Godt å sjå at dei vil hedre kanskje den beste spiller gjennom tidene å ha båret Leeds United sin uniform!
:)
http://www.leedsutd-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=368787
John Charles kåret til tidenes britiske spiller utenfor de britiske øyer!
http://blog.sport.co.uk/Football/414/Top_Ten_British_players_who_have_played_abroad__.aspx
Gratulere gamle mann. Dette fortjener du der du sitter med en whisky sammen med Billy der oppe og våker over oss
Vel fortjent!
Er vel den største som har tredd i seg den hvite drakta også, dog den neppe var hvit i hans tid... :)
auren
Tja...
http://images.teamtalk.com/09/03/800x600/John-Charles-Leeds-United-1962_2068324.jpg
Ingen over, ingen ved siden. Sir John Charles, The Gentle Giant, Il Gigante Buono er den største igjennom tidene. 8)
En stor spiller, en stor personlighet og en fantasisk hyggelig mann å prate med, over en øl eller to. Var så "heldig " å få oppleve den gripende minnestunden på ER i forbindelse med hans begravelse.
Quote from: ollan on October 09, 2009, 18:38:06
En stor spiller, en stor personlighet og en fantasisk hyggelig mann å prate medover en øl eller to. Var så "heldig " å få oppleve den gripende minnestunden på ER i forbindelse med hans begravelse.
Jeg satt på West Stand i 1. omg og John Charles Stand i 2. omg! Gripende var bare fornavnet!
STOR fotballspiller!
Det er synd å snakke med mange såkalte fotballelskere og så viser det seg at de aldri har høyrt om John Charles. Når ein nemner at han er kåra til beste utlending i Juventus gjennom alle tider av Juves egne fans, vert de fleste sjokka.
Mange unge vekser opp og høyrer om Pele, Best og Maradona, men ikkje om kanskje den beste av de alle - Sir John Charles!
Var dessverre ikkje på ER under denne minnestunden, men min bror var.
Var forøvrig så heldig å møte John på The Commercial og fekk hilst på og tatt ein skål!
Denne kåringen fortener John Charles - RIP!
var vel ingen omganger i den minnestunden...Kun 1 time med minnetaler før båren ble kjørt rundt gressmatten mens ca 8-10 000 stod og klappet..Kampen lørdagen før huskes vel best for k***l sitt utligningsmål for looserpool..
Quote from: ollan on October 09, 2009, 18:57:36
var vel ingen omganger i den minnestunden...Kun 1 time med minnetaler før båren ble kjørt rundt gressmatten mens ca 8-10 000 stod og klappet..Kampen lørdagen før huskes vel best for k***l sitt utligningsmål for looserpool..
Det har du selvsakt helt rett i ollan. Jeg tenkte på kampen lørdagen før som du henviser til.
En av de mange spillerene, dog en av de viktigste, som virkelig gjør at jeg kunne tenkt meg å vært ungdom / voksen på den tid.
Sitat;
Stopper John Charles
Bokstavelig talt en gigant, og det var med rette han bar sine tilnavn Gentle Giant og Il Buon Gigante. King John var en verdensstjerne av enormt format, og han var like god som spiss som han var som stopper. Han ble toppscorer både i Leeds (den gang klubben ikke engang var en parentes) og i Juventus.
- Og jeg spilte jo halvparten av tiden i forsvar, som han understreket hver gang jeg traff ham. â€" Jeg startet gjerne på topp, og etter å ha scoret og gitt oss ledelsen gikk jeg tilbake i forsvar og sørget for at vi vant.
Charles var fra Wales, og var den store stjernen da de deltok i VM i 1958, der de tapte for Brasil i kvartfinalen. Siden sa Pelé: â€" Vi var heldige ettersom John Charles ikke spilte, med ham på motsatt halvdel er det slett ikke sikkert vi hadde vunnet!
Jeg traff Charles tre ganger, første gang på restauranten La Comida i Leeds sammen med min daværende kollega Reidar i Sport- & Spesialreiser. Vi spiste middag sammen med Charles, Peter Lorimer med kone og Frank Strandli.
http://www.dagbladet.no/fotball/blogg/?p=2128
1000 % enig. En Gentleman og hederskar på alle mulige måter.
