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Jack Charlton
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John Charlton OBE DL (8 May 1935 – 10 July 2020) was an English and Irish professional footballer and manager who played as a centre-back for Leeds United. He was part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup and managed the Republic of Ireland national team from 1986 to 1996, taking them to two World Cups and one European Championship. He was the elder brother of Manchester United forward Bobby Charlton and one of his teammates in England's World Cup final victory.

Key Information

Charlton spent his entire club career with Leeds United from 1950 to 1973, helping the club to the Second Division title (1963–64), First Division title (1968–69), FA Cup (1972), League Cup (1968), Charity Shield (1969), Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1968 and 1971), as well as one other promotion from the Second Division (1955–56) and five second-place finishes in the First Division, two FA Cup final defeats and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final defeat. His 629 league and 762 total competitive appearances are club records. In 2006, Leeds United supporters voted Charlton into the club's greatest XI.[4]

Called up to the England team days before his 30th birthday, Charlton went on to score six goals in 35 international games and to appear in two World Cups and one European Championship. He played in the World Cup final victory over West Germany in 1966 and helped England finish third in Euro 1968 and win four British Home Championship tournaments. He was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1967.

After retiring as a player, Charlton worked as a manager. He led Middlesbrough to the Second Division title in 1973–74, winning the Manager of the Year award in his first season as a manager. He kept Boro as a stable top-flight club before he resigned in April 1977. He took charge of Sheffield Wednesday in October 1977 and led the club to promotion out of the Third Division in 1979–80. He left the Owls in May 1983 and served Middlesbrough as caretaker-manager at the end of the 1983–84 season. He worked as Newcastle United manager for the 1984–85 season. He took charge of the Republic of Ireland national team in February 1986 and led them to their first World Cup in 1990, where they reached the quarter-finals. He also led the nation to successful qualification to Euro 1988 and the 1994 World Cup. He resigned in January 1996 and retired. He was married to Pat Kemp, and they had three children.

Early life

[edit]

Born into a footballing family in Ashington, Northumberland, on 8 May 1935,[5] Charlton was initially overshadowed by his younger brother Bobby, who was taken on by Manchester United while Jack was doing his national service with the Household Cavalry.[6] His uncles were Jack Milburn (Leeds United and Bradford City), George Milburn (Leeds United and Chesterfield), Jim Milburn (Leeds United and Bradford Park Avenue) and Stan Milburn (Chesterfield, Leicester City and Rochdale), and legendary Newcastle United and England footballer Jackie Milburn was his mother's cousin.[7]

The economy of the village of Ashington was based entirely on coal mining, and though his family had a strong footballing pedigree, his father was a miner.[5] The eldest of four brothers – Bobby, Gordon and Tommy – the family's tight finances meant that all four siblings shared the same bed.[8] His father, Bob, had no interest in football, but his mother, Cissie, played football with her children and later coached the local school's team.[9] As a teenager, she took them to watch Ashington and Newcastle United play, and Charlton remained a lifelong Newcastle supporter.[10]

At the age of 15, he was offered a trial at Leeds United, where his uncle Jim played at left-back,[11] but turned it down and instead joined his father in the mines.[12] He worked in the mines for a short time but handed in his notice after finding out just how difficult and unpleasant it was to work deep underground.[13] He applied to join the police and reconsidered the offer from Leeds United.[14] His trial game for Leeds clashed with his police interview, and Charlton chose to play in the game; the trial was a success and he joined the ground staff at Elland Road.[15]

This part of the world produced its fair share of footballers, and nobody was particularly impressed if a lad went away to play professional football. In fact we never used to say going away to play football, we just used to say 'going away'.

— Growing up in North East England working-class culture meant working hard for little pay, and becoming a professional footballer was a realistic ambition for talented players. However, it still required hard work and rarely offered more than a good working class wage.[8]

Club career

[edit]

Charlton played for Leeds United's youth team in the Northern Intermediate League and then for the third team in the Yorkshire League; playing in the physically demanding Yorkshire League at the age of 16 impressed the club's management, and he was soon promoted to the reserve team.[16] Charlton was given his first professional contract when he turned 17.[17] He made his debut on 25 April 1953 against Doncaster Rovers, taking John Charles' place at centre-half after Charles was moved up to centre-forward.[18] It was the final Second Division game of the 1952–53 season, and ended in a 1–1 draw.[19] He then had to serve two years' national service with the Household Cavalry and captained the Horse Guards to victory in the Cavalry Cup in Hanover.[20] His national service limited his contribution to Leeds, and he made only one appearance in the 1954–55 season.[21]

Charlton returned to the first team in September 1955. He kept his place for the rest of the 1955–56 season, helping Leeds win promotion into the First Division after finishing second to Sheffield Wednesday.[22] He was dropped in the second half of the 1956–57 campaign, partly due to his habit of partying late at night and losing focus on his football.[23] He regained his place in the 1957–58 season. He stopped his partying lifestyle as he settled down to married life.[24] In October 1957 he was picked to represent the English Football League in a game against the League of Ireland.[24]

Leeds struggled after Raich Carter left the club in 1958, and Willis Edwards and then Bill Lambton took charge in the 1958–59 season as Leeds finished nine points above the relegation zone. Jack Taylor was appointed manager and failed to keep Leeds out of the relegation zone by the end of the 1959–60 campaign. During this time, Charlton began taking his coaching badges and took part in the Football Association's coaching courses at Lilleshall.[25]

Leeds finished just five points above the Second Division relegation zone in the 1960–61 season, and Taylor resigned; his replacement, Don Revie, was promoted from the United first team, and initially he was not fond of Charlton.[26] Revie played Charlton up front at the start of the 1961–62 season, but he soon moved him back to centre-half after he proved ineffective as a centre-forward.[26] He became frustrated and difficult to manage, feeling in limbo playing for a club seemingly going nowhere whilst his younger brother was enjoying great success at Manchester United.[27] Revie told Charlton that he was prepared to let him go in 1962, but never actually transfer listed him.[28] Liverpool manager Bill Shankly failed to meet the £30,000 Leeds demanded for Charlton and though Manchester United manager Matt Busby was initially willing to pay the fee he eventually decided to try an untested youngster at centre-half instead.[28] During these discussions, Charlton refused to sign a new contract at Leeds but felt frustrated by Busby's hesitance and so signed a new contract with Leeds whilst making a promise to Revie to be more professional in his approach.[29]

