 Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Akaberekerwa kuEastwood, Nottinghamshire, Woodcock akanga adzidzira naAlan naSteve Buckley achiri mwana, achidzidziswa nababa vavo, uye akanga atambira Priory Celtic. Akatanga basa rake paNottingham Forest, achisaina chibvumirano muna Ndira 1974. Mushure mekukweretesa paLincoln City neDoncaster Rovers, Woodcock akapinda muchikwata chekutanga cheForest muna 1976-77, achibatsira timu kukwidziridzwa kuFirst Division. Woodcock aizozoti kufamba kwaLincoln uye hutungamiri hwaGraham Taylor zvaive zvakakosha mukukura kwake. Pasi paBrian Clough, Forest yakaenderera mberi kuhwina mukombe weFirst Division neFootball League Cup muna 1978 naWoodcock kuhwina mubairo wePFA Young Player wegore gore iro zvakare, uye mukombe weEuropean muna 1979. Akapindawo mukukunda kweForest pamusoro peSouthampton mu1979 Football League Cup Final. 