John Charles
Encyclopedia
William John Charles, CBE
(27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004), commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh
international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus
. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward
or centre-back. He has since been included in the Football League 100 Legends
and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame
.
He was never cautioned
or sent off during his entire career, due to his philosophy of never kicking or intentionally hurting opposing players. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, he was nicknamed Il Gigante Buono – The Gentle Giant.
His brother, Mel Charles
and nephew Jeremy Charles
, also represented Wales.
district of Swansea
during late 1931. Charles would play football as a child, with younger brother Mel Charles
who also went on to become a professional, later playing alongside each other for the Welsh national team.
While still at school, Charles joined the boys section of the local team Swansea Town, who later became Swansea City. When he left school at age 14, he was taken onto the groundstaff at Vetch Field
, yet because of his young age; Third Division
Swansea never gave him a first-team call up. His only senior appearances came for the reserve side in the Welsh Football League
.
.
Major Buckley
, then manager of Leeds, selected Charles in a variety of positions including right-back, centre-half and left-half for Leeds Reserves.
Charles made his first team debut as a centre back for Leeds United in a friendly versus Dumfries
club Queen of the South
on 19 April 1949. Charles was tasked with marking the Scotland
centre forward who in winning 3–1 ten days before at Wembley
had run the England defence ragged, Billy Houliston
. The score was 0–0. After the game Houliston said 17 year old Charles was "the best centre-half I've ever played against".
Charles made his league debut against Blackburn Rovers also in April 1949, playing at centre-half. From 1950 until 1952 Charles was away on National Service with the 12th Royal Lancers at Carlisle. The army allowed him to turn out for Leeds but also saw to it that he played for them, and in 1952 Charles skippered his side to the Army Cup. It was during this period that he had operations to repair cartilages in both knees.
After his return to the Leeds side in November 1951 Charles played at centre-forward and centre half. This prompted a debate as to where Charles should play in the team, but he remained at centre-half until the 1952–53 season. In October 1952, he was switched to Centre forward and immediately started to score, with 11 goals in 6 games. He scored 150 league goals in eight years for Leeds, including 42 goals in the 1953–54 season.
for a then-British-record £65,000 transfer fee, almost doubling the previous record. The transfer was notable as Charles became one of the first British professional players to be signed for an overseas team after John Fox Watson
led the way moving from Fulham to Real Madrid in 1948.
His debut came on 8 September 1957 against Hellas Verona. Goals from Boniperti and Sivori had made the score 2-2 when up popped Charles to score the winner. The following week he scored the only goal in the victory over Udinese and he then hit the decisive strike in a 3-2 victory over Genoa. He had been the matchwinner in his first three games.
In his first season in Italy, Charles was Serie A's top scorer with 28 goals, and was voted player of the season as Juventus won the Scudetto. He played in Turin for five years, scoring 93 goals in 155 matches, winning the scudetto (Italian league championship) three times, and the Italian Cup twice. He was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) in 1959.
Charles was dubbed as ‘Il Gigante Buono’ (The Gentle Giant) during his five seasons with Juventus.
The respect Charles earned from Juventus fans was shown when, on the occasion of the club's centenary in 1997 they voted him to be the best-ever foreign player to play for their team.
, Don Revie paid a club record £53,000 to secure the return to Yorkshire of John Charles.
As a result of the excitement this created, Leeds United raised admission prices for the start of the 1962-63 season. Charles second spell at Elland Road was less successful. After five years in Italy he found it difficult to adjust to life and football back in England. After 11 games and three goals - a shadow of his former strike rate - Charles was sold for £70,000 to A.S. Roma
. Initially, the move was a success and Charles scored within fifteen minutes of his first game for Roma, in a match against Bologna. The early promise was never fulfilled, however, and Charles was on the move again a year later. He left to join Cardiff City
where he stayed until 1966, which marked the end of his league career.
He later became manager of Hereford United
and Merthyr Tydfil
, and technical director of the Canadian team Hamilton Steelers, who he became coach of midway through the 1987 season.