Var på puben til Lorimer i 1999 før kampen mellom LEEDS og man.u.res. 1-1 og var så heldig og treffe Sir John Charles. Der ble det tatt bilde av meg og sønnen min med Sir John som jeg er stolt av. En virkelig hedersmann. Vel fortjent
Et fantastisk klipp fra Leeds i 1954: JOHN CHARLES ER IKKE TIL SALGS!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D5jlJoLdta0
:)
Welsh Greats- John Charles - Del 1:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bzR2pECXXZ4
Del 2:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j1tBH8UQIFQ
The John Charles Story - Del 1
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M3XcPVuobx8
Del 2
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXIaxUB8XJc
Del 3
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hhzJLrWgpIs
:)
En artikkel om John Charles og Bobby Collins testimonial i 1988 med et Youtube-klipp fra kampen med bl.a. Michel Platini:
http://sabotagetimes.com/reportage/platini-in-a-leeds-kit-the-madness-of-john-charles-testimonial/
:)
Her er lenken til tråden til Bobby Collins, som døde for et års tid siden etter lang tids sykdom:
http://forum.leedsunited.no/index.php/topic,20503.0.html
What a run:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/no-transfer-for-john-charles/query/leeds+city
:)
In the press #OnThisDay 23/12 1954, a debate about the great John Charles. Up-front or defence? #lufc chose well!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CW8FMfhWEAImUV3?format=pjpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CW8FM0gWEAE9wU6?format=pjpg&name=large)
Great man! Great player!
Champions League-finale i Wales. Ett av lagene som spiller er Juventus.
John Charles er borte. Men sønnene lever. Derfor er de inviterte til kveldens kamp.
Daily Mirror har en fin sak om John Charles i dag.
Fine sitat fra Jackie Charlton ;)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBX6qbuXYAIHQIp.jpg)
Champions League: Juve’s debt to Leeds United legend John Charles
John Charles in his Leeds United days 13:44Friday 02 June 2017 6 HAVE YOUR SAY
JOHN CHARLES’S impact at Juventus was so great that his name is still uttered in revered tones there today. “Il Gigante Buono†comes the reply whenever Charles’s name is heard by supporters of the Bianconeri. They know Charles as ‘The Gentle Giant’ in Turin â€" the legacy of five goal-filled seasons in which he won three league titles and two Italian Cups and was never booked or sent off.
Charles scored 108 goals in 155 matches between 1957 and 1962 as he became that rarest of British exports â€" the successful footballer abroad. So significant was Swansea-born Charles’s Italian job that he was voted Juventus’ best foreign player of all time when the club celebrated its centenary in 1997. Charles died seven years later at the age of 72, but it is fitting that Juve hope to overcome Real Madrid in his native Wales for what would be the Old Lady’s first Champions League crown since 1996.
“He loved the place,†Charles’s son Mel said ahead of the showpiece final at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff on Saturday night. “He went back to Italy a few times after his playing days. “He had a lot of friends out there and was always pleased that people remembered watching him play.†Charles was a Swansea apprentice before Leeds United lured him away in 1948 at the age of 17.
He had made his debut for club and country by 1950, and was equally adept playing at centre-half or centre-forward. Charles had scored 157 goals in 297 games when Juventus wrote a cheque for £65,000 for his services in August, 1957 â€" a British transfer record which almost doubled the previous mark. The goals and trophies just kept coming for Charles in Turin. So, too, the trappings of success when the maximum wage for players back home was set at £17 per week.
“I was born in 1956, so, unfortunately, I was too young to watch my dad play for Juventus,†said Mel, who spent his formative years in Italy with brothers Terry and Peter. “But I have wonderful memories of living in a villa overlooking Turin and a maid looking after all of us. “The place was fantastic and they couldn’t do enough for my dad and all the family.â€
Charles was an engaging character who was admired for refusing to lash out at the often illicit attentions of Italian defenders. He was a favourite of the Agnelli family, Juventus’ main benefactors, and his love of life in Italy also saw him record, with some success, the song Sixteen Tons.
“I think it got to number two in the Chinese charts,†laughs Mel. “But dad loved the people and playing football in Italy. “He was always proud that he was one of the few British players who was a success out there.†Charles returned to Leeds in 1962 and also had spells at Roma, Cardiff and Hereford before retiring. He later went into management at Hereford and Merthyr as well as the pub trade in Leeds before his death in February, 2004.
Read more at: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/champions-league-juve-s-debt-to-leeds-united-legend-john-charles-1-8575635
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEOqsZGXYAErhiJ?format=jpg&name=large)
Ny bok:
Portrait of an icon: John Charles
Date published: Wednesday 26th July 2017 8:24
The business of ranking things in order of their ability (and thus crowning a winner) is a very modern concept. That is not to say that in the pre-internet, pre-listicle era nobody had controversial opinions, but the obsession with comparison did not exist as it does today.
Such an obsession is, naturally, completely meaningless. The arguments over Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, are not only never-ending because both camps are so entrenched, but also vacuous. Football is a team sport rather than individual pursuit, and only one team can have Messi and one team Ronaldo. It does not matter who is better, only which team outperforms the other.
