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‘ John Charles ‘

Mon Mar 08, 2021 4:38 pm

John Charles signing for Cardiff City in 1963 :bluebird: :bluebird:
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Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:07 pm

Dunno what it was about those years.. footballers looked like proper blokes. One of his sons is still knocking about in Cardiff, saw him in Canton last year.. think he’s a Teacher

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 2:02 am

Although I did see him play for us on a few occasions, my clearest memory of him is when he officially opened our sport's hall at Llanrumney High School in the late 60's. He was a very imposing figure of a man.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:35 pm

It's difficult to compare these things but he is considered by some who saw him play as the greatest British footballer of all time.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:10 pm

Fairblue27 wrote:It's difficult to compare these things but he is considered by some who saw him play as the greatest British footballer of all time.



Probably unique in being both a world class centre forward and centre half.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:54 pm

Without question the greatest Welsh footballer.Often forgot he was unfit to play against Brazil in the World Cup quarters in 1958.With him Wales could have won, Pele said as much. Go to Turin and ask any Juve fan about the man, 35 000 turned up just to see him about twenty five years ago at the stadium.What is telling for me are the top english players of the time who rated him above their own. My old man played against him in a Welsh Schools/Youth ? trial before dad died I asked him what was it like to play against him and he said he was embarassed to be on the same park.JC was two years younger than the old man !! Why have the Jacks failed to build a statue of their most famous son ??

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:16 pm

Nice touch by Juventus.. they invited his Family to the 2017 EC Final in Cardiff ..

Funny enough, was working by the Liberty today( first time I’ve seen it).. and there is a statue

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:27 pm

I saw him play once for Hereford Utd at Cwmbran. I would have loved to have seen him play in his hey day.
Alan Durbun had another take on the Charles signing. We were selling our younger players
Durbun Graham Moore and Barry Hole

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:39 pm

Jimmy Scoular wrote:Without question the greatest Welsh footballer.Often forgot he was unfit to play against Brazil in the World Cup quarters in 1958.With him Wales could have won, Pele said as much. Go to Turin and ask any Juve fan about the man, 35 000 turned up just to see him about twenty five years ago at the stadium.What is telling for me are the top english players of the time who rated him above their own. My old man played against him in a Welsh Schools/Youth ? trial before dad died I asked him what was it like to play against him and he said he was embarassed to be on the same park.JC was two years younger than the old man !! Why have the Jacks failed to build a statue of their most famous son ??

Why would they?. He never played for Swansea.it would be like us putting up a statue to Gareth bale.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Wed Mar 10, 2021 12:06 pm

If you read the book about City's European campaigns it is incredible to read the comments from the other players who just saw John Charles as someone on a completely different level to them, even at the end of his career.

Without question the #1 Welsh player ever. The Lewandowski of his day.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:00 pm

Remember as a kid going to his sport shop to get my football repaired. He kept saying I needed a new ball. Lovely man.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:38 pm

Remember that shop opening.. Geoff Capes was there.. wasn’t much room for anybody else

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Fri Mar 12, 2021 1:53 pm

In rhiwbina wasn't it? One of the few places you could buy a replica shirt in those days .

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:14 am

You’re right. On Heol y Deri.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:45 am

Questionably Britain's greatest footballer had it all as centre forward and defender something no other British player could boast! Certainly worthy of a statue in his home town at least.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:53 pm

pembroke allan wrote:Questionably Britain's greatest footballer had it all as centre forward and defender something no other British player could boast! Certainly worthy of a statue in his home town at least.



seems they did think about it ....
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... ue-2451521

in 2004

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:40 pm

He officially opened our sport's hall at Llanrumney High School in the late 60's and looked every inch the superstar he was.

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Thu Apr 08, 2021 12:39 pm

If he was English , the English media would have said that he was better than Pele (which he was)

Re: ‘ John Charles ‘

Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:43 pm

skiprat wrote:
Jimmy Scoular wrote:Without question the greatest Welsh footballer.Often forgot he was unfit to play against Brazil in the World Cup quarters in 1958.With him Wales could have won, Pele said as much. Go to Turin and ask any Juve fan about the man, 35 000 turned up just to see him about twenty five years ago at the stadium.What is telling for me are the top english players of the time who rated him above their own. My old man played against him in a Welsh Schools/Youth ? trial before dad died I asked him what was it like to play against him and he said he was embarassed to be on the same park.JC was two years younger than the old man !! Why have the Jacks failed to build a statue of their most famous son ??

Why would they?. He never played for Swansea.it would be like us putting up a statue to Gareth bale.



Well anuerin bevan didnt live in cardiff?? Its where he is from is the point I think the poster is making? So gareth bale on queen st please! Lol.