IT’S many
happy returns of December 11 for former goalkeeper and manager Charlie Wright
who will be 76 on that date.
Although he
was never really given a chance at his first club, Glasgow Rangers, Wright
excelled while was a player with Workington, Grimsby, Charlton and Bolton.
Although born
and brought up in Paisley, near Glasgow, he also made an appearance for Hong Kong.
After hanging
up his gloves and boots, he managed York City, then Bolton Wanderers.
The article
below first appeared in the Cleethorpes
Chronicle in November,
2008.
CHARLIE
Wright, a goalkeeping hero for the Mariners in the early ' sixties, can still
vividly remember his first match as Grimsby Town goalkeeper.
It
was an away match on February 16, 1963, at runaway Second
Division leaders Middlesbrough
It
was one of the iciest winters on record, and the Town team stayed overnight at
a hotel off the A1 road at Scotch Corner.
Although
the morning was bitterly cold, the pitch was just capable of taking a stud so
the ref decided the match could go ahead.
Then,
ten minutes before kick-off, the temperature plummeted to below freezing. The
ground became so hard you could hear the clattering of the players' studs on
the glazed and rock-hard surface.
Because
the crowd had already flocked into the ground, the match went ahead, but,
according to Charlie, it was "a farce, with players of both
sides sliding all over the place."
The
play was almost entirely one-way, with the Mariners' goal under almost non-stop
bombardment. But the debutant played out of his skin and kept a clean
sheet.
By
scoring with a rare attack on the break, relegation-threatened Town
registered a 1-0 win - the surprise result of the day and the start of a
winning sequence which saw them surge up the table.
Over
this and almost 150 more matches for the Mariners, Charlie's agility,
reliability and enthusiasm earned him a well-deserved place in Blundell Park folklore.
He
protected his goal with an almost ferocious determination which gave confidence
to the rest of the defence and inspired the whole team.
Charlie,
who lived in Brereton Avenue, Cleethorpes, with wife
Helen, was not always a goalkeeper - as a schoolboy growing up in Paisley he played in every position,
most often as a left winger.
"I
had a good left peg and was a fair crosser of the ball."he recalls.
However,
playing first for Boys Brigade sides, then for the YMCA, it emerged that he had
a special talent between the sticks - he was strong, courageous, had quick
reflexes and could catch or deflect the ball from whatever angle, height
or speed it came at his goal.
Oddly,
despite going on to play for a couple of trophy-winning club sides - New Hill
Amateurs and Glentyan Thistle - Charlie's enthusiasm for football was probably
outmatched in his early teenage years by an even
greater passion for competitive road cycling.
After
school, he took a job as an apprentice motor mechanic, but evenings and
weekends saw him out on his bike, thinking nothing of riding 100
miles - sometimes further - on a single day.
He
even toyed with the idea of moving to the Continent where some of his pals were
already seeking a living - albeit not a great one - in the saddle.
But
the brakes were slammed on any aspirations to a career on the roads of
France when, out of the blue, the 16-year-old was asked to play in goal
for Scottish Second Division side Greenock Morton in a
fixture with promotion-chasing Queen's Park at Hampden Park, the
home of Scottish football.
"I
couldn't believe it when my Dad told me of their approach,"recalls
Charlie. "I thought it must be a mistake. It was the most exciting moment
of my life."
"I
never slept a wink the night before the match. Then nerves set in - I must have
spent most of the next morning on the toilet."
In
the match itself, Charlie did himself proud, making numerous breathtaking
blocks and almost saving a penalty - he dived and pushed the ball against a
post but it rebounded off his shoulder into the net.
Just
on the strength of that performance - and the subsequent Press reports -
several big clubs from both signs of the border came calling, but his
signature was secured by Glasgow Rangers who saw his potential and
reckoned they could groom the youngster for first-team stardom.
Alas,
Charlie's spell at Ibrox lasted just two years, ending when, despite having
been told he was making progress, he was released.
"I was
devastated by the news,"he says. "It was a hell of a shock. It almost
blew my brains out."
Little
did he know it at the time, but the close of the short chapter in his
Scottish career was the prelude to many more both in England and overseas.
An
enjoyable spell at Workington, managed by former Newcastle wing-half Joe Harvey (whom he
credits with greatly improving his goalkeeping skills), was punctuated by
National Service with the Border Regiment which took him first to Berlin, then to Hong Kong.