Comparing players from different eras is harder still. The developments in technology, nutrition, medical expertise, coaching, academies and equipment all assist the maximisation of natural talent far more than has ever been achieved. ‘Who was better: Stanley Matthews or Glenn Hoddle?’ is a question loaded with so many variables that it makes any answer nothing more than preference.
Instead, we should agree (or at least reasonably discuss) on pillars of each era, greats who represented the skill, strength of character or both in order to increase the game’s popularity and reputation for sporting excellence. By every measure, John Charles was one of these pillars. He was British football’s first true superstar, and probably our most successful football export since the game itself.
There is also an argument for Charles to be labelled as the most complete player of his generation, a bit more subjective than simple comparison. The famous anecdote is that in the space of one week Bobby Moore was asked to name the best striker he had ever faced, and Nat Lofthouse the best defender. Both gave the same answer: “John Charlesâ€.
Multi-functional players are not an extinct species, a sepia-tinted notion. Javier Mascherano, Philipp Lahm, Gareth Bale and Thierry Henry are all examples of elite players who have changed position and excelled. Yet none have ever done so as dramatically or with as much success as Charles.
First and foremost, Charles was Leeds’ greatest sporting son, despite his Welsh upbringing. When he died unexpectedly in 2004 after a heart attack at the age of 72, a city mourned as one. As the funeral car drove around the side of the Elland Road pitch on the way to the service, hundreds of fans paid their last respects. In Leeds today you can drive down John Charles Way and John Charles Approach, visit the John Charles Centre for Sport or sit in the John Charles stand to watch Leeds play. The city is immensely proud of their sporting pillar.
Charles was brought to West Yorkshire by manager Frank Buckley in 1948 when aged 17, relocating from his family home in Swansea. He began life as a non-nonsense defender, but quickly gained a reputation as a gentlemanly player amid a sea of nefarity.
Such was his development at Leeds that Charles became Wales’ youngest ever senior international a year later, a record eventually broken by Ryan Giggs. He would play 38 times for his country, savagely targeted and injured during the 1958 World Cup. In 2004, Charles was voted at number 19 in a list of Wales’ 100 heroes, and was voted as their greatest ever player a year earlier.
After injury forced Charles to have surgery to remove cartilage in both of his knees, Buckley decided to try his central defender as a striker, with Leeds desperately needing goals; the effect was instant. Having previously scored four times in 109 career club appearances, Charles scored 68 times in 79 league games over the next two seasons. His 29 goals in 42 Second Division matches in 1955/56 earned Leeds promotion back to the top flight. His 38 league goals the following season took them into the top half and made him the country’s top goalscorer. In five years as a striker, Charles had scored exactly 150 goals for Leeds.
Charles was a complete centre forward. Jack Charlton says that he was ‘the best header of a ball I ever saw in my life’, and that aerial ability and physique were combined with a power, shooting ability and ambidexterity that gave Charles the look of a superhero. He was as close to perfect physical specimen as British sport has produced.
More famously still was Charles’ personality; he was the gentleman footballer. Never booked or sent off throughout his career, defenders repeatedly tried to wind Charles up in order to distract him from his game. None ever achieved the feat.
“John wasn’t only one of the greatest footballers who ever lived,†said Sir Bobby Robson. “He was one of the greatest men ever to play the game.†International referee Clive Thomas was just as eloquent about his countryman: “If you had 22 players of John’s calibre, there would be no need for referees â€" only time-keepers.â€
It was not long before Juventus came calling, a world record fee of £65,000 agreed between the two clubs in 1957. To understand both how unusual a move it was for a British player and Charles’ own understandable insularity, we can turn to the player’s own words: “The manager called me in and said, ‘Juventus want you.’ I said, ‘Who are Juventus?’ and he looked at me and said, ‘They’re one of the best teams in Italy.’ I’d never heard of them.â€
If Charles faced a difficult challenge in settling abroad, it did not show. He scored 93 goals in 155 games over five years for Juventus, taken into the bosom of the club and named Il Buon Gigante, the gentle giant. During those five seasons, Juventus won three Scudetti and two Coppa Italias, with Charles named Serie A Player of the Year. Such was Charles’ impact on Italy’s football culture, in 1997 he was named as Serie A’s greatest ever foreign player. An inexhaustive list of those behind him: Michel Platini, Diego Maradona, Denis law, Ruud Gullit, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Marco van Basten.
