a great time in what is a marvellous industry.

“Now I am looking forward to playing a bit more golf and going away on a number of holiday breaks.”

Woods has been a wonderful servant to the Blues working under a number of managers, and still remembered for his time under Sir Bobby Robson when he was manager of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in the 1970s.

He was briefly involved with Watford as a player and Blackburn as a coach before working with Robson at Ipswich, and he returned to the Town payroll a couple of years ago having also worked for Tottenham and been Robson's assistant and key right-hand man when Sir Bobby was in charge of Newcastle United.

A keen and talented golfer with a string of Suffolk appearances to his name, Woods will be in Portugal for Sir Bobby Robson's sixth annual charity golf day on July 4 at Vila Sol resort, Vilamoura.

Proceeds from the prestigious tournament go to the Refugio Aboim Ascensao, a charity for homeless children with Town owner Marcus Evans again entering a Blues team.

Woods will be one of the members of that side and Robson is expected to attend despite his on-going fight to overcome cancer.

In April 2008, Woods was in a car that was involved in a crash on the A12 along with Magilton and Town's then chairman Davis Sheepshanks.

It is believed they were on their way back from the continent and had spoken to current Blues defender Pim Balkestein's dad Luuk about becoming the club's international scout.

This job eventually went to Simon Hunt, who parted company with the Coca-Cola Championship club on Tuesday.

Town are set to reduce their scouting sorties to places like South America and concentrate on Europe and African sources.

Hunt is the second member of Magilton's backroom staff along with Woods to depart since Roy Keane took over.

Hunt is being tipped to join assistant manager John Gorman - sacked at the same time as Magilton - in linking up with his former boss again at Queens Park Rangers.

Town chief executive Simon Clegg is attending the annual conference of the Football League in Portugal until the weekend.

Most clubs from the Championship and Leagues One and Two will be represented by their chairmen, but with the reclusive Evans at Ipswich's helm, it is Clegg who will be making the decisions on behalf of the Blues.