The 1962–63 season began a new era for Leeds United as Revie began to mould the team and the club to his own liking. In a game against Swansea Town in September, Revie dropped many senior players and played Charlton in a young new defensive line-up: Gary Sprake (goalkeeper), Paul Reaney (right-back), Norman Hunter and Charlton (centre-back), and Rod Johnson (left-back).[30] Except Johnson, this defensive line-up would remain consistent for much of the rest of the decade.[30] Charlton took charge of the defence that day and insisted upon a zonal marking system; Revie agreed to allow Charlton to become the key organiser in defence. Aided by new midfield signing Johnny Giles, Leeds put in a strong promotion challenge and finished fifth before securing promotion as champions in the 1963–64 campaign, topping the table two points ahead of Sunderland. Other players that began to make their mark on the first team included Billy Bremner, Paul Madeley and Peter Lorimer.[30]

Leeds made an immediate impact on their first season back in the top flight. However, the team gained a reputation for rough play, and Charlton said in his autobiography that "the way we achieved that success made me feel uncomfortable".[31] They went 25 games unbeaten before losing to Manchester United at Elland Road – their title race meant that the two clubs built up an intense rivalry.[32] Leeds needed a win in their final game of the season to secure the title but could only manage a 3–3 draw with Birmingham City at St Andrew's – Charlton scored the equalising goal on 86 minutes. Still, they could not push on for a winner.[32] They gained some measure of revenge over Man United by beating them 1–0 in the replay of the FA Cup semi-finals.[33] Leeds met Liverpool in the final at Wembley, and the game went into extra-time after a goalless draw.[34] Roger Hunt opened the scoring three minutes into extra-time, but seven minutes later Charlton headed on a cross for Bremner to volley into the net for the equaliser; with seven minutes left Ian St John scored for Liverpool to win the game 2–1.[34]

United again competed for honours in the 1965–66 season, finishing second to Liverpool in the league and reaching the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was the club's first season in European competition, and they beat the Italian side Torino, and the East German club SC Leipzig, Spanish club Valencia and Hungarian outfit Újpest, before they were beaten 3–1 by Spanish side Real Zaragoza at Elland Road in a tiebreaker game following a 2–2 aggregate draw.[35] Charlton caused controversy against Valencia after he and defender Vidagany began fighting after Vidagany kicked Charlton in an off-the-ball incident; Charlton never actually struck the Spaniard, who hid behind his teammates.[36]

The 1966–67 season proved frustrating for United, despite the introduction of another club great in the form of Eddie Gray.[37] Leeds finished fourth, five points behind champions Manchester United, and exited the FA Cup at the semi-finals after defeat to Chelsea. They made progress in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, beating DWS (Netherlands), Valencia, Bologna (Italy) and Kilmarnock (Scotland) to reach the final, where they were beaten 2–0 on aggregate by Yugoslavian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.[38] At the end of the season he was named as the Footballer of the Year, succeeding his brother who had won the award the previous year.[39] During the award ceremony, he told some amusing stories and won a standing ovation from the crowd; this started him on a successful sideline as an after-dinner speaker.[40]

Charlton developed a new ploy for the 1967–68 season by standing next to the goalkeeper during corners to prevent him from coming out to collect the ball; this created havoc for opposition defences and is still a frequently used tactic in the modern era.[41] However, for the second successive season Leeds finished fourth and exited the FA Cup in the semi-finals, this time losing 1–0 to Everton at Old Trafford. They finally won major honours by beating Arsenal 1–0 in the final of the League Cup; Terry Cooper scored the only goal of the game despite allegations that Charlton pushed goalkeeper Jim Furnell in the build-up to the goal.[42] Leeds then went on to lift the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup after beating CA Spora Luxembourg, FK Partizan (Yugoslavia), Hibernian (Scotland), Rangers (Scotland) and Dundee (Scotland) to reach the final with Hungarian club Ferencvárosi.[43] They won 1–0 at Elland Road and drew 0–0 in Budapest to claim their first European trophy.[42]

Charlton helped Leeds to their first ever Football League title in 1968–69, as they lost just two games to finish six points clear of second-place Liverpool. They secured the title with a goalless draw at Anfield on 28 April, and Charlton later recalled the Liverpool supporters affectionately called him "big dirty giraffe", and that manager Bill Shankly went into the Leeds dressing room after the match to tell them they were "worthy champions".[44]

"People say Leeds United should have won a lot more – and maybe we would have won a lot more, if we hadn't been involved in every competition right until the end of each season. I mean, we got used to losing things ... Yes, there was a lot of disappointment – but there was a lot of pride too, pride and passion and discipline which kept the Leeds family together when we might have fallen apart."

— Charlton won many honours with Leeds, but many more runners-up medals.[45]

United opened the 1969–70 campaign by winning the Charity Shield with a 2–1 win over Manchester City and went on to face the realistic possibility of winning the treble – the league, FA Cup and European Cup.[46] However they missed out on all three trophies as the games built up towards the end of the season. The league title was the first to slip out of their hands as Everton went on to build an insurmountable lead.[46] They then bowed out of the European Cup after a 3–1 aggregate defeat to Celtic, including a 2–1 loss at Hampden Park in front of a UEFA record crowd of 136,505.[47] They took two replays to overcome Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals (Bremner scored the only goal in 300 minutes of football), but lost 2–1 in the replayed final to Chelsea after the original 2–2 draw, in which Charlton opened the scoring. Charlton took responsibility for Peter Osgood's goal in the replay as he was distracted from marking duties as he was trying to get revenge on a Chelsea player who had kicked him.[48]

Charlton caused controversy early in the 1970–71 season as in an October appearance on the Tyne Tees football programme, he said he'd once had a "little black book" of names of players whom he intended to hurt or exact some form of revenge upon during his playing days.[49] He was tried by the Football Association and was found not guilty of any wrongdoing after arguing that the press had misquoted him.[50] He admitted that though he never actually had a book of names, he had a short list of names in his head of players who had made nasty tackles on him and that he intended to put in a hard but fair challenge on those players if he got the opportunity in the course of a game.[51] Leeds ended the season in second place yet again, as Arsenal overtook them with a late series of 1–0 wins despite Leeds beating Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season after Charlton scored the winning goal.[52] The final tally of 64 points was a record high for a second-placed team.[53] In the last ever season of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup they beat Sarpsborg FK (Norway), Dynamo Dresden (Germany), Sparta Prague (Czechoslovakia), Vitória (Portugal) and Liverpool to secure a place in the final against Italian club Juventus.[54] They drew 2–2 at the Stadio Olimpico and 1–1 at Elland Road to win the cup on the away goals rule.[55] They had the opportunity to win the cup permanently but lost 2–1 to Barcelona at Camp Nou in the trophy play-off game.[54]