Charles was not just loved by Juventus’ supporters, but was cherished by the club. This was a boy from Wales via Leeds who had come to Italy to enjoy a different, finer life, yet had embraced every part of Italian football culture and never behaved in any way but impeccably. “We cry for a great champion and a great man,†club vice-president Roberto Bettega said upon learning of Charles’ death. “John was a person who interpreted the spirit of Juventus in the best possible manner, and also represented the sport in the best and purest way.â€
“He was an extraordinary person, I would say from another world because of his human qualities,†former Juventus teammate Giampiero Boniperti said. “He was a great friend and an extraordinary team-mate. John was one of the most loyal and honest persons I have ever met.â€
After leaving Italy, the spark left Charles’ game. He tried to rediscover the magic at Leeds, Cardiff, Hereford and even Roma, but to no avail. Charles found it difficult to acclimatise back to life in England. A large part of him would always remain in Turin. His post-playing career brought failed business ventures and financial difficulty, and he publicly admitted to falling out of love with a new, commercialised football.
The only possible criticism labelled at Charles is that he was too nice, praising with faint damnation in an admittedly patronising manner. To fondly remember his gallantry and kindness is to reminisce of a distant time, when being a successful footballer and playing football as if it were mere pastime were not mutually exclusive. Charles was a hero not just for his ability nor achievement, but because of his personality. Sometimes the good guys don’t finish last.
Daniel Storey â€" The Portrait of an Icon book will be available to pre-order on August 1, and is released on August 15.
James Rowlands
Wandering through Paddington station the other day and I spotted a new train named after #lufc legend John Charles. Nice touch #GWR (Il Gigante Buono was his nickname whilst at Juve) #mot #ForzaJuve
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmmXMDsWsAAlegY?format=jpg&name=medium)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmmXMDwXoAAlF25?format=jpg&name=medium)
New novel tells how Leeds United legend John Charles conquered Italy
Published: 16:39 Tuesday 06 November 2018
John Charles in action for Leeds United.
John Charles in action for Leeds United.
A new novel has been published telling the trailblazing story of Leeds United legend John Charles as he tackled his very own Italian job.
Penned by Leeds writer and lifelong United fan Robert Endeacott, The Gigante is a fictionalised account of King John’s time in Italy after he moved to Turin side Juventus in 1957.
Robert Endeacott.
Robert Endeacott.
The book follows the Welshman’s exploits on the pitch as he wrote himself into Juventus folklore, earning the nickname Il Gigante Buono, or the Gentle Giant.
It also provides a fascinating insight into his life away from football, as he and first wife Peggy tried to come to terms with the culture shock of Turin in an era when British players rarely moved abroad.
And 53-year-old Robert hopes his 10th book â€" which was originally announced at the start of the year only for its publication to be delayed â€" will prove a champion read for Leeds fans everywhere.
He said: “I’m delighted The Gigante is finally out, it has been something of a journey for myself and the publisher but we got there in the end.
John Charles.
“I loved writing about the great man John Charles and I’m honoured to have been able to do so.
“I’m immensely grateful to his friends and family, especially Peggy who has been wonderful throughout and a great interviewee. She makes a fine cuppa too.
“The Gigante is a fiction using factual information, it is ostensibly a tribute to the Charles family, John mainly of course, and I hope I’ve done them justice.
“I feel I have, simply because I had nothing negative to write, it is not that sort of story.
“Proud Welshman John, one of the world’s greatest footballers of all time, was also an honorary Yorkshireman, and whilst he left Leeds for a time, Leeds never left John Charles.â€
Beeston-based Robert’s previous novels include One Northern Soul, Dirty Leeds and After Extra Time. He also had a foray into music writing in 2014 with Peaches, a book about punk rock band The Stranglers.
The Gigante has been published by Ockley Books and can be purchased from the www.ockleybooks.co.uk website.
It is also available from United’s Elland Road superstore and will be on sale shortly in all good bookshops.
A launch event is being planned at Beeston’s John Charles Centre for Sport, which was renamed after the United great following his death in 2004.
John made more than 300 appearances for the Whites and scored 157 goals, the vast majority between 1949 and 1957, although he had a brief second spell at Elland Road in 1962.
Equally adept at centre-forward and centre-half, his move to Juventus for £65,000 broke the British transfer record.
He was named the best foreign player to appear in Juventus’s black and white stripes when the Italian side celebrated its centenary in 1997.
John also helped Wales reach the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup.
Yep
History of Leeds
On this day (27th December) in 1931, John Charles, Britain’s greatest-ever footballer, was born in Swansea. So, here’s a picture of my mum sitting on his knee â€" he used to lodge near my grandparents' family in Beeston.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvZ0SwdXQAAdJ1a?format=jpg&name=medium)
John Charles (born OTD in 1931) played 308 times for Leeds United (in two spells) and 155 times for Juventus. He also represented Wales in the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden. His Leeds record of 42 goals in the 1953-54 season may never be beaten.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvZ1cufWsAAAyFF?format=jpg&name=small)
His claim to greatness derives from his unique ability to play at centre back or centre forward, with equal brilliance, and his combination of height, strength, technical ability and speed.
