Ray Charnley
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Raymond Ogden Charnley | ||
Date of birth | 29 May 1935 | ||
Place of birth | Lancaster, England | ||
Date of death | 15 November 2009 | (aged 74)||
Place of death | Rossall, England | ||
Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1954–1957 | Morecambe | ? | (?) |
1957–1967 | Blackpool | 363 | (193) |
1967–1968 | Preston North End | 23 | (4) |
1968–1969 | Wrexham | 20 | (5) |
1969–1970 | Bradford Park Avenue | 59 | (15) |
1970–1972 | Morecambe | ? | (?) |
Total | 605 | (293) | |
International career | |||
1962 | England | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Raymond Ogden Charnley (29 May 1935 – 15 November 2009) was an English professional footballer. He was a centre forward and was one of the most prolific scorers for Blackpool, with whom he spent ten years, including all but one season in the top flight of English football.
With 193 goals in 363 league games, Charnley is the third-highest scorer in Blackpool's history, behind Jimmy Hampson and Stan Mortensen.[1]
In a playing career spanning eighteen years, Charnley also played for Morecambe (with whom he began and ended his career), Preston North End, Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue. He scored a total of 293 career league goals in 605 games.
He won one England cap, in 1962.
There have been Blackpool footballers who have played more games for the club than Ray Charnley; and there have been men who have contributed more league goals to the Bloomfield Road cause than the tall, rangy Lancastrian centre-forward. But on both counts, from faithful fans of the Seasiders whose memories stretch back half a century and beyond, there would have to come the heartfelt and grateful rider: not many
— From Ray Charnley's obituary in The Independent[2]
Club career
Early career
Born in Lancaster, Lancashire, Charnley started out as a teenager in the Preston North End B team. When the team was disbanded, he joined North Lancashire and District Football League side Bolton-le-Sands. He later signed as a part-time professional with non-League Morecambe, in the Lancashire Combination, joining them from for £15 in September 1954, whilst also working as a painter and decorater apprentice.[3]
He made his Morecambe debut on 29 September, in a 5–2 defeat at
Blackpool
On 27 May 1957, Charnley moved to nearby
Charnley eventually teamed up with Jackie Mudie, a move inspired by Joe Smith and later used to good effect by his successor as Blackpool manager,
He again scored three goals in his first two games in
He was my room-mate for 10 years and one of my closest friends. The money Blackpool paid to Morecambe must go down as their best-ever signing – apart from Stanley Matthews, of course. Jack Charlton once told me that he hated playing against Ray.
— Former teammate at Blackpool, Jimmy Armfield on Charnley[1]
His most goals came in
He scored Blackpool's opening goal of the
In May and June 1965, Charnley was a member of the Blackpool squad that played in New Zealand for the
Charnley, once again, began the
He started the
Move to Preston North End, then Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue
After signing for Preston North End, Charnley returned to face Blackpool nine days later, and scored, though the Tangerines won 4–1. He scored four goals in 23 league games for Preston, who just avoided relegation at the end of the 1967–68 season, finishing third-bottom, while former club Blackpool just missed out on promotion back to the First Division on goal average.
In 1968, Charnley signed for Fourth Division side Wrexham, scoring a total of seven goals in 24 games in all competitions before moving to Bradford Park Avenue in January 1969.[10]
They finished bottom of the Fourth Division in the 1968–69 season. The following season they again finished bottom, but this time lost their application for re-election and were voted out of the Football League and dropped into the Northern Premier League. He scored fifteen goals in 59 league games for the Avenue that season.