Away
from infantry duties and bren gun training, he played in Army sides and
was even selected to play for the Hong Kong national side for whom he
made a scintillating penalty save in a match against Peru.
The
save became such a big talking point with the Chinese fans that
it even earned Charlie the accolade of Player of the Year.
He
returned to Workington but joined the Mariners after failing to hit it off with
manager Ken Furphy who succeeded Harvey at the helm of the
Cumbrian club
There
was friction between the two men - possibly dating back to the times they
had clashed in goalmouth action at a time when Furphy had been an
uncompromising centre forward for Darlington.
Perhaps
the new boss was also irritated by the Workington fans' practice of singing
"Charlie is My Darling" every time he kept a clean sheet.
Despite
the big winter freeze that welcomed him in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Charlie -
and wife Helen whom he had married when he was 20 - loved the three years
spent on this part of the East Coast.
"The
people are lovely,"he says. "They are the salt of the earth - or
should I say the salt of the sea?
They
would gladly give you their last cup of tea."
Charlie
was later transferred to Charlton Athletic, then managed by Bob Stokoe, for
whom he played for five years before ending his playing days at Bolton
Wanderers.
Goalkeepers
are probably more vulnerable to serious injury than any other players on the
park. Over his career, Charlie bounced back from cracked ribs, numerous
breaks to his nose, concussion and a fractured jaw.
In
fact, it was while recovering in a Midlands hospital after
being knocked unconscious in a match at Walsall that he first learned from a
nurse that "a London club" - Charlton - had made an approach to sign
him.
But
on the injury front, it was the battering taken by his spine that finally
took their toll.
On
medical advice, he was given no choice but to hang up his gloves. "My back
was knackered, "he said."The doctor told me that, if I had been a
horse, they would have shot
me!
"I
was 37 at the time. It was a big disappointment. I was as enthusiastic as ever
- and, with my experience, I could read the game two moves ahead.
"I
would have liked to have played on till I was at least 40."
Charlie
was not lost to football, however, because he went on to take up a
coaching role, followed by management posts with York City, Bolton and, for a single
season, a club in northern Norway.
Thereafter,
he returned to Greenwich in South-east London, near Charlton's ground,
where he ran a successful cafe - Charlie's Place - for the best part of 15
years.
"It
was hard work but rewarding," he says. "From one day to the next, you
never knew who might walk in through the door. Our customers ranged from tramps
and drug addicts to business people and film stars."
Now
enjoying retirement, Charlie and Helen live in Deal on the Kent Coast
They
have a son, Steven, who is a TV executive, two daughters, Sandra and Gail, plus
five grandchildren.
Despite
his back giving him gip, Charlie stays active and likes to get out on the golf
course as often as he can. "I like to be in the fresh air," he says.
And
there is still a much-cherished Cleethorpes connection - Charlie's sister, May,
is married to Matt Tees, another Mariners and Charlton star of yesteryear.
From
time to time, Charlie and Helen return to the Lincolnshire resort - and it is always
time well spent.
"It's
great to come back,"ends Charlie. "We drive around and see the old
haunts. It reminds us of many very happy times.
“We
certainly enjoyed being in Cleethorpes."
To read Charlton fans' memories of "Sir Charlie" (and see TV footage of him playing alongside fellow-Scot Matt Tees), see:
http://www.charltonlife.com/discussion/65197/a-great-goalkeeper-of-yesteryear-charlie-wright
To read Charlton fans' memories of "Sir Charlie" (and see TV footage of him playing alongside fellow-Scot Matt Tees), see:
http://www.charltonlife.com/discussion/65197/a-great-goalkeeper-of-yesteryear-charlie-wright
After his career in football ended, Charlie successfully ran a cafe for many years |
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteGreat goalie for Bolton and a real character.Loved by the fans,Charlie was another superb player recruited by Jim Armfield.Charlie had an excellent season in 71-72 and was a fine stopper.unassuming player but part of Jim's legacy at bwfc
ReplyDeleteI hope Charlie is well.The Bolton team of 72-3 still rates as the best I've seen and doubt we will witness their likes again.Sadly we lost Garry Jones recently and the tribute given to him by Anderson was shameful.one day a fitting memorial will be made...bet Charlie agrees
ReplyDelete