Leeds finished second in the 1971–72 season for the third successive time, this time ending up just one point behind champions Derby County after losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on the final day of the season.[56] However, Charlton managed to complete his list of domestic honours as Leeds beat Arsenal 1–0 in the FA Cup final; he kept Charlie George to a very quiet game as Leeds successfully defended their slender lead.[57]

Charlton was limited to 25 appearances in the 1972–73 campaign and suffered an injury in the FA Cup semi-final against Wolves which ended his season. After failing to regain his fitness for the final, he announced his retirement. Madeley played in his place, but Gordon McQueen had been signed as his long-term replacement.[58] He played his testimonial against Celtic, and was given £28,000 of the £40,000 matchday takings.[59]

International career

[edit]
Charlton tackling Johan Cruyff during a match between England and the Netherlands in 1969

With Charlton approaching his 30th birthday, he was called up by Alf Ramsey to play for England against Scotland at Wembley on 10 April 1965.[60] The game ended 2–2 despite England being forced to end the game with nine men after picking up two injuries; he assisted his brother Bobby for England's first goal.[61] Ramsey later said that he picked Charlton to play alongside Bobby Moore as he was a conservative player able to provide cover to the more skilful Moore, who could get caught out if he made a rare mistake.[62] The defence remained relatively constant in the build up to the 1966 FIFA World Cup: Gordon Banks (goalkeeper), Ray Wilson (left-back), Charlton and Moore (centre-backs), and George Cohen (right-back).[63] After playing in a 1–0 win over Hungary the following month, Charlton joined England for a tour of Europe as they drew 1–1 with Yugoslavia and beat West Germany 1–0 and Sweden 2–1.[64] He played in a 0–0 draw with Wales and a 2–1 win over Northern Ireland to help England win the British Home Championship, though sandwiched between these two games was a 3–2 defeat to Austria – the first of only two occasions he was on the losing side in an England shirt.[65] He played all nine England games in 1965, the final one being a 2–0 win over Spain at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[65]

England opened the year of 1966 on 5 January with a 1–1 draw with Poland at Goodison Park; Ramsey's managerial ability was demonstrated during the game as the equalising goal came from Bobby Moore, who was allowed to surge forward as Charlton covered the gap he left behind in defence.[66] Charlton played in six of the next seven international victories as England prepared for the World Cup. The run started with impressive victories over West Germany and then Scotland in front of 133,000 fans at Hampden Park.[66] He scored his first international goal with a deflected shot on 26 June, as England recorded a 3–0 victory over Finland at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.[67] He missed the match against Norway but returned to action with a headed goal in a 2–0 win over Denmark at Idrætsparken.[67]

England drew 0–0 in their opening World Cup group game against Uruguay after the South Americans came to play for a draw.[68] They then beat Mexico 2–0 after a "tremendous goal" from Bobby Charlton opened up the game shortly before the half-time whistle.[69] England beat France 2–0 in the final group game, with Charlton assisting Roger Hunt after heading the ball onto the post.[69] England eliminated Argentina in the quarter-finals with a 1–0 win – their efforts were greatly aided after Argentine centre-half Antonio Rattín was sent off for dissent, after which Argentina stopped attacking the ball and concentrated of holding out for a draw with their aggressive defending.[70] England's opponents in the semi-finals were Portugal, who had giant centre-forward José Torres to compete with Charlton for aerial balls.[71] Late in the game Charlton gave away a penalty by sticking out a hand to stop Torres from scoring; Eusébio scored the penalty but was largely contained by Nobby Stiles, and England won the game 2–1 after two goals from Bobby Charlton.[71]

West Germany awaited in the final at Wembley, and they took the lead through Helmut Haller on 12 minutes; Charlton felt that he could have blocked the shot, but at the time he believed that Banks had it covered, though it was Wilson who was at fault for allowing Haller the chance to shoot.[72] England came back and took the lead, but with only a few minutes left in the game, Charlton gave away a free kick after fouling Uwe Seeler whilst competing for an aerial ball; Wolfgang Weber scored the equalising goal from a goalmouth scramble created from the free kick.[73] Geoff Hurst scored two goals in extra-time to win the game 4–2.[74]

After the World Cup England lost the annual Home Championship to Scotland after a 3–2 defeat in April 1967, Charlton scored for the second successive international game running after also finding the net against Wales the previous November.[37] He injured his foot during the game as he broke two sesamoid bones in his big toe.[39] As his career went on he began to miss England games with niggling injuries to avoid friendly games in favour of playing important matches for Leeds; Brian Labone would take his place in the England team during Charlton's absences.[75] He was named in the squad for UEFA Euro 1968, but did not feature in either of England's games. He won five caps in 1969, helping England to a memorable 5–0 win over France and scoring in a 1–0 win over Portugal from a corner taken by his brother Bobby.[75]

In mid-1970, Ramsey named Charlton in his squad of 22 for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. However, he favoured Labone over Charlton and only picked Charlton for his 35th and final England game in the 1–0 group win over Czechoslovakia at the Estadio Jalisco. England lost in the quarter finals to West Germany, and on the flight home, Charlton asked Ramsey not to consider him for international duty again. He had agonised over how to break the news to Ramsey and eventually said: "Great times ... absolute privilege ... getting older ... slowing down ... not sure I am up to it any more ... time to step down." Ramsey listened, then agreed with him: "Yes, I had reached that conclusion myself."[76]

Managerial career

[edit]

Middlesbrough

[edit]

Charlton was offered the job as manager of Second Division club Middlesbrough on his 38th birthday in 1973. He declined to be interviewed for the position and instead handed the club a list of responsibilities he expected to take, which, if agreed to, would give him total control of the running of the club.[77] He refused a contract and would never sign a contract throughout his managerial career.[78] He took a salary of £10,000 a year despite the chairman being willing to pay a lot more; his only stipulations were a gentleman's agreement that he would not be sacked, assurances that he would have no interference from the board in team affairs, and three days off a week for fishing and shooting.[79] He decided first to repaint Ayresome Park and to publicise the upcoming league campaign to generate higher attendance figures.[80]

Charlton took advice from Celtic manager Jock Stein, who allowed him to sign right-sided midfielder Bobby Murdoch on a free transfer.[81] Besides Murdoch the club already had ten players who Charlton moulded into a championship-winning side: Jim Platt (goalkeeper), John Craggs (right-back), Stuart Boam and Willie Maddren (centre-backs), Frank Spraggon (left-back), David Armstrong (left midfield), Graeme Souness (central midfield), Alan Foggon (attacking midfield), John Hickton and David Mills (forwards). Some of these players were already settled at the club and in their positions, whilst Charlton had to work with some of the other players. He moved Souness from left midfield to central midfield to compensate for his lack of pace and coached him to play the ball forward rather than side to side as was his instinct.[82] Foggon was played in a new role which Charlton created to break the offside trap set by opposition defenders, an extremely fast player he was instructed to run behind defenders and latch on to the long ball to find himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.[83]

