Like Charlie Townsend

WEALDSTONE v BRACKLEY TOWN THE BIG INTERVIEW: CHARLIE TOWNSEND A record 514 games for Wealdstone..32 England caps.. why no-one deserves the title of ‘WFC Legend’ like Charlie Townsend On the day the current crop of Stones stars sit on the brink of Wembley glory, TIM PARKS gets the lowdown on one of the greatest Charlie lifts the Middlesex Senior Cup half a century ago. This was amateur footballers in England history about the last time we won it! here is no doubt in Charlie that I hadn’t interviewed him for years before moving to North Townsend’s mind as to how this programme earlier. With Harrow - where he’s lived ever he finally got his hands on a record 514 appearances to since. Tan Amateur Cup Winner’s medal his name, Charlie is a genuine He played the huge majority in 1966. Wealdstone legend who de- of his career in a blue Stones “At the beginning of the 65-66 serves a book about his exploits shirt and, of course, the white season I asked my fiance rather than a seven-page feature shirt of the England amateur Margaret if, when she went to in the matchday magazine. side, winning 32 caps over a church, she’d ‘have a word’ about But the man himself is quiet period of seven years. And me getting that medal” said and self-effacing. He was born he even represented Great Charlie. “She joked that if I gave in Bushey and lived there for 28 Britain in Olympic qualification her a coin for the collection plate, matches, being involved in the she would do so. So I gave her infamous Greek tragedy of 1964 half a crown on a few occasions... when GB were outrageously and it worked because after 66 denied a place at the Tokyo years of trying we won the cup!” Olympics. Charlie is just a few months “That was one of the big short of his 80th birthday but disappointments of my is as sharp and clear-minded career. Hughie (Lindsay) as when he was running the had been involved in the Stones midfield for an 1960 Olympic finals, when astonishing 12 years with his Great Britain were knocked great pal Hughie Lindsay. out by a terrific Brazil side, I finally managed to catch 51 years of and myself, Hughie and up with him at the Support- wedded bliss! our Wealdstone centre-back ers Club’s 60th anniversary Charlie and his Johnny Ashworth were all dinner - and could only apologise wife Margaret CONTINUED OVERPAGE WEALDSTONE v BRACKLEYTOWN THE BIG INTERVIEW: CHARLIE TOWNSEND in the GB side that came so close to quali- fying for Tokyo. “We faced Greece in a play-off semi-final over two legs - we beat them 2-1 at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in front of a big crowd, and then there were over 30,000 at the second leg in Athens. It was hostile. It was 1-1 with 15 minutes to go but then the referee gifted them two penal- Charlie (second left) in action for England in 1962 - he ties ... we went on the watches as an Italian forward attempts an overhead kick attack but they caught in the game to officially open Ascoli’s picturesque new us on the break and stadium. Italy won 1-0 in front of a 10,000 crowd added two more to end up 5-3 winners on aggregate. “But the real drama was the going to be our day, and their following week when it was centre forward John Mason A couple of years ago in an interview, Stones full-back discovered they had fielded SIX scored four times. The crowd Mickey Doyle reckoned that players who weren’t even eligible was enormous in a tiny ground, Hendon’s early goal in the Cup to play! right on top of the pitch, about Final that year actually had the 7,000 I think and we struggled “The Olympic committee kicked effect of relaxing the team. Did the whole afternoon. them out, leaving us free to face Charlie agree? Czechoslovakia in the playoff “But then we faced them in final. But the timescale was now the semi-final the next season, “It’s hard to say. I know that we played some good stuff that too tight, after Greece’s appeal, to at Stamford Bridge, and after afternoon though. We got right fit in our matches so the Czechs we had scored what was a lucky back at them and a big factor were allowed a walkover to reach goal - Brian Allen’s cross flew was an injury to their right-half the finals. So frustrating!” straight in - and then survived a Dave Shacklock - there were no missed penalty, me and Hughie isappointment figures substitutes in those