He played for Wales at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
in Sweden
– the only time the nation has qualified for the competition. It was also the only time
all four of the Home Nations
qualified for the same World Cup, though only Wales and Northern Ireland
made it past the group stage. Wales remained undefeated in the group stage, battling to draws with Hungary
(thanks to a Charles goal), Mexico
, and eventual runners-up Sweden
. As Hungary also recorded three points, a play-off match ensued, and Wales came from behind at the Råsunda Stadium
to advance with a 2–1 win; however Charles was injured in the match and missed out on the rest of the tournament. The Welsh were eventually knocked out by Brazil
in the quarter-finals thanks to a goal by Pelé
in the 66th minute; the Brazilians went on to win the competition
. Wales manager Jimmy Murphy said that "with John Charles in the side we might have won".
In total for Wales, Charles made 38 appearances and scored 15 goals.
Charles played for the Great Britain
team against Ireland in 1955.
, Leeds
which later was also managed by another Leeds United and Wales international legend Byron Stevenson
. Charles was awarded a CBE
in 2001, and until shortly before his death he still attended every Leeds United home game. In 2002 he was made a vice-president of the Football Association of Wales
, and in 2003, he was granted the freedom of the city of Swansea. There was a campaign to knight John Charles, but, in the end, this never happened resulting only in a CBE. Charles became an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2002. The West Stand of the Elland Road
Stadium is named "The John Charles Stand" in his honour for the great service he provided to Leeds United
and a bust has been created, financed by Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates
, to be displayed in the entrance to the banqueting suite (attached to the back of The John Charles Stand) in his remembrance. The South Leeds Stadium, used by Leeds United for reserve matches, was renamed the John Charles Stadium in his honour. There is also a street named "John Charles Way" Close to the Elland Road Stadium
In January 2004 he suffered a heart attack
shortly before an interview for Italian television, and required the partial amputation of one foot for circulation reasons before he was returned to Britain. He died in Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield
, West Yorkshire
, early on 21 February 2004. His widow, Glenda, bequeathed his ashes to the city of Swansea.
In 1998, the Football League, as part of its centenary season celebrations, included Charles on its list of 100 League Legends
.
On 29 November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player
of Wales by the Football Association of Wales
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
In 2004, Charles was voted at number 19 in the 100 Welsh Heroes poll.
, Diego Maradona
and George Best
. He also notes that Charles is the only footballing great to be world class in two very different positions.
Jimmy Greaves
once stated that "if I were picking my all-time great British team, or even a world eleven, John Charles would be in it". Other footballers have also named him as one of the best, including Jack Charlton
, Nat Lofthouse
and Billy Wright. Jack Charlton
said "he was the best header of the ball I ever saw in my life."
Charles' accomplishments with Juventus led to him being voted 'the greatest foreign player ever in Serie A', ahead of Maradona, Michel Platini
, Marco Van Basten and Zinedine Zidane
– this in 1997, 34 years after his last appearance in the league. In 2001 he became the first non-Italian inducted to the Azzurri Hall of Fame.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004), commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or centre-back. He has since been included in the Football League 100 Legends
Football League 100 Legends
The Football League 100 Legends is a list of 100 great association football players who played part or all of their professional career in English Premier season of League football...
and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
.
He was never cautioned
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
or sent off during his entire career, due to his philosophy of never kicking or intentionally hurting opposing players. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, he was nicknamed Il Gigante Buono – The Gentle Giant.
His brother, Mel Charles
Mel Charles
Melvyn Charles is a Welsh former international footballer. He is the brother of John Charles, a legendary all-round player known as the 'Gentle Giant', and father of former Wales international Jeremy Charles...
and nephew Jeremy Charles
Jeremy Charles
Jeremy Melvyn Charles is a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international. Normally a centre-forward, he was equally adept as a centre-half. He played for Oxford United, Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers...
, also represented Wales.
Biography
Charles was born in the CwmbwrlaCwmbwrla
Cwmbwrla is a residential area of Swansea in Wales, falling within the Cwmbwrla ward of the city. Located on rising ground about 1 mile north of the city centre, it takes its name from the valley of the Burlais Brook which flows down from here to join the River Tawe immediately northeast of...
district of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
during late 1931. Charles would play football as a child, with younger brother Mel Charles
Mel Charles
Melvyn Charles is a Welsh former international footballer. He is the brother of John Charles, a legendary all-round player known as the 'Gentle Giant', and father of former Wales international Jeremy Charles...
who also went on to become a professional, later playing alongside each other for the Welsh national team.