Middlesbrough secured promotion with seven games still to play of the 1973–74 season, and Charlton told his team to settle for a point away at Luton Town so they could win the title at home but his players ignored his instruction to concede a goal and the title was secured with a 1–0 win at Kenilworth Road.[84] They won the title by a 15-point margin (at the time only two points were awarded for a win); in contrast promoted Carlisle United (3rd) finished only 15 points ahead of Crystal Palace (20th), who were relegated. He was named Manager of the Year, the first time that a manager outside of the top-flight had been given such an honour.[85]

He continued to manage and change every aspect of the club. He decided to disassemble the club's scouting network to instead focus on local talent in Northumberland and Durham.[86] His only major new signing of the 1974–75 season was Terry Cooper, a former Leeds United teammate.[86] They adapted well to the First Division, finishing in seventh place, but would have finished fourth and qualified for Europe had Derby County not scored a last-second goal against them on the last day of the season.[87]

Building for the 1975–76 campaign, he signed Phil Boersma from Liverpool to replace Murdoch, but Boersma never settled at the club and was frequently injured.[87] They finished in 13th place, and went on to win the Anglo-Scottish Cup with a 1–0 win over Fulham.[87] They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, and took a 1–0 lead over Manchester City into the second leg at Maine Road, where they were soundly beaten 4–0.[87] Teams had begun to learn how to combat Charlton's attack strategy. They left their centre-backs outside of the penalty box to neutralise Foggon's threat.[88] Despite the team's steady progress, the club's board voted to sack Charlton in July 1976 after becoming increasingly concerned that he was overstepping his authority in negotiating business deals on behalf of the club and choosing the club's strip.[89] The club chairman overruled the decision and Charlton remained in charge.[89]

With Hickton coming to the end of his career, Charlton tried to sign David Cross as a replacement but refused to go above £80,000, and Cross instead went to West Ham United for £120,000.[90] Middlesbrough finished the 1976–77 campaign in 12th place, and Charlton left the club at the end of the season on the belief that four years was an optimum time with one group of players and that he had reached his peak with them – he later regretted his decision. He stated that he could have led the club to a league title if he had stayed and signed two more top-quality players.[90] He applied for the job of England manager after Don Revie quit the role and Brian Clough was ruled out by the Football Association. Charlton did not receive a reply to his application and vowed never to apply for another job again, instead waiting until he was approached.[91]

Sheffield Wednesday

[edit]

In October 1977, he replaced Len Ashurst as manager at Sheffield Wednesday, who were then bottom of the Third Division.[92] He appointed as his assistant Maurice Setters, who had experience managing at that level but had effectively ruled himself out of another management job after taking Doncaster Rovers to court for unfair dismissal.[93] The two agreed that while the standard of football in the division was low, the work rates were high. So, the best way to make progress would be to play long balls into the opposition penalty area while recruiting big defenders to avoid being caught by opposition teams with similar tactics.[93] He took the "Owls" to mid-table safety with a 14th-place finish in the 1977–78 season, though they did suffer embarrassment by being knocked out of the FA Cup by Northern Premier League side Wigan Athletic.[94]

His priority in the summer of 1978 was to find a target man for Tommy Tynan to play alongside. He found it in 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Andrew McCulloch, who arrived from Brentford for a £70,000 fee.[95] He signed Terry Curran as a winger but eventually moved him up front to play alongside McCulloch.[95] He sold goalkeeper Chris Turner to Sunderland and replaced him with the bigger Bob Bolder.[95] He further raised the average height of the team by signing uncompromising centre-half Mick Pickering from Southampton.[95] The team failed to advance in the league, finishing the 1978–79 season again in 14th spot. They did make their mark on the FA Cup in the Third Round by taking eventual winners Arsenal to four replays before they eventually succumbed to a 2–0 defeat.[96]

Charlton's major acquisition for the 1979–80 campaign was signing Yugoslavia international midfielder Ante Miročević for a £200,000 fee from FK Budućnost Podgorica.[97] Miročević proved unable to handle the British winter but otherwise added flair to the team in fairer weather.[98] Wednesday went on to secure promotion with a third-place finish, and Curran finished as the division's top-scorer.[99]

As the 1980–81 season came around Wednesday had young talent such as Mark Smith, Kevin Taylor, Peter Shirtliff and Mel Sterland breaking into the first team.[98] The club were comfortable in the Second Division, finishing in tenth position.[100]

Wednesday pushed for promotion in the 1981–82 season, but it ended just one place and one point outside the promotion places and would have been promoted under the old two points for a win system that was replaced by the three points for a win system at the beginning of the campaign.[101]

In building for the 1982–83 campaign, Charlton signed experienced defender Mick Lyons from Everton, and by Christmas Wednesday were top of the table.[101] The club had a limited squad, and successful cup runs took their toll, as did injuries to McCulloch and Brian Hornsby as they drifted down to sixth place by the close of the season.[101] They reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing 2–1 to Brighton & Hove Albion at Highbury with key defender Ian Bailey out with a broken leg sustained the previous week. Charlton announced his departure from Hillsborough in May 1983 despite pleas from the directors for him to stay.[102]

In March 1984, Malcolm Allison left Middlesbrough and Charlton agreed to manage the club until the end of the 1983–84 to help steer the club away from the Second Division relegation zone.[103] He was unpaid except for expenses and only took the job as a favour to his friend Mike McCullagh, who was the club's chairman.[103] Middlesbrough ended the season in 17th place, seven points clear of the relegation zone.[104]

Newcastle United

[edit]

Charlton was appointed manager of Newcastle United in June 1984 after being persuaded to take the job by Jackie Milburn.[105] Arthur Cox had left the club after leading the "Magpies" to the First Division and key player Kevin Keegan announced his retirement.[106] His first action was to release Terry McDermott from his contract, who refused to agree to Charlton's offer of a new contract.[107] He had little money to spend in preparation for the 1984–85 season, though he did have young talents in Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley.[107] He signed midfielder Gary Megson and big striker George Reilly.[108] The "Toon" finished safely in 14th place, and a teenage Paul Gascoigne was on the verge of breaking into the first team.[109]

Charlton resigned at the end of pre-season training for the 1985–86 campaign after fans at St James' Park started calling for his dismissal after the club failed to secure the signing of Eric Gates, who instead joined Lawrie McMenemy at Sunderland.[110]