Return to Morecambe
At the end of the season, Charnley re-signed for former club Morecambe, who were by then playing in the Northern Premier League. He made 24 league starts in 1970–71, finishing the season as top scorer with 13 goals. After 14 games in the 1971–72 season, he was released. His last game came on Good Friday 1972, when he scored in a 3–0 home win over Chorley. In his two stints with Morecambe, Charnley scored a total of 98 goals in 177 appearances in all competitions. After his release, Charnley retired from football, at the age of 37.[4]
International career
Despite his goalscoring record, Charnley won just one England cap, in 1962, when he received a call-up for a 1964 European Nations' Cup Preliminary round game against France on 3 October at Hillsborough.[11] When asked in later years if he felt bitter about not being picked more for England, Charnley said: "No, I thought I might have been given another chance. But I was not surprised when I was dropped. I just could not get into the match. I think four of the five forwards were making their first, and last, appearances."[3]
English FA World Tour
In May and June 1961, Charnley was a member of the squad for The English FA World Tour. He played in seven games, scoring a total of eleven goals.[12]
Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 May 1961 | Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 4–2 | 3 |
17 May 1961 | Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore | Singapore | 9–0 | 2 |
21 May 1961 | Government Stadium, Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 4–2 | 2 |
23 May 1961 | Government Stadium, Hong Kong | Combined Chinese XI | 3–0 | 1 |
3 June 1961 | Canterbury , New Zealand |
Canterbury | 11–1 | 1 |
10 June 1961 | Epsom Showgrounds, Epsom | New Zealand | 6–1 | 1 |
19 June 1961 | San Francisco, United States | San Francisco | 2–1 | 1 |
Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame
Charnley was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.[9] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Charnley is in the 1960s.[6]
Personal life
After he retired, Charnley moved back to
After a short illness, Charnley died on 15 November 2009 at Rossall Hospital, aged 74.[1][5] His funeral took place on 24 November at Holy Trinity Church, South Shore, Blackpool.[14] Jimmy Armfield told the packed church: "As you get older you learn to face upset, but I still have problems saying goodbye to friends, especially one of 52 years. He hadn't been well for a while, nevertheless losing him is hard to take. Somehow, this planet we share is less attractive when people like Ray Charnley leave."[13] His son, Wayne, paid tribute to his father, saying he was proud of the tributes which had remembered his father as a gentleman, as that was what he was, adding, "Not many people can drop into a conversation that their dad played for England. I could, and I was very proud to do so."[15]
There was a
Career statistics
Club statistics
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Blackpool | 1957–58 | First Division | 20 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 12 |
1958–59 | 35 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 26 | ||
1959–60 | 34 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 18 | ||
1960–61 | 41 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 28 | ||
1961–62 | 41 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 36 | ||
1962–63 | 41 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 22 | ||
1963–64 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 15 | ||
1964–65 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 22 | ||
1965–66 | 41 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 19 | ||
1966–67 | 40 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 21 | ||
1967–68 | Second Division | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |
Blackpool total | 363 | 193 | 21 | 10 | 23 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 407 | 222 | ||
Preston North End | 1967–68 | Second Division | 23 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 7 |
Wrexham | 1968–69 | Fourth Division | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 7 |
Bradford Park Avenue
|
1968–69 | Fourth Division | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
1969–70 | 40 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12 | ||
Bradford Park Avenue total | 59 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 15 | ||
Career total | 465 | 217 | 25 | 14 | 27 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 517 | 250 |
International statistics
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
England | 1962 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 0 |
References
- ^ a b c Simpson, Steve (16 November 2009). "Pool mourn scoring sensation". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ a b c Ponting, Ivan (21 November 2009). "Ray Charnley: Footballer who was Blackpool's leading scorer for nine consecutive seasons in the First Division". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ray Charnley 1935–2009". Blackpool. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Ray Charnley RIP 1935–2009". Wrexham A.F.C. 15 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Lancashire legend Charnley dies". BBC. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ a b "The Hall of Fame – 1960's". Blackpool Supporters Association. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Sad News". Blackpool. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84547-182-8.)
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ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ a b "Former Player Charnley Passes Away". Wrexham A.F.C. 16 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Ray Charnley". englandstats.com. Retrieved 16 November 2009. [dead link]
- Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 3 January 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ a b Fielding, Paul (24 November 2009). "Farewell to Pool legend". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
- ^ "The Latest From Bloomfield Road – Tuesday". Blackpool. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
- ^ a b Fielding, Paul (24 November 2009). "FC legends gather for a final farewell". Blackpool Gazette.
- ^ Ray Charnley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ "Charnley, Ray". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
Further reading
- Calley, Roy (1992). ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
External links
- Ray Charnley at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Ray Charnley obituary in The Independent
- Death Notice in the Blackpool Gazette