While still at school, Charles joined the boys section of the local team Swansea Town, who later became Swansea City. When he left school at age 14, he was taken onto the groundstaff at Vetch Field
Vetch Field
The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
, yet because of his young age; Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Swansea never gave him a first-team call up. His only senior appearances came for the reserve side in the Welsh Football League
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
.
Leeds United first spell
While playing for Gendros, a local youth club, he was scouted by Leeds United and given a trial in September 1948. At his trial he impressed and duly signed for them at the age of 17, relocating to YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
Major Buckley
Frank Buckley (footballer)
Franklin Charles Buckley was an English football player and, later, manager. He is the brother of Chris Buckley who played for Aston Villa.-Early life:...
, then manager of Leeds, selected Charles in a variety of positions including right-back, centre-half and left-half for Leeds Reserves.
Charles made his first team debut as a centre back for Leeds United in a friendly versus Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
club Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
on 19 April 1949. Charles was tasked with marking the Scotland
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...
centre forward who in winning 3–1 ten days before at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
had run the England defence ragged, Billy Houliston
Billy Houliston
William "Billy" Houliston was a Scottish footballer who played for Crichton, Queen of the South, Berwick Rangers, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team.-Early years:...
. The score was 0–0. After the game Houliston said 17 year old Charles was "the best centre-half I've ever played against".
Charles made his league debut against Blackburn Rovers also in April 1949, playing at centre-half. From 1950 until 1952 Charles was away on National Service with the 12th Royal Lancers at Carlisle. The army allowed him to turn out for Leeds but also saw to it that he played for them, and in 1952 Charles skippered his side to the Army Cup. It was during this period that he had operations to repair cartilages in both knees.
After his return to the Leeds side in November 1951 Charles played at centre-forward and centre half. This prompted a debate as to where Charles should play in the team, but he remained at centre-half until the 1952–53 season. In October 1952, he was switched to Centre forward and immediately started to score, with 11 goals in 6 games. He scored 150 league goals in eight years for Leeds, including 42 goals in the 1953–54 season.
Playing in Italy with Juventus
In August 1957 he joined the Italian club Juventus F.C.Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
for a then-British-record £65,000 transfer fee, almost doubling the previous record. The transfer was notable as Charles became one of the first British professional players to be signed for an overseas team after John Fox Watson
John Fox Watson
John Fox Watson was a Scottish football player, believed to be the only Scottish player in Real Madrid's history. He was one of the first players from the British Isles to sign for a high-profile side abroad, leading the way for players like John Charles, Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law in the...
led the way moving from Fulham to Real Madrid in 1948.
His debut came on 8 September 1957 against Hellas Verona. Goals from Boniperti and Sivori had made the score 2-2 when up popped Charles to score the winner. The following week he scored the only goal in the victory over Udinese and he then hit the decisive strike in a 3-2 victory over Genoa. He had been the matchwinner in his first three games.
In his first season in Italy, Charles was Serie A's top scorer with 28 goals, and was voted player of the season as Juventus won the Scudetto. He played in Turin for five years, scoring 93 goals in 155 matches, winning the scudetto (Italian league championship) three times, and the Italian Cup twice. He was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) in 1959.
The respect Charles earned from Juventus fans was shown when, on the occasion of the club's centenary in 1997 they voted him to be the best-ever foreign player to play for their team.
Returning to Britain
Following his time at Juventus F.C.Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, Don Revie paid a club record £53,000 to secure the return to Yorkshire of John Charles.
As a result of the excitement this created, Leeds United raised admission prices for the start of the 1962-63 season. Charles second spell at Elland Road was less successful. After five years in Italy he found it difficult to adjust to life and football back in England. After 11 games and three goals - a shadow of his former strike rate - Charles was sold for £70,000 to A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
. Initially, the move was a success and Charles scored within fifteen minutes of his first game for Roma, in a match against Bologna. The early promise was never fulfilled, however, and Charles was on the move again a year later. He left to join Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
where he stayed until 1966, which marked the end of his league career.
He later became manager of Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
and Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...
, and technical director of the Canadian team Hamilton Steelers, who he became coach of midway through the 1987 season.