Republic of Ireland

[edit]

Charlton was approached by the FAI to manage the Republic of Ireland in December 1985.[111] His appointment was controversial in Ireland at the time due to his status as an Englishman.[112] His first game in charge was on 26 March 1986 against Wales at Lansdowne Road which ended in a 1–0 defeat.[113] In May 1986, Ireland won the Iceland Triangular Tournament at Laugardalsvöllur, in Iceland's capital of Reykjavík, with a 2–1 victory over Iceland and a 1–0 win over Czechoslovakia.[114] By this time, Charlton had developed his tactics, which were based on the traditional British 4–4–2 system, as opposed to the continental approach of using deep-lying midfielders, as he noted that most of the Ireland international players plied their trade in England.[115] Crucially, he instructed all members of his team to pressure opposition players and, in particular, force ball-playing defenders into mistakes.[116]

Euro 1988

[edit]

Qualification for Euro 1988 in West Germany meant winning a group containing Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Scotland. The campaign opened with Belgium at the Heysel Stadium, and though Ireland contained danger man Nico Claesen, they had to settle for a 2–2 draw after conceding twice from corner-kicks; Frank Stapleton and Liam Brady scored the goals for Ireland.[117] They then dominated Scotland at Lansdowne Road, but failed to find the net and instead drew 0–0.[117] In the return fixture at Hampden Park Mark Lawrenson scored an early goal and another clean sheet won the Irish their first win of qualification.[118] The campaign faltered with a 2–1 loss in Bulgaria, though Charlton was furious with referee Carlos Silva Valente as he felt that both of Lachezar Tanev's goals should not have counted as Nasko Sirakov allegedly pushed Mick McCarthy in the build-up to the first and he felt that Sirakov was outside the penalty box when he was fouled by Kevin Moran – Valente instead gave a penalty.[119] They picked up another point after a 0–0 draw with Belgium in Dublin.[119] Despite not particularly impressing, Ireland then picked up four points with two victories over Luxembourg.[120] They ended the campaign with a 2–0 home win over Bulgaria, Paul McGrath and Kevin Moran the scorers, though Liam Brady (an ever-present in qualification) picked up a two-match suspension after lashing out late in the game after being repeatedly kicked by Bulgarian midfielder Ayan Sadakov.[120][121] Despite the victory the Irish had to rely on a favour from the Scots in order to qualify, who duly obliged with a 1–0 victory, courtesy of Gary Mackay – a substitute earning his first cap – in Sofia to keep Bulgaria one point behind Ireland in the table.[120]

"... every player we brought into the squad considered himself Irish ... Had it not been for the economic circumstances which forced their parents or grandparents to emigrate, they would have been born and reared in Ireland. Should they now be victimized and denied their heritage because of the whims of journalists? I think not."

— Charlton responded to critics who noted the high percentage of Ireland internationals during his time as manager who had been born and raised in Britain.[122]

The build up to Euro 1988 in West Germany was far from ideal, as key player Mark Lawrenson was forced to retire after injuring his Achilles tendon, Liam Brady picked up a serious knee injury and Mark Kelly was also injured.[123] The first match of the tournament was against England at the Neckarstadion, and Charlton reasoned that the threat posed by English wingers Chris Waddle and John Barnes could be nullified by allowing the English defence to feel comfortable on the ball without allowing them a pass; this made the build-up play slow and containable.[124] His game-plan worked and Ireland claimed a 1–0 win after Ray Houghton secured an early lead.[125] He then compensated for a series of injuries by playing Ronnie Whelan and Kevin Sheedy in central midfield, and was rewarded with a great performance and a good point in a 1–1 draw with the Soviet Union at the Niedersachsenstadion, Whelan scoring the goal.[126] To qualify they only needed a point against the Netherlands at the Parkstadion, and Charlton devised a time-wasting plan with goalkeeper Packie Bonner that he was forced to abandon after referee Horst Brummeier was less than impressed.[127] Ireland lost the game 1–0 after Wim Kieft scored an 82nd-minute goal.[127] England and Ireland were eliminated while Netherlands and the Soviet Union qualified – both teams would go on to contest the final, which the Dutch won 2–0.[128]

1990 World Cup

[edit]

Qualification for the 1990 World Cup in Italy required Charlton to mastermind a top two finish in a group consisting of Spain, Hungary, Northern Ireland and Malta. The campaign started on hostile ground at Belfast's Windsor Park, and he had stand-in goalkeeper Gerry Peyton to thank for the point gained from a goalless draw with Northern Ireland.[129] A series of injuries left only a skeleton squad to face Spain at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, leaving a recall for defender David O'Leary, and Ireland were beaten 2–0.[130] They then left Budapest's Népstadion with a point from another goalless draw. However, they were criticised for not taking all two points after dominating the game.[130] The next four fixtures would be played at Lansdowne Road, and all four games ended in victory. First, they beat Spain 1–0 after an own goal from Míchel, then they overcame Malta and Hungary with 2–0 wins before beating Northern Ireland 3–0.[131] Qualification for Ireland's first World Cup was assured at the Ta' Qali National Stadium after John Aldridge scored both goals in another 2–0 victory.[132]

Ireland's group opponents in Italia '90 were England, Egypt and the Netherlands. Charlton felt that England's four-man midfield of Waddle, Barnes, Bryan Robson and Paul Gascoigne did not offer enough protection to the back four, and he was proved correct when Kevin Sheedy cancelled out Gary Lineker's opener to secure a 1–1 draw in the group opener at the Stadio Sant'Elia.[133][134] A poor performance against a negative Egyptian side at the Stadio La Favorita meant that neither side scored a goal in a dour draw.[135][136] They ended the group with a 1–1 draw with the Dutch, Niall Quinn cancelling out Ruud Gullit's opener in the 71st minute, after which both sides settled for a stalemate as a draw meant that both qualified ahead of Egypt.[137][138] Ireland then defeated Romania in the Second Round match at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris which went to penalties after a 0–0 draw, before the whole team had a meeting with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican.[139]

One of the most iconic moments from Ireland's unexpected success in Italia 90, (the 1990 FIFA World Cup), took place at Walkinstown roundabout, Dublin on 25 June 1990 after Ireland beat Romania on penalties.[140] Crowds emerged from the nearby public houses of the Kestrel and Cherry Tree and invaded the roundabout to celebrate the win. Amateur footage of the joyous scenes became synonymous with Ireland's success that year and epitomised the sense of hope which prevailed throughout the country, especially after a decade of economic recession.[141] After Charlton died in 2020, fans gathered at the roundabout to recreate the moment and pay their respects to the past manager.[142]

