Darren Wood (born 9 June 1964) is an English former footballer, who played as a full back in the Football League between 1981 and 1990 for Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday. Born in Scarborough, Wood began his career with Middlesbrough, making 101 league appearances between 1981 and 1984. He became the focal point of a dispute which ended Malcolm Allison's managerial reign at Middlesbrough: with the club on the verge of liquidation, Allison threatened to resign if Wood were sold to Chelsea for £100,000, declaring that it was "better for the club to die than to linger on". Chairman Mike McCullagh accused Allison of no longer being reliable in trying to save the club and promptly sacked him, installing Jack Charlton as caretaker manager. In September 1984, Wood joined Chelsea fo