International career with Wales
Charles first played for the Wales national team shortly after his 18th birthday.He played for Wales at the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
– the only time the nation has qualified for the competition. It was also the only time
National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup
This article lists the performances of each of the 76 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals.-Debut of teams:Each successive World Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time...
all four of the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
qualified for the same World Cup, though only Wales and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
made it past the group stage. Wales remained undefeated in the group stage, battling to draws with Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
(thanks to a Charles goal), Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, and eventual runners-up Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
. As Hungary also recorded three points, a play-off match ensued, and Wales came from behind at the Råsunda Stadium
Råsunda Stadium
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:...
to advance with a 2–1 win; however Charles was injured in the match and missed out on the rest of the tournament. The Welsh were eventually knocked out by Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in the quarter-finals thanks to a goal by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
in the 66th minute; the Brazilians went on to win the competition
1958 FIFA World Cup Final
-References:...
. Wales manager Jimmy Murphy said that "with John Charles in the side we might have won".
In total for Wales, Charles made 38 appearances and scored 15 goals.
Charles played for the Great Britain
United Kingdom national football team
No United Kingdom national football team currently exists, as there are separate teams representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in football. These national teams compete in the World Cup and European Championships and other internationals. A UK team has played in friendly...
team against Ireland in 1955.
Life after football
Following his retirement from football, Charles became the landlord of the New Inn public house on Elland Road, ChurwellChurwell
Churwell is a small village in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, between Leeds city centre and Morley. It is southwest of Leeds city centre and away from the Leeds United Elland Road Football Ground....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
which later was also managed by another Leeds United and Wales international legend Byron Stevenson
Byron Stevenson
William Byron Stevenson was a Welsh international footballer.Stevenson played for Leeds United, Birmingham City and Bristol Rovers....
. Charles was awarded a CBE
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
in 2001, and until shortly before his death he still attended every Leeds United home game. In 2002 he was made a vice-president of the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
, and in 2003, he was granted the freedom of the city of Swansea. There was a campaign to knight John Charles, but, in the end, this never happened resulting only in a CBE. Charles became an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2002. The West Stand of the Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
Stadium is named "The John Charles Stand" in his honour for the great service he provided to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and a bust has been created, financed by Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
, to be displayed in the entrance to the banqueting suite (attached to the back of The John Charles Stand) in his remembrance. The South Leeds Stadium, used by Leeds United for reserve matches, was renamed the John Charles Stadium in his honour. There is also a street named "John Charles Way" Close to the Elland Road Stadium
In January 2004 he suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
shortly before an interview for Italian television, and required the partial amputation of one foot for circulation reasons before he was returned to Britain. He died in Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, early on 21 February 2004. His widow, Glenda, bequeathed his ashes to the city of Swansea.
In 1998, the Football League, as part of its centenary season celebrations, included Charles on its list of 100 League Legends
Football League 100 Legends
The Football League 100 Legends is a list of 100 great association football players who played part or all of their professional career in English Premier season of League football...
.
On 29 November 2003, to celebrate UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
of Wales by the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
In 2004, Charles was voted at number 19 in the 100 Welsh Heroes poll.
Ability
In the foreword for Charles' autobiography, Sir Bobby Robson described him as "incomparable" and classed him among the all-time footballing greats such as PeléPelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
and George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
. He also notes that Charles is the only footballing great to be world class in two very different positions.
Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
once stated that "if I were picking my all-time great British team, or even a world eleven, John Charles would be in it". Other footballers have also named him as one of the best, including Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
, Nat Lofthouse
Nat Lofthouse
Nathaniel "Nat" Lofthouse, OBE was an English professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career...
and Billy Wright. Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
said "he was the best header of the ball I ever saw in my life."
Charles' accomplishments with Juventus led to him being voted 'the greatest foreign player ever in Serie A', ahead of Maradona, Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
, Marco Van Basten and Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
– this in 1997, 34 years after his last appearance in the league. In 2001 he became the first non-Italian inducted to the Azzurri Hall of Fame.
Honours
- Serie A: Champions (1958, 1960, 1961)
- Coppa Italia: Winners (1959, 1960)
- Welsh Cup: Winners (1964, 1965)
- Italian Player of the Year: 1958
- The John Charles Centre for SportJohn Charles Centre for SportThe John Charles Centre for Sport is a sports facility in South Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was previously named the South Leeds Stadium and was renamed to honour John Charles , the former Leeds United, Juventus F.C. and Wales footballer...
in LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
is named after Charles. - The West stand at Elland Road is named "The John Charles Stand" and the entrance lobby to the Banqueting Suite attached to the back of the stand contains a bust of Charles, in memory of all he did for the club.