Ireland eventually went out to the host country, Italy, 1–0 in the quarter-finals at the Stadio Olimpico.[143][144] A lapse of concentration meant that Italy's Salvatore Schillaci scored on 38 minutes. Ireland failed to build up enough chances to find the equalising goal.[145] After returning to Dublin, over 500,000 people turned out to welcome the team back.[146]

Euro 1992 qualifying

[edit]

Qualification for Euro 1992 in Sweden left Ireland facing a group of England, Poland and Turkey. They opened in style with a 5–0 home win over the Turks and then drew 1–1 home and away with the English; Ireland were the better team than England in both encounters, and Charlton said that they "twice let them off the hook" after Houghton missed easy chances in both games.[147] A 0–0 draw at home with Poland followed, and they were then leading 3–1 in the return fixture in Poznań but conceded two late goals to end the match at 3–3.[148] Ireland beat Turkey 3–1 in Istanbul despite the intimidating atmosphere of the İnönü Stadium, but were denied a place in the tournament as England scored a late equalizing goal in Poland to secure the point that would take them above Ireland in the group.[149]

1994 World Cup

[edit]

To qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the US, Ireland had to finish first or second in a seven-team group of Spain, European champions Denmark, Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Albania. Lithuania, Latvia, and Albania proved to be little threat to the Irish, and both home and away matches against these three teams earned Ireland the maximum of two points. The two most difficult fixtures – Denmark and Spain away – ended in goalless draws. John Aldridge had a goal disallowed for offside against the Spanish which even Spain manager Javier Clemente said should have stood.[150] Ireland then beat Northern Ireland 3–0 at home before settling for a 1–1 draw with Denmark.[150] The qualification campaign was then derailed in the opening 26 minutes of the home tie with Spain as the Spanish took a three-goal lead; the game ended 3–1, with John Sheridan's late consolation eventually proving crucial at the end of the campaign.[151] The final game was in Belfast against Northern Ireland during a tense period of The Troubles.[151] Jimmy Quinn put Northern Ireland into the lead on 74 minutes, but four minutes later Alan McLoughlin scored the equalising goal to allow the Republic of Ireland to secure second place in the group due to their superior goals scored tally over Denmark.[152] When Quinn scored Northern Ireland assistant manager Jimmy Nicholl shouted "Up yours!" to his counterpart Maurice Setters (Charlton's assistant); in response to this Charlton approached Northern Ireland manager Billy Bingham at the final whistle and told him "Up yours too, Billy".[152]

In the build up to the World Cup Charlton gave out first caps to Gary Kelly, Phil Babb and Jason McAteer; he had difficulty convincing McAteer to join Ireland as he first had to turn down an approach by the FA to play for the England under-21s.[153] He scheduled difficult matches before the tournament and Ireland picked up positive results by beating both the Netherlands and Germany away from home.[154] Ireland opened the group stage of the tournament by beating Italy 1–0 at the Giants Stadium, Ray Houghton scoring the winning goal on 11 minutes.[155] They then fell to a 2–1 defeat to Mexico at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium, during which Charlton had a pitch-side argument with an official who was preventing substitute John Aldridge (who went on to score the consolation goal) from taking the pitch minutes after his teammate Tommy Coyne had left the pitch and sat down on the bench.[156] For his arguing, Charlton was suspended by FIFA for the final group game against Norway, and had to watch from the commentary box as Ireland qualified with a 0–0 draw.[157] They faced the Netherlands in the Round of 16; Dennis Bergkamp put the Dutch ahead on 11 minutes after Marc Overmars took advantage of a mistake by Terry Phelan, and Wim Jonk scored the second and final goal of the game from 30 yards after Packie Bonner fluffed an otherwise routine save.[158] For his achievements Charlton was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1994 by Lord Mayor Tomás Mac Giolla, the first Englishman to be given the honour since 1854.[159]

Euro 1996 qualifying

[edit]

Ireland failed to qualify for Euro 1996 in England, despite a strong start to the group, when they won their opening three games, including a 4–0 win against Northern Ireland. The Republic's next game was also against Northern Ireland, although the result was a 1–1 draw. From that point onwards, the Republic stuttered badly as injuries struck down key players Roy Keane, Andy Townsend, John Sheridan and Steve Staunton.[160] After beating the highly fancied Portugal, the Irish then endured an embarrassing 0–0 draw to Liechtenstein (this was Liechtenstein's only point in their ten matches), before losing twice to Austria, on both occasions by three goals to one. Although they defeated Latvia, Ireland needed to beat Portugal in Lisbon to qualify outright but lost 3–0. They finished second in the group, ahead of Northern Ireland on goal difference, but as the worst performing runners-up they had to win a play-off game at Anfield against the Netherlands; Ireland lost 2–0 after a brace from Patrick Kluivert.[161] Charlton resigned shortly after the game.

In my heart of hearts, I knew I'd wrung as much as I could out of the squad I'd got – that some of my older players had given me all they had to give.

— Charlton spoke in his autobiography about his decision to retire.[162]

Personal life

[edit]

Charlton married Pat Kemp on 6 January 1958, and his brother Bobby acted as his best man.[23] They had three children: John (born in January 1959), Deborah (born 1961) and Peter, who was born just after Charlton senior played in the 1966 World Cup final. During the 1960s, he ran two clothes shops in Leeds, and he later operated the club shop at Elland Road.[163] Charlton was a keen amateur fisherman and took part in field sports.[164] Politically, Charlton was a socialist.[165] He was a founding supporter of the Anti-Nazi League.[166] Along with his wife, he was a supporter of the UK miners' strike of 1984-85, and lent two of his cars to striking miners for travelling to pickets.[167] He appeared on Desert Island Discs in 1972 and 1996, and chose to take with him The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the Encyclopaedia of How to Survive, a spyglass, and a fishing rod.[168][169] Charlton was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1973 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.[citation needed]

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1974 Birthday Honours.[85] In 1996, he was awarded honorary Irish citizenship. The honour amounts to full Irish citizenship, the highest honour the Irish state gives and is rarely granted.[170] In 1994, he was made a Freeman of the city of Dublin, and was given an Honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) by the University of Limerick on 9 September 1994.[171] He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in 2020.[172] In 1997, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northumberland.[3] Charlton was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game.[173] There is a life-size statue of him at Cork Airport in Ireland, representing him sitting in his fishing gear and displaying a salmon.[174] On 4 December 2019, he was made a Freeman of the City of Leeds along with the other members of the Revie team of the 1960s and 1970s but was unable to attend the ceremony.[175]

