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A great goalkeeper of yesteryear: Charlie Wright

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  • Lewis Coaches
    Lewis Coaches Posts: 5,409
    edited January 2024
    Oggy Red said:
    Sir Charlie Wright .....one of my heroes when I was a kid, and the keeper in the legendary Eddie Firmani 1968-69 team which so nearly won promotion to the top tier (the proper 'First Division'). 
     
    What a character and crowd pleaser though ..... our one and only Hong Kong international; renowned for his ability to save the impossible and concede the very occasional cringeworthy 'wish the ground would open up and swallow me' schoolboy-type howler (notoriously through his legs).  
     
    Miss those days.
     

    Hong Kong international think he played against Peru and faced a penalty which he saved I believe.

    lost 1-2 this is all from memorie .
  • HardyAddick
    HardyAddick Posts: 1,638
    Oggy Red said:
    Sir Charlie Wright .....one of my heroes when I was a kid, and the keeper in the legendary Eddie Firmani 1968-69 team which so nearly won promotion to the top tier (the proper 'First Division'). 
     
    What a character and crowd pleaser though ..... our one and only Hong Kong international; renowned for his ability to save the impossible and concede the very occasional cringeworthy 'wish the ground would open up and swallow me' schoolboy-type howler (notoriously through his legs).  
     
    Miss those days.
     

    Met him and got his autograph. Happy Days.
  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,169
    He’s was prone to the odd calamity. I’ve twice seen him let balls of the football kind, trickle through his legs.
  • Acab
    Acab Posts: 725
    edited January 2024
    I think Sir Charlie is getting a rough ride regarding letting balls through his legs I only remember one during a four nil defeat at Bolton in 69. I was there. Funny that they should buy him the following year. 

  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,169
    Acab said:
    I think Sir Charlie is getting a rough ride regarding letting balls through his legs I only remember one during a four nil defeat at Bolton in 69. I was there. Funny that they should buy him the following year. 

    I also remember a couple at the Valley, one very near the half way line.
  • charltonbob
    charltonbob Posts: 8,270
    sillav nitram said:
    Acab said:
    I think Sir Charlie is getting a rough ride regarding letting balls through his legs I only remember one during a four nil defeat at Bolton in 69. I was there. Funny that they should buy him the following year. 

    I also remember a couple at the Valley, one very near the half way line.
     It's not a goal on the halfway line  :D Seriously I know what you mean but don't ever remember him letting a goal in from the halfway line between his legs or in the top corner but do remember at least once at the Valley when he let one through his legs.

    Agree with Acab though, it seems whenever you read about Charlie it's as though it happened every week. He was a brilliant goalkeeper for us & whether he let one two or three through his legs he more than made up for that in the few years he was with us with outstanding displays where he won us many games through his heroics between the sticks. "We all agree, Charlie is better than Yashin"
  • Lewis Coaches
    Lewis Coaches Posts: 5,409
    Charlie Wright one of the most dearly loved footballers every to pull on the shirt of Charlton Athletic. 
    No matter what people say he was a great keeper who children looked up to.
    No other keeper came close to what he got up to and his  antics were something else.

    Always remember you Charlie .👍

    Stay well and safe.
  • GoldthorpesHeel
    GoldthorpesHeel Posts: 107
    Definitely ball through the legs v Huddersfield Town too. Having said that one of my all time favourite players.
  • Oggy Red
    Oggy Red Posts: 44,958
    Acab said:
    I think Sir Charlie is getting a rough ride regarding letting balls through his legs I only remember one during a four nil defeat at Bolton in 69. I was there. Funny that they should buy him the following year. 

    Straight off the top of my head, I also remember the one at The Valley at home to Ipswich.
    It cost us the only goal of the game, ouch!

    When was that, erm .....trying to think back, probably spring 1968.

    But put into context, remembering all those wonder saves and Custer's Last Stand performances, when he was unbeatable under relentless opposition pressure. 

  • GoldthorpesHeel
    GoldthorpesHeel Posts: 107
    Ahhh ... Yes Ipswich that was the one I was thinking of

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  • HerneBayaddick
    HerneBayaddick Posts: 45
    superdulvertonred said:
    Loved watching Charlie first goalkeeper I saw play .Remember reading in Goal or a similar publication about him being Hong Kong Footballer of the year
    Think this must be the article you were thinking of. Appeared in Charles Buchan’s Soccer Gift Book 1967/68. 
  • Rob
    Rob Posts: 11,808
    One of my favourite players as a young whippersnapper back then. An integral part of the 68/69 team that, almost, got promoted to the old 1st Division. We finished 3rd and only 2 went up. That year was an anomaly for us as the previous season we finished 15th and the season after we finished 20th and just avoided relegation. It was lots of fun that season and we weren’t used to that! We also had a good mini cup run beating Palace 2-0 at Selhurst Park after drawing 0-0 at the Valley and giving Arsenal a run for their money at Highbury in the 4th round before losing 2-0. Arsenal were the best team in the country back then. 

    Condolences Charlie on the loss of your wife. 
  • usetobunkin
    usetobunkin Posts: 2,189
    One aspect of Charlie’s game was his bravery. 
    In an era of cloggers Charlie would put himself in harm’s way. 
    I was lucky enough to meet Charlie , and he gave me advice on being a good keeper, keep your eyes open! And stay on your toes! 
    An absolute gentleman.

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