Chic Charnley
Encyclopedia
James Callaghan Charnley, more commonly known as Chic Charnley, (born 11 June 1963 in Glasgow
) is a former Scottish
football
player. He was sent off 17 times in a senior career which lasted for nearly 20 years.
, Clydebank
, Hamilton Accies
, Partick Thistle
St. Mirren, Bolton
(on loan), Djurgårdens IF, Dumbarton
, Dundee
, Hibs
and Cork City F.C..
He also played for non-league clubs Pollok
, Tarff Rovers
and Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
.
. This scared many clubs away from his talent.
Chic had a voracious appetite for trouble. During a training session in Glasgow's Ruchill Park, he was attacked by two locals brandishing samurai swords
. Charnley responded by leading his teammates in an attack on the two men.
He was brought up a supporter of Celtic
. He did have a trial for Celtic playing one game for them in a friendly against Manchester Utd
at Old Trafford
. Many rated him as the best player in the game and it was rumoured that he had done enough to win a contract. However, Celtic's manager Lou Macari
was sacked not long after this friendly game and rumours of a move to Celtic came to nothing.
that he will be best remembered. He played for the club on a few different occasions and is considered something of a cult hero at Firhill
. He initially left Partick for St. Mirren in June 1991 in a swap deal that saw he and David Elliot
exchange for Mark McWalter
and George Shaw
.
Charnley was an inconsistent performer with displays ranging from poor to outstanding. At many points in his career, it seemed that top-flight football was beyond him. He was freed by Partick Thistle when the Maryhill club was in the Premier Division.
During his time at Partick, he and two other players were approached by two teenage boys during a training session in a Glasgow Park. Despite suffering a stab wound to his hand when one of the boys brandished a Samurai
sword, Charnley was able to disable his attacker with a punch.
Many Thistle supporters rate him the best player their club has had.
, many called for his inclusion in the Scotland squad
, though this did not materialise.
at Easter Road
. He came on as a substitute in a 3–2 victory for Thistle.
Chic returned to Firhill during the 2006/2007 pre-season for ex-teammate Kenny Arthur's testimonial match versus a Celtic XI. With the game in injury time and Thistle losing 2–1, Chic rifled home a 25 yard strike to draw level.
Charnley was appointed assistant manager of Clyde
in February 2011 by Jim Duffy.
called 'The Thistle' in Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a former Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player. He was sent off 17 times in a senior career which lasted for nearly 20 years.
Club career
Charnley played for a number of clubs: Ayr UnitedAyr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
, Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
, Hamilton Accies
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
, Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
St. Mirren, Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
(on loan), Djurgårdens IF, Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
, Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
, Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
and Cork City F.C..
He also played for non-league clubs Pollok
Pollok F.C.
Pollok Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Newlands in the southside of the city of Glasgow. They are one of the biggest football clubs operating in Scottish Junior football, regularly attracting crowds of around 550, more than many clubs in the third division and even some in the...
, Tarff Rovers
Tarff Rovers F.C.
Tarff Rovers F.C. are a defunct football club from Kirkcowan in Wigtownshire, Scotland.One of Scotland's oldest clubs, they were formed in 1874 and were full members of both the Scottish Football Association and the Southern Counties Football Associations...
and Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
.
Early years
Chic was raised in the North of Glasgow and, evidently gifted as a footballer, was tipped for greatness. However, the early part of his career was chequered by poor discipline which gave him the reputation as a hot headPsychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
. This scared many clubs away from his talent.
Chic had a voracious appetite for trouble. During a training session in Glasgow's Ruchill Park, he was attacked by two locals brandishing samurai swords
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Charnley responded by leading his teammates in an attack on the two men.
He was brought up a supporter of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. He did have a trial for Celtic playing one game for them in a friendly against Manchester Utd
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
. Many rated him as the best player in the game and it was rumoured that he had done enough to win a contract. However, Celtic's manager Lou Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
was sacked not long after this friendly game and rumours of a move to Celtic came to nothing.
Partick Thistle
It is as a player with Partick ThistlePartick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
that he will be best remembered. He played for the club on a few different occasions and is considered something of a cult hero at Firhill
Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena is a football, rugby union and rugby league stadium located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C...
. He initially left Partick for St. Mirren in June 1991 in a swap deal that saw he and David Elliot
David Elliot (footballer)
David Elliot is a Scottish former footballer, who played for Celtic, Partick Thistle, St. Mirren, Falkirk and Hibernian.After retiring as a football player, Elliot joined the Strathclyde Police force.- External links :...
exchange for Mark McWalter
Mark McWalter
Mark McWalter is a Scottish former football striker.McWalter began his career with his local club Arbroath where as a teenager he became a first team regular. His form attracted the attentions of top-flight St. Mirren, who signed him in June 1987...
and George Shaw
George Shaw (Scottish footballer)
George Shaw is a Scottish former football player and manager.Shaw began his career with St. Mirren but left the club in June 1991 for Partick Thistle when he and Mark McWalter were exchaged for Chic Charnley and David Elliot...
.
Charnley was an inconsistent performer with displays ranging from poor to outstanding. At many points in his career, it seemed that top-flight football was beyond him. He was freed by Partick Thistle when the Maryhill club was in the Premier Division.
During his time at Partick, he and two other players were approached by two teenage boys during a training session in a Glasgow Park. Despite suffering a stab wound to his hand when one of the boys brandished a Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
sword, Charnley was able to disable his attacker with a punch.
Many Thistle supporters rate him the best player their club has had.
Hibernian
Many consider his time at Hibernian to be the best period of his career. Whilst at HibernianHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, many called for his inclusion in the Scotland squad
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, though this did not materialise.
Back to Partick
His final season as a player was with Partick Thistle in the Premier League during the 2002–03 season. Chic was approaching the age of 40, and made just two more appearances for Thistle after their promotion. His final match was perhaps fittingly against HibernianHibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
. He came on as a substitute in a 3–2 victory for Thistle.
Coaching career
The next season (2003–04) he was appointed coach at Thistle under manager Gerry Collins, but when Collins was sacked by the Thistle board he resigned in protest at their decision.Chic returned to Firhill during the 2006/2007 pre-season for ex-teammate Kenny Arthur's testimonial match versus a Celtic XI. With the game in injury time and Thistle losing 2–1, Chic rifled home a 25 yard strike to draw level.
Charnley was appointed assistant manager of Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
in February 2011 by Jim Duffy.
Retirement
Between February 2007 and January 2008, he co-owned a pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called 'The Thistle' in Maryhill Road, Glasgow.