He revealed in his 1996 autobiography that he had a strained relationship with his brother Bobby.[176] Jack felt Bobby began to drift away from the Charlton family following his marriage to Norma, who did not get along with their mother.[177][178] Bobby did not see his mother after 1992 until her death on 25 March 1996 as a result of the feud,[179] though he and Norma did attend her funeral.[180] Though the two brothers remained distant, Jack presented Bobby with his BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award on 14 December 2008.[181]

Death

[edit]

Charlton died at his home in Ashington Northumberland on 10 July 2020 at the age of 85 after suffering from lymphoma and dementia.[2][182] The following day his former club Leeds United won 1–0 over Swansea City with a last-minute winner; the goalscorer, Pablo Hernández, dedicated his goal to Charlton.[183]

On 20 July, ten days after his death, Irish fans gathered at Walkinstown roundabout in Dublin to recreate the highwater mark of Ireland's success at the 1990 World Cup under Charlton and to pay their respects. "Put 'Em Under Pressure", the official song of the Republic of Ireland national football team's 1990 campaign (which features soundbites of Charlton uttering the eponymous phrase), was played at 12:30 pm synchronously with all national radio stations to remember the man who had led Ireland to their first-ever major tournament at Euro 88, as well as two World Cups in Italy (1990) and USA (1994).[184][142]

Charlton became the 12th player from the 1966 FIFA World Cup squad to die, after Bobby Moore (1993), Alan Ball (2007), John Connelly (2012), Ron Springett (2015), Gerry Byrne (2015), Jimmy Armfield (2018), Ray Wilson (2018), Gordon Banks (2019), Martin Peters (2019), Peter Bonetti (2020) and Norman Hunter (2020). His brother Bobby Charlton, also part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup squad, died in 2023.

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[185]
Club Season League National Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Leeds United 1952–53 Second Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1953–54 Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1954–55 Second Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1955–56 Second Division 34 0 0 0 0 0 34 0
1956–57 First Division 21 0 1 0 0 0 22 0
1957–58 First Division 40 0 1 0 0 0 41 0
1958–59 First Division 39 1 1 0 0 0 40 1
1959–60 First Division 41 3 1 0 0 0 42 3
1960–61 Second Division 41 7 4 1 0 0 45 8
1961–62 Second Division 34 9 5 3 0 0 39 12
1962–63 Second Division 38 2 4 2 0 0 42 4
1963–64 Second Division 25 3 2 0 0 0 27 3
1964–65 First Division 39 9 10 1 0 0 49 10
1965–66 First Division 40 6 3 0 11 2 54 8
1966–67 First Division 28 5 10 2 7 0 45 7
1967–68 First Division 34 5 9 2 11 1 54 8
1968–69 First Division 41 3 4 0 7 4 52 7
1969–70 First Division 32 3 11 2 10 3 53 8
1970–71 First Division 41 6 5 0 0 0 46 6
1971–72 First Division 41 5 9 1 0 0 50 6
1972–73 First Division 18 3 5 1 2 0 25 4
Career total 629 70 85 15 48 10 762 95

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[186]
National team Year Apps Goals
England 1965 9 0
1966 16 3
1967 2 1
1968 1 0
1969 5 2
1970 2 0
Total 35 6
Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Charlton goal.
List of international goals scored by Jack Charlton[187]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 June 1966 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Finland 3–0 3–0 Friendly
2 3 July 1966 Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen, Denmark  Denmark 1–0 2–0 Friendly
3 16 November 1966 Wembley Stadium, London, England  Wales 5–1 5–1 1966–67 British Home Championship
4 15 April 1967 Wembley Stadium, London, England  Scotland 1–2 2–3 1966–67 British Home Championship
5 15 January 1969 Wembley Stadium, London, England  Romania 1–0 1–1 Friendly
6 10 December 1969 Wembley Stadium, London, England  Portugal 1–0 1–0 Friendly

As a manager

[edit]
Jack Charlton managing statistics
Team From To Record
Games Wins Draws Losses Win percentage
Middlesbrough 7 May 1973 21 April 1977 193 88 49 56 045.60
Sheffield Wednesday 8 October 1977 27 May 1983 303 122 94 87 040.26
Middlesbrough (caretaker) 28 March 1984 2 June 1984 9 3 3 3 033.33
Newcastle United 14 June 1984 13 August 1985 48 15 15 18 031.25
Republic of Ireland 7 February 1986 21 January 1996 93 46 30 17 049.46
Total[188][189] 646 274 191 181 042.41

Honours

[edit]

Player

[edit]

Leeds United

England

Individual

Manager

[edit]

Middlesbrough

Sheffield Wednesday

Republic of Ireland

Individual

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Jack Charlton

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from Grokipedia
John "Jack" Charlton OBE (8 May 1935 – 10 July 2020) was an English professional footballer and manager who primarily played as a centre-back. He spent his entire senior club career with United, appearing in 629 league matches and contributing to three First Division titles, the , , and Charity Shield between 1969 and 1972. Internationally, Charlton earned 35 caps for between 1965 and 1970, scoring six goals, and featured in the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, starting in the semi-final and final victories. As a manager, he achieved prominence with the national team from 1986 to 1996, guiding them to their first major tournament appearances at and the FIFA World Cups of 1990 and 1994, where they advanced to the knockout stages in both editions. Earlier managerial roles included winning the Second Division title with in 1974 and stints at Sheffield and Newcastle United. Known for his physical, direct style of play and management, Charlton was the older brother of fellow World Cup winner and remains a revered figure in both English and Irish football history.

Early Life

Childhood and Family Origins

Jack Charlton was born on 8 May 1935 in , a coal-mining village in , , into a working-class family deeply embedded in the local industrial economy. His father, Robert, worked in the pits, as did many relatives, reflecting the harsh realities of a community where dominated employment and shaped daily life amid economic hardship and physical demands. The family's environment, characterized by and manual labor, instilled early resilience; Charlton briefly entered the colliery workforce at age 15 but quickly rejected it after witnessing its toll, opting instead for opportunities in football. The Charltons hailed from a lineage with strong football ties, including maternal relatives like , a prominent Newcastle United and player who was Charlton's second cousin, and other uncles who competed professionally. This heritage, combined with Ashington's tight-knit where football served as an accessible outlet for working-class youth, exposed Charlton to the sport from an early age amid shared poverty and communal games. As the eldest of four brothers—including the younger —Jack navigated a competitive household dynamic marked by outdoor activities and , though their bond was strained by his role in looking after the frailer Bobby, fostering an independent, tough demeanor suited to the rugged local ethos. The industrial grind of , with its emphasis on physical endurance and unyielding work, directly contributed to Charlton's robust build and no-frills approach, traits honed through childhood exposure rather than formal .