days so he decided to just knock the ball highly in Charlie’s Weald was really just a passenger out - around and keep possession. stone career. It was the on the wing. It gave us a man disappointmentD of losing 4-1 We had been guilty in the past advantage and in the end we PAGE of chasing the game when we to unfanciedREWIND: Alvechurch AMATEUR in the CUP FINAL SPECIAL scored the goals we deserved 44 didn’t need to, but this time we Amateur Cup last 16 - only a year to win 3-1. That was a wonderful CONTINUED were composed and it paid off. before we went to Wembley and feeling.” won theFROM trophy PAGE 43 - that led the We were in the final!” the maximum wage... I only harlie was a carpenter tigerishplayed midfielder once for Pompey, to atask his wife for divineFratton guidance.Park against Sunder- the whole of his working land in the old Division Two ... life, beginning as an ‘I waswe won getting 2-1 but the desperate” profes- sional life wasn’t for me. apprenticeC with the firm of Field admits Charlie. “That match at “I’d met Ann, my wife (they & Hemley in Bushey village. Alvechurchrecently celebrated was awful. their 50th We were wedding anniversary) and we He then served his national favouriteswanted butto settle Alvechurch down. There had service, and worked for several some wasvery a lad good I’d played players. with in We the Navy, Jimmy Coates, local building companies be- actuallywho had was skipper a penalty of at 0-0 and fore joining Guinness, based I shouldKingstonian have intaken the Isthmian the kick, but League so I signed for them in Park Royal, in 1970 thanks I just didn’tin 1959ish, fancy and had it threeon that heavy to a suggestion from Weald pitch. Berniegood years Bremer,there.” our brilliant - “Did you play in the 1960 stone team mate Matt Farrell. winger, stepped up and blastedLittle known it fact: Wembley was covered in thick snow just two days Amateur Cup Final for the Ks before the final,Stones when the Stones players players in turned the up Wembley to get the feel of “I joined the company’s then, John?” I asked him. the stadium. Luckily the pitch thawed out in time. over the bar! I knew then it wasn’t snow two days before Otherange ‘66 ball weather!final “Yes, I did. And so did CONTINUED OVERPAGE Hughie Lindsay, who joined team. Held us all together in good no such munificence for teenagers Wealdstone a year before me, in times and bad.” like Mickey, who saw no future in ‘62. But that day wasn’t a happy “You weren’t bad yourself!” competing with First Division memory. Hendon beat us 2-1 in the laughed Johnny. And indeed our Fulham’s internationals - and was final that year and that was defi- energetic, attacking full-back Doyle asked along to Wealdstone for a nitely a motivating factor for me, won rave reviews right through his trial. when we found ourselves in the initial three year spell before 1964 “I loved Wealdstone the first time Final again in ‘66. I didn’t want to and 67, and again when he I walked in. It wasn’t easy estab- experience losing a final again.” returned to the club in 1969 for lishing myself as they had some ICKEY Doyle chimed in. another 30-odd games. terrific players but this man (he “You know, we were all a bit “We were unique. The club was said, gesturing across to big John) nervous before the the big unique. The social side was let me in that team. He really did. Mgame, as I’ve already said, and it fantastic’ said Mickey, who was He saw something in me and that seems funny but the moment I just working all hours in a variety of led to the best years of my football knew we were going to win the jobs but spending every Saturday life”. game was when we went 1-0 down night (and quite a few after training) after just two minutes! in the Lower Mead social club with EITHER men really hit the “There I was, picking the ball out his team-mates. heights again after ‘66. I of our net after Geoff Riddy had put He had come travelled south asked them: ‘What Hendon into the lead and I knew in from Barrow to join Fulham as an Nhappened? Surely that should have my guts that we were the sort of apprentice. A certain Jimmy Hill been the springboard for a tilt at team that thrived on a knock-back, was the big cheese at the Cottage the Isthmian League title?’ especially so early in the game.

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