Stan Charlton facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stanley Charlton | ||
| Date of birth | 28 June 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Exeter, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 December 2012 (aged 83) | ||
| Place of death | Dorchester, England | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1952 | Bromley | ||
| 1952–1955 | Leyton Orient | 151 | (1) |
| 1955–1958 | Arsenal | 99 | (0) |
| 1958–1965 | Leyton Orient | 216 | (1) |
| Total | 466 | (2) | |
| International career | |||
| –1952 | England amateur | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1965–1972 | Weymouth | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stanley Charlton (born June 28, 1929 – died December 20, 2012) was an English footballer and manager. He played as a right back, which is a defensive player on the right side of the field. Stan Charlton played for teams like Bromley, Leyton Orient, and Arsenal. After his playing career, he became a manager, leading the Weymouth team for many years.
Contents
Stan Charlton's Football Journey
Early Days and Leyton Orient Success
Stan Charlton began his football career as an amateur player with Bromley. This means he played for fun and wasn't paid for it. During his time there, he played four games for the English amateur team.
He was also part of the Great Britain squad for the 1952 Olympics. Even though he was on the team, he didn't get to play in any of the football matches at the Olympics.
In 1952, Stan became a professional footballer, meaning he started getting paid to play. He joined Leyton Orient. For the next three seasons, he was almost always on the field for Orient. In the 1954–55 season, his team finished second in the Third Division, which was a great achievement. In 1955–56, he was chosen to play for the Third Division South team in a special game against the North team.
Playing for Arsenal
In November 1955, Stan Charlton moved to Arsenal, a very famous football club. He joined with his Leyton Orient teammate, Vic Groves. Arsenal paid £30,000 for both players, which was a lot of money back then!
Stan quickly became Arsenal's main right back, taking over from Len Wills. He played his first game for Arsenal on December 24, 1955, against Chelsea. He kept his spot as a regular player for most of that season. Stan was also a key player for Arsenal in the 1956–57 and 1957–58 seasons. He even played for the London XI team in the semi-finals of the 1955–58 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup against Lausanne Sports.
Back to Leyton Orient
However, in September 1958, after Arsenal lost a game 3–1 to Burnley, Stan was no longer the first-choice right back. Len Wills, the player he had replaced, took his spot back.
After playing only four games for Arsenal in the first half of the 1958–59 season, Stan decided to return to Leyton Orient in December 1958. He played 110 games for Arsenal in total, scoring three goals, all of which were in the FA Cup.
Back at Orient, he stayed with the team for another seven seasons. He was the team captain when they won promotion to the First Division in 1962. This was a huge moment for the club, as it meant they would play in the top league in English football. He also captained them during their only season in the top flight, 1962–63.
Life After Playing
Stan Charlton stopped playing football in the summer of 1965. He had played 366 league matches for Leyton Orient during his two times with the club.
After retiring as a player, he became the manager of Weymouth. He stayed in that job for seven years. Later, he worked as a district manager for a big company that ran football pools, which are games where people bet on football match results.
Stan always kept in touch with Leyton Orient. He often went to special events for fans and former players. He also attended reunions for the players who helped Leyton Orient get promoted to the First Division.
Stan Charlton passed away on December 20, 2012, at the age of 83, in Dorchester Hospital.
Family Connections
Stan Charlton's father, who was also named Stanley Charlton, was also a professional footballer. He played as a full back for teams like Exeter City and Crystal Palace in the 1920s and 1930s.