- A street near Elland Road in the Lower WortleyWortley, West YorkshireWortley is a district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins one mile to the west of the city centre.In the 1086 Domesday Book it is mentioned as Wirtlei, also Wirtleie and Wrleia. Later it was known as Wirkelay until about 1700...
area of Leeds is named "John Charles Way" - The John Charles Lounge in Aberystwyth Town Football Club's ground is named after Charles
Career statistics
These statistics are incomplete, missing figures indicated by –| Club | Division | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1948–49 1948-49 in English football The 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth won the First Division title for the first time with a team of no recognised stars and very few international players. They won the league by five points from Manchester United and Derby... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1949–50 1949-50 in English football The 1949–50 season was the 70th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth retained the First Division title by one of the narrowest margins in history ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.... |
42 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1950–51 1950-51 in English football The 1950–51 season was the 71st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Tottenham Hotspur won their first League Championship, while Newcastle United defeated Blackpool 2–0 to win their fourth F.A. Cup. They would win it twice more over the next four seasons. The league was expanded... |
34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1951–52 1951-52 in English football The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1952–53 1952-53 in English football The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages... |
40 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 27 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1953–54 1953-54 in English football The 1953–54 season was the 74th season of competitive football in England.-National team:The Marvellous Magyars shocked football by defeating England 6–3 at Wembley Stadium.-Honours:... |
39 | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 43 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1954–55 1954-55 in English football The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup.... |
40 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1955–56 1955-56 in English football The 1955–56 season was the 76th season of competitive football in England. The First Division was won by Manchester United, the fourth time they had won that particular accolade.-Awards:Football Writers' Association... |
41 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 29 | |
| First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
1956–57 1956-57 in English football The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East... |
40 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 39 | |
| Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1957–58 1957-58 in English football The 1957–58 season was the 78th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:In this season, Sunderland was relegated for the first time in their history.This was the last season in which Division 3 was split, North and South... |
34 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 29 |
| Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1958–59 1958-59 in English football The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester... |
29 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 24 | |
| Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1959–60 1959-60 in English football The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First... |
34 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 26 | |
| Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1960–61 1960-61 in English football The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions... |
32 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 16 | |
| Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1961–62 1961-62 in English football The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division... |
21 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 35 | 10 | |
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1962–63 1962-63 in English football The 1962–63 season was the 83rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*Everton won the League Championship, their first post-war title.*Manchester United won the FA Cup, their first major trophy since the Munich Air Disaster in 1958.... |
11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| A.S. Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
1962–63 1962-63 in English football The 1962–63 season was the 83rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*Everton won the League Championship, their first post-war title.*Manchester United won the FA Cup, their first major trophy since the Munich Air Disaster in 1958.... |
10 | 4 | – | – | – | – | 10 | 4 |
| Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1963–64 1963-64 in English football The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:... |
33 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 11 |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1964–65 1964-65 in English football The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions.... |
28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 3 | |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
1965–66 1965-66 in English football The 1965–66 season was the 86th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:7 October 1965: An experiment to broadcast a live game to another ground takes place... |
7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 4 | |
| Hereford United Hereford United F.C. Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',... |
Southern Premier | 1966–67 1966-67 in English football The 1966–67 season was the 87th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Queens Park Rangers won the Football League Cup on the first occasion it was played at Wembley, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2.... |
42 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 37 |
| Southern Premier | 1967–68 1967-68 in English football The 1967–68 season was the 88th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-FA Cup:... |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Southern Premier | 1968–69 1968-69 in English football The 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool... |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Southern Premier | 1969–70 1969-70 in English football The 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth... |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Southern Premier | 1970–71 1970-71 in English football The 1970–71 season was the 91st season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the end of a season which would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. Arsenal secured the league title at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter rivals... |
24 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 34 | 12 | |
| Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil F.C. Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:... |
Southern Premier | 1971–72 1971-72 in English football The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football in England.-FA Cup:Leeds United overcame holders Arsenal to win the 1972 FA Cup Final... |
– | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 602 | 304 | 51 | 28 | 30 | 1 | 683 | 333 | ||
Further reading
- Richard Coomber, King John, the true story of John Charles, Leeds United Legend, Leeds United Publishing, 2000, ISBN 978-1903415009