The Gentle Giant died in 2004. The John Charles Centre for Sport is named in his honour
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvZ1dXNW0AAtZjE?format=jpg&name=360x360)
He was the king
Liker dette bildet:
FootballRetroPlus
John Charles chased by fans at Elland Road!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DyA3COgXgAQNXYR?format=jpg&name=medium)
Arcansas LUFC
@lufcstats John Charles stats would be good for today sir
Lufcstats
327 apps, 157 goals
Arcansas LUFC
also what... our only player to ever be put in the mix for Balón d’or ?
Lufcstats
Indeed
JH
Find someone that looks at you the same way Del Piero looks at John Charles. Not many better photos on here than this
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz_cWjAWsAAzURk?format=jpg&name=medium)
Quote from: Promotion 2010 on February 22, 2019, 17:42:04
JH
Find someone that looks at you the same way Del Piero looks at John Charles. Not many better photos on here than this
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz_cWjAWsAAzURk?format=jpg&name=medium)
Oser respekt her ja
Flott bilde!
Se den kontrollen han har på hodestøtende spesielt (minner meg om Chapman - bare bedre) , men Charles hadde jo opplagt store kvaliteter "langs bakken" også.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK7q7vX4w9A
Mal Winkle Football Memoriblia
John Charles during his National Service with the 12th Royal Lancers at Carlisle 1950-52. He was allowed back to play for Leeds United at weekends
#LUFC
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D54nFKbWwAAMSHu?format=jpg&name=medium)
Du kjenner til John Charles (har også gjerne hilst på ham i Lorimers pub) men aldri sett ham spille? :o
Unn deg 7 minutter fra Italiakarrieren hans. I motsetning til tiden i Leeds er mange av målene hans foreviget der...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykvQIsQmpgA
Artig bilde - kanskje ikkje minst måten en 'bærer' shortsen på dengang. :)
King John looking like he's been taken prisoner here...maybe he was?! The other man is Gigi Peronace, who masterminded his move to Juventus. A rare non AI-colourised 1950s photo showing the actual colours of Leeds kit.
#LUFC #50sLeeds #ALAW #Wales #MOT
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https://x.com/Yorkshire_Tales/status/2034198462779339256?s=20
The Short Story -twitter style...
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The Gentle Giant
THE JOHN CHARLES STORY
BY Vince Cooper
THE question: 'Who was the greatest footballer of all time?' is pretty much impossible to answer. As you trawl through the beautiful game's history it will change from era to era and it tends to be those you loved during your own formative years when it comes down to each individual's choice.
There were certainly those back in the day who firmly believed there'd never be another Steve Bloomer, or Dixie Dean whilst those of later generations would marvel at the wing skills and trickery of Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney and there was also the tantalising unfulfilled potential of the mighty Duncan Edwards, a player tragic circumstances probably never allowed the public to see the best of.
Move forward to the 1960s and many can, and often still do, make a case for Jimmy Greaves as the greatest goalscorer of all time whilst the broadening of football into a global game has added the likes of Pele, Yashin, Moore, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo and Co. into the discussion.
But, great players as they all undoubtedly are, none of those mentioned above can lay claim to be a true world-class star in two distinct and very different positions (although it does seem that Edwards might have been capable of it). The only man to tick those specific boxes came from South Wales.
William John Charles was born in Alice Street, Cwmbwrla, near Swansea in 1931 and was the eldest son - and second child - of Ned, a steelworker who had played as an amateur with Swansea Town, and Lillian.
After John had shown promise as a cricketer as well as on the football pitch, he decided to follow in his dad's footsteps, joining the groundstaff at Vetch Field. It didn't take long for him to make an impression and after appearing in just one senior Welsh League match he was spotted by a Leeds United scout Jack Pickard who had watched him in training and playing at left-half for Gendros, a local team, and invited him, along with fellow youngsters Bobby Hennings and Harry Griffiths, to Elland Road for a trial.
John went despite his mum saying initially that he couldn't because he didn't have a passport and he spent a month at the club in late 1948 after which Leeds quickly moved to snap him up, offering him a £10 signing-on fee, £6 per week and a new suit and overcoat as a bonus.
He moved to Yorkshire in January 1949 as a 17-year-old. The Leeds manager was Major Frank Buckley who, during his time with Wolves had helped develop players like Billy Wright and Stan Cullis.
The major initially tried Charles in various positions, with a dozen games at right-back to start, while playing for Leeds reserves. Then in a Yorkshire League match against Barnsley reserves he was switched to centre-half for as John would later call it; "a turning point in my career.
