As the National League retained lists come out, another former Lincoln City title winner is left looking for a new club.
Alex Woodyard was a key figure in the Imps 2016/17 season, driving City to the EFL, but his time at Sutton United came to an end yesterday. The Yellows finished 19th in the National League, avoiding relegation, but not the hoped return from a side playing League Two football recently.
Woodyard is among 12 players released by Sutton, with another notable name being Ashley Nadesan, scorer of a brace in the infamous Watergate game against Carlisle United.
Woodyard played just five times for them this season, suffering an injury-hit first half of the campaign, before a loan spell with Folkestone Invicta in early 2026. He appeared 13 times for them as they won the Isthmian League Premier Division, ensuring National League South football next season.
Woodyard came through at Southend United after time in Charlton Athletic’s youth set-up, making his senior debut at 17 and gaining early experience with Farnborough in Conference South. Short spells with Braintree Town, Dartford and Concord Rangers followed, with regular football at each, and a return to Braintree for 2015–16 that established him as a consistent midfield presence at National League level.
He joined City in June 2016, following mentor Danny Cowley to the Bank, and it quickly became a running joke in the squad that he was Cowley’s son, such was their close relationship. Operating at the base of midfield, Woodyard was ever-present through an outstanding 2016–17 season that delivered the National League title and promotion back to the EFL, his reliability, ball recovery and simple distribution making him a mainstay during a campaign that also featured high-profile cup ties.
He signed a new two-year contract in July 2017 and remained a constant in 2017–18 as City adjusted to League Two, a season that ended with EFL Trophy success at Wembley, taking his tally to 113 appearances and three goals across two years with the Imps. His departure in May 2018, after Peterborough United met his release clause, came amid some controversy following reports he had looked around Luton Town’s setup while still at City, with a move south seemingly on his mind.
He went on to make 57 league appearances at London Road, captaining the side during 2018–19, before a loan at Tranmere Rovers in January 2020. A move to AFC Wimbledon followed that summer, where he spent three seasons before surprisingly dropping into the National League with York City for 2023–24. He reunited with Cowley at Colchester United in July 2024, then joined Sutton United on an eighteen-month deal in January 2025.
Now 32, Woodyard will surely be attractive for any side in the National League South, if not those recently promoted to the National League this season.
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