HARDENED multi-millionaire businessman and Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans has shown he has a caring side by paying for club stalwart Charlie Woods to enjoy a holiday in Monaco.

Woods recently retired after first joining Ipswich as a player in 1966 and working under a succession of managers at Portman Road after being brought back to Suffolk in the early seventies originally as youth team coach by Sir Bobby Robson.

His wife Pat has not been very well, and Woods, who has just turned 70, was rewarded for his work for the club by Evans.

“It was a wonderful gesture, and a mark of the man,” said Woods, who is still doing some scouting for Tottenham.

“Marcus often rings me up for a chat, and I have found him a very nice quiet man. He is always enquiring about Pat.

“A club with Ipswich’s traditions is fortunate to have a man at the helm in the environment of the 21st century as close to the ideals of the Cobbold family as you will get.

“He appoints his managers and lets them get on with it.

“Marcus never looked over Jimmy Magilton shoulder, and the same went for Roy Keane.

“He lets his managers manage, and he’s looking for third time lucky with his choice of Paul Jewell.

“I have no doubt having got to know the man that Marcus will bring success to Ipswich Town.”

Woods helped develop numerous players through the Town youth scheme and led his team to win the FA Youth Cup in 1973 and 1975.

He was major part of the coaching team along with Bobby Ferguson and Cyril Lea that helped Robson take Ipswich to success in the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981.

Woods also worked under subsequent managers and had spells at White Hart Lane and with Newcastle when Robson was in charge at St James Park before coming back to Ipswich to act as advisor to Magilton.

He was presented with a cake and Pat with a bouquet of flowers from Blues chief executive Simon Clegg at Ipswich’s last home game against Scunthorpe in recognition of his 70th birthday.

“Simon has Ipswich at heart, I like him he’s a nice man,” added Woods, who lives a goal kick from the Town training ground in Playford Road.

ARE Ipswich Town in good hands under the ownership of Marcus Evans? Have your say – e-mail starsport@eveningstar.co.uk.