"I discovered that I enjoyed playing at centre-half more than wing-half or full-back. Centre-half, I felt, was my natural position".
Three months after arriving, and still eight months before his 18th birthday, Charles made his first-team debut at centre-half in a friendly against Queen of the South. He marked Billy Houliston who had played for Scotland against England 10 days before and, according to reports, had 'run the English defence ragged' in a 3-1 win. The game finished goalless and afterwards Houliston paid the young novice a massive compliment calling him; 'the best centre-half I've ever played against'.
A week later Charles made his league debut, against Blackburn Rovers, again appearing at centre-half. The match finished goalless with the Yorkshire Post reporting that; 'There could be nothing but satisfaction for United in the boy's form'. He was in to stay and didn't miss a match for Leeds after his debut apart from injuries, international calls and National Service.
That call to National Service came In 1950 and Charles served with the 12th Royal Lancers in Carlisle. His regiment allowed him to carry on playing for Leeds, on the understanding that he also turned out for them. He did and so successfully that his team won the Army Cup.
In March of the same year, at the age of just 18, Charles was called up for his Wales debut and became the youngest player to play for the country to that point, a record eventually broken by Ryan Giggs.
Much heralded beforehand and touted as the future of Welsh football, he played against Northern Ireland at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground alongside players who, until then, had been his heroes. He made a nervy debut in a goalless draw and perhaps unsurprisingly, soon lost his place in the team to the more experienced Roy Daniel of Arsenal.
Although his potential was there for all to see, Charles himself knew that there was still work to be done. "I didn't have it all there - I had to practice a lot I can assure you", he would later recall. In this he found the perfect mentor in Buckley. " I would go down the back of the big stand with Major Buckley and keep hitting and hitting the ball.
"Throughout the three months summer break I was working every day at jumping. When I first came I only used to jump a foot off the ground. That's how I improved".
Despite his commanding physique Charles was still coming to terms with the senior game. He got another chance with his national team the following year against Switzerland but again looked shaky as the Welsh won 3-2 having led 3-0 at one stage. That led to a two-year absence from the Welsh line-up.
Towards the end of the 1950-51 season Leeds were hit by injuries to their first and second choice centre-forwards so Major Buckley made the fateful decision to switch Charles to centre-forward. The move was inspired with two goals in his second start there but Buckley soon had him back in defence again where the team had more need and he played there both before and after undergoing a cartilage operation which cost him a large chunk of the 1951-52 campaign.
As the 1952-53 season got underway Major Buckley was still using his protege in defence but he gave him another go up front in a West Riding Senior cup tie against Halifax Town and a pair of goals there convinced him that the future of the player he had already called; 'The most brilliant association footballer in the game today' was at the point of attack rather than in the heart of defence.
In the next 29 games Charles bagged an astonishing 26 goals and won back his place in the Welsh team this time as a forward scoring twice and making the other in the 3-2 win over Northern Ireland.
For Wales he was now regularly picked to lead the attack although there were times during matches when he was to be found back helping out the defence. As Bobby Robson, an international opponent would later say when comparing him to the all-time greats; "He was right up there with the very, very best. Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Best. But how many of them were world class in two positions? The answer to that is easy. None of them".
But despite John banging in the goals for his team Leeds were stuck in the mid-table obscurity and Major Buckley quit as manager.
There is little doubt that the loss of his biggest supporter could have made life difficult for the youngster but fortunately for him, Buckley's replacement had just as much belief in John as his predecessor.
As he had done previously at Hull City, former England striker Raich Carter took over from Buckley and he immediately made it clear that he was a big fan of the Welshman. However, the feeling wasn't completely reciprocated with Charles often complaining that his manager cared for nobody's opinion but his own.
Matters came to a head in the early stages of the 1954-55 season when Charles, who had been pushed back to centre-half and had already been the subject of a couple of bids from Cardiff City, handed in a transfer request claiming that he was; 'anxious to experience First Division football'.
Cardiff bid again, Arsenal and Chelsea were also interested but Leeds, despite having financial woes of their own to contend with refused to let their star man go even when the money offered rose above £50,000.
Instead, Carter made Charles captain and after a poor start to the season, Leeds put together a decent run which saw them climb the table and give fans hope for 1955-56.
And that hope was fulfilled. The start of the season saw Charles deployed at right half with Jack Charlton now wearing number five. Eight games in and the lack of firepower was blatant so Carter switch his skipper to centre-forward. A flurry of goals saw United climb the charts and on the final day of the campaign they visited the manager's old club Hull City knowing that a win would equal promotion.