Entry into Professional Football

Charlton, born into a family in , , briefly worked in the local colliery alongside his father before committing to football, reflecting the self-reliant ethos of his working-class upbringing. After being rejected from the police force due to poor eyesight, he secured a trial with Leeds United at age 15 and joined the club in 1950 as groundstaff, initially on amateur terms. This marked his entry into organized football, though opportunities were limited by his novice status and the need to balance duties at the club. He turned professional with Leeds United in May 1952, shortly before his 17th birthday, transitioning from amateur play amid the club's Second Division struggles. His league debut occurred on 25 April 1953 against Rovers, filling in at centre-half under manager , who provided minimal tactical instruction—famously advising Charlton simply to "get stuck in," underscoring the era's emphasis on instinctive, physical adaptation over coached precision. National service, beginning at age 18 with the , further delayed his establishment, restricting him to just one appearance in the 1954–55 season while stationed away from . Returning post-service in 1955, Charlton adapted to professional rigors under Carter's regime, which prioritized competitive grit amid sparse coaching resources, honing his robust defending style through on-pitch experience rather than formal training.

Playing Career

Club Career at Leeds United

Jack Charlton joined Leeds United as an amateur in 1950 and turned professional in 1952, making his league debut on 25 April 1953 against Rovers in a 1-1 draw in the Second Division. Over his 21-year tenure, he amassed 629 league appearances and 70 goals for the club, setting records for both league games and total competitive outings at 762. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, Charlton established himself as a commanding center-back renowned for his physical presence, aerial prowess, and no-nonsense tackling style. Early in his career, Leeds struggled in the Second Division, facing relegation in 1959-60 despite Charlton's 42 appearances and three goals that season. The appointment of as manager in March 1961 marked a turning point; under Revie, Charlton formed a robust defensive , contributing to promotion as Second Division champions in 1963-64. then challenged for top honors in the First Division, securing the league title in 1968-69 and again in 1973-74, alongside the in 1972. European triumphs included victories in the in 1968 and 1971. Charlton's aggressive approach occasionally led to on-field altercations, such as during a 1966 match against on 2 February, where he fought with defender Francisco Vidagany, resulting in both players being sent off. His goals, primarily headers from set pieces, underscored his threat from defense. Despite interest from other clubs, Charlton remained loyal to throughout his playing career. Injuries limited Charlton's participation in the 1972-73 season, and he retired at age 38 following the campaign, forgoing a place in the squad due to fitness issues. A against Celtic on 7 May 1973 drew 35,000 fans, reflecting his enduring popularity at .

International Career with England

Jack Charlton made his England debut on 10 April 1965, at the age of 29, in a match against at , which ended in a 2–2 draw. Despite consistent performances for Leeds United in the First Division, Charlton's path to international recognition was delayed by intense competition for defensive places under manager , particularly from established players like . Ramsey selected him for his physical presence, aerial ability, and reliability, qualities that complemented the tactical discipline of 's emerging system aimed at major tournaments. Over his international career, Charlton earned 35 caps, scoring 6 goals, with his appearances spanning from 1965 to 1970. Prior to 1966, he featured in several friendlies and qualifiers, providing solid defensive support and demonstrating versatility across the backline, often as a or alongside key defenders in matches that tested Ramsey's squad depth. His fitness and professionalism were noted by Ramsey, who valued Charlton's no-nonsense approach and ability to maintain concentration in high-stakes games, even when not a regular starter due to Moore's prominence. Following the mid-1960s period, Charlton's role remained one of dependable utility in defense during the 1968 European Championship campaign, where England secured third place, and subsequent friendlies. In 1969 alone, he won five caps, including a 5–0 victory over France and a goal in a 1–0 win against Portugal from a corner by his brother Bobby. These outings highlighted his heading threat from set pieces and continued contributions to qualifiers amid England's post-peak challenges, though starts were limited by ongoing selection pressures. Charlton's final cap came on 11 June 1970 against Czechoslovakia, marking the end of a tenure defined by loyalty and effectiveness rather than prolific starting opportunities.

Role in 1966 World Cup Victory

Jack Charlton earned a place in England's squad as a utility defender, valued for his of 6 feet 3 inches and aerial prowess, which complemented captain Bobby Moore's ball-playing style at center-back. Selected by manager for his versatility and physicality, Charlton started in all six matches, logging 570 minutes including extra time in the final. His deployment in Ramsey's 4-4-2 "wingless wonders" formation shifted emphasis from wide flair to compact midfield pressing and defensive organization, yielding empirical success through four clean sheets in six games and progression via narrow margins like 1-0 against in the quarter-final on 23 July. Charlton's contributions centered on neutralizing aerial and physical threats, integral to England's defensive solidity that conceded just three goals total—two in the final and one via penalty. In the semi-final against on 26 July at , he hooked a goal-bound header from off the line, deliberately handling to concede a penalty scored by , yet England's backline, with shadowing the Portuguese forward, restricted further damage in a 2-1 win secured by Bobby Charlton's brace. This incident underscored his causal prioritization of team preservation over personal risk, aligning with Ramsey's pragmatic realism that favored results over spectacle. In the final against on 30 July, Charlton played the full 120 minutes, helping maintain cohesion amid a 2-2 draw that forced extra time, where Geoff Hurst's controversial third clinched a 4-2 . His understated role—fewer goals or assists than midfield stars—exemplified the squad's collective resilience, with clean sheets in earlier knockout rounds directly attributable to such defensive depth rather than individual heroics. This tactical fit proved decisive in England's sole triumph, prioritizing causal effectiveness in set-piece defense and counter-containment over unattributed flair narratives.

Transition to Management

Initial Coaching Experiences

After retiring as a player from Leeds United in April 1973 due to persistent injuries, Jack Charlton drew on his prior coaching qualifications to transition into football's technical side. He had completed his FA coaching badges at the National Sports Centre in , during the early years of Don Revie's tenure at Leeds, where he began studying coaching principles alongside his playing duties. At , Charlton informally mentored emerging talents under Revie, aiding their integration into the first team by stressing rigorous discipline, aerial dominance, and mastery of basic defensive fundamentals—qualities rooted in his own no-nonsense style as a centre-half. This hands-on guidance, though not a formal appointment, honed his ability to instill a pragmatic, workmanlike in players, elements that would define his subsequent managerial approaches. These experiences equipped Charlton for roles, bridging his extensive playing background with structured methods, as