Charles gave his team the lead but City equalised. When Leeds were awarded a penalty in the second half their captain stepped up and buried it putting them back in front. Two late goals from Harold Brook wrapped things up so Charles would get his chance on the big stage with United.
In October of 1955 Wales faced England at Cardiff having not beaten their neighbours for 17 years. Charles was back at centre-half for the fixture and he lined up alongside brother Mel who had made his debut earlier that year when John played up front and scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Northern Ireland in Belfast.
At Ninian Park, Wales scored twice, through Derek Tapscott and Cliff Jones, in a five-minute spell just before half-time. England fought back in the second period and John, in an otherwise brilliant display where he marked Nat Lofthouse out of the game, put through his own net to give the English hope, but the Welsh held on to record a famous victory.
The following month Wales, with both brothers again in the line-up, met Austria in a game that became known at 'The Battle of Wrexham'. An Austrian player committed a particularly nasty foul on Mel forcing him to be stretchered off with 15 minutes remaining. The mild-mannered John, in a rare act of temper, lifted the offending Austrian off the floor and said; "if you ever do that to my brother again I'll bloody kill you!" This was, in all likelihood, the closest Charles ever came to being booked or sent-off in a career where he suffered plenty of provocation but rose above it all.
The 1956-57 season saw Leeds holding onto their top flight place but it was becoming increasingly hard for them to hang on to their prize asset and things only got more difficult in September 1956 when Elland Road's Main Stand, under-insured, burned down after an electrical fault.
Still the man The Times described as being; "Hewn as it were, from the granite of some Welsh mountainside" was undeterred. He picked his team up and carried them to a creditable 8th position, top scoring in the First Division with 38 of his team's 72 goals.
The press were full of praise for the Leeds skipper with some suggesting they were a one-man team, although the player himself was adamant that his teammates deserved equal billing. "It is absolutely scandalous to suggest that I did all the work for the Leeds United team," he said. "I had many fine colleagues and teammates, and but for their unstinting loyalty and assistance I would never have gained my position in football and neither would the club".
The final Elland Road match of the season, which many felt would be John's last match for a club drowning in debt from the after-effects of the fire, was against a Sunderland side battling for survival at the foot of the table. Charles signed off in style, scoring twice in a 3-1 win
Charles was again being coveted by a number of clubs with Sunderland and Manchester United now joining his previous suitors in the hunt for his signature but Leeds held firm. However, the damage done in the fire left the club with little choice other than to sell him although they insisted it would not be to another Football League club.
In 1956 22-year-old Umberto Agnelli took over as the president of Juventus. The Agnelli family, owners of the giant Fiat motor company, had been involved with the club since their highly successful period in the 1930s and Umberto was keen to restore the club to those glory days when they won five consecutive Serie A crowns.
Leeds were still reluctant to let their star leave. But the reality was that the money was needed as ground rebuilding costs soared. Charles was told by his manager that Real Madrid were looking at him, then Lazio.
But it was Agnelli who flew to Belfast to watch the star play for his country against
Northern Ireland and then flew back to Leeds, ready to bid.
Given their problems, Leeds found the offer of £65,000 impossible to refuse. And Agnelli was able to do the same with Charles, with a reported £10,000 signing-on fee and a home in the Turin hills for the player, his wife and their three children.
In Turin, Juve had needed to overcome one final obstacle before they could confirm their new signing. The club needed to preserve their top flight status to be allowed to sign the Welshman and with some difficulty, they managed to do so.
At Juve, Charles was one third of an attacking trio which many still feel ranks as the best the Italian giants have fielded. Argentine Omar Sívori and captain Giampiero Boniperti completed the 'Holy Trident' and this threesome is still revered on the streets of the city over 60 years later.
Despite having difficulties adapting to the Italian lifestyle ("The first time I ate spaghetti it went everywhere but down my bloody throat" he would recall later), Charles quickly made his mark on the pitch.
On his debut against Hellas Verona he scored the winner as Juve prevailed 3-2 in the opening game of the new season. He would go on to score the winning goal in his first three games for his new club and, just like that, Juve fans had a new hero.
The big Welshman's belief in fair-play was hard for the Italian supporters to comprehend. And teammate Sívori would often be maddened to see Charles put the ball out of play (one time when clean through on goal with the 'keeper laying prone on the floor) when an opponent was injured.
In that first season, the attacking trio scored 50 goals between them, with Charles grabbing the lion's share, finding the back of the net 28 times as 'La Vecchia Signora' cruised to the Serie A crown, finishing eight points clear of Fiorentina.
Charles unsurprisingly claimed Footballer of the Year honours in his adopted homeland and that summer, after initially refusing to release the player, Juve eventually relented and allowed him to join his Welsh teammates at the World Cup in Sweden.
In Sweden, brother Mel later admitted that the sight of John arriving at the hotel (after being stranded at the airport and having to make his own way there) gave his teammates a huge lift. Wales drew all three of their group matches with Charles scoring the leveller in the opening game against Hungary. The three draws forced a playoff match with the Hungarians and despite their star man being kicked all over the pitch, goals from Terry Medwin and Ivor Allchurch saw them make the quarter final.
Sadly, Charles was forced to miss the last-eight match against Brazil through injury and Pele's goal eliminated the Welsh with many claiming that had Charles been fit for duty it would have been them and not the eventual winners who went through.
After the World Cup Charles continued to play occasionally for his country although Juventus were often reluctant to release him for international duty. He would don the national shirt a total of 38 times, scoring 15 goals.
Back in Italy, the Welshman enjoyed another fine season, finding the back of the net 19 times but Juve slumped to a 4th-place finish and were humiliated in the European Cup, a competition they never seemed to take seriously at the time. They fell 7-0 on aggregate to Wiener Sport-Club of Austria. Partial redemption came with a 4-1 win over Inter in the Coppa Italia where Charles scored the opener.
In the summer of 1959 'Il Gigante Buono' (The Gentle Giant) signed a new contract - Agnelli joked that Fiat would need to sell a lot more cars to pay for it - but the Welshman rewarded the club as he (23) and Sívori (28) combined for 51 goals and the club won the Serie A - Coppa Italia double.
His success started an exodus of top British striking talent to Italy and before long Gerry Hitchens, Denis Law, Joe Baker and Jimmy Greaves had all tried their hand in Serie A.
Juventus won the title again in 1960-61 and Charles enjoyed one more season in Turin, although he was troubled by injuries After that, the abolition of the minimum-wage in England, homesickness and mounting problems with his marriage brought him back to Leeds, for a fee of £53,000. The Italian adventure had seen him score 93 goals in 155 games and become a hero throughout the country. He chose to return to his former club, a move he would later describe as 'the biggest mistake of my life'.
After just 91 days, and 11 games under new boss Don Revie, it was clear that the move wasn't working out. Charles looked to return to Serie A but with Juventus still miffed that he had left and refusing to take him back, he headed instead for Roma who paid £70,000 to sign him. But Charles was by now beset by problems, financial, personal and physical and he appeared just 10 times for the team from the Italian capital before another move, this time to his home capital of Cardiff.
Charles was approaching his 32nd birthday by the time he joined The Bluebirds and he spent three seasons at Ninian Park. The first two were fine with a total of 64 games, but the third was disappointing with a mere eight starts and his advancing age plus the years of harsh treatment meted out by defenders were clearly slowing him.
In 1966 Charles moved to Southern League Hereford United, initially as a player before taking on player-manager duties. After six years at Edgar Street where he laid the groundwork for the side that would eventually win league status he next moved to Merthyr Tydfil, again taking on the dual role and playing on until he was 41. Then his career came full circle and with a return to Swansea as youth team manager. In 1974 when manager Harry Gregg resigned he left the club and had a short spell coaching in Ontario, Canada before leaving football for good.
A current player of his standard would undoubtedly retire with no financial worries but a number of failed business ventures including a hotel, a sports shop and two pubs meant he had to be bailed out by Leeds chairman Leslie Silver after being pursued for unpaid rates.
It is fair to say his later-life business skills didn't match those he showed in the pitch but Charles remained revered in Turin as well as Leeds where he was awarded a joint testimonial with Bobby Collins in 1988, and where the stand his transfer helped pay for the rebuilding of is now fittingly called 'The John Charles Stand'.
Football in general has also recognised him as one of the true greats. In 2001 he was awarded the CBE for services to Association football and the following year he was made vice-president of the Football Association of Wales.
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Quote from: Asbjørn on August 29, 2026, 15:54:11The Short Story -twitter style...
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Siste delen (den var for lang for ett innlegg):
In 2002, Charles and second wife Glenda were invited to the Stadio delle Allpi and were given a standing ovation as they walked to the centre circle.
Juventus laud him as their 'best ever' whilst Leeds United named their main stand after him. There can be few players who are so revered by two sets of fans in two countries.
And just as he was loved by fans, John was also held in the highest regard by his opponents. Nat Lofthouse said John was the best centre-half he ever played whilst Billy Wright said the same of him as a centre-forward.
In January 2004 he suffered a heart attack and, a month later, passed away in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. His ashes were bequeathed by his widow to the city of Swansea.
'The Gentle Giant' he was known as. His attitude towards opponents earned the first part of that name, his ability meant that the second part related to much more than just his size. John Charles remains and will surely continue to be a towering presence in the footballing D.N.A. of Leeds United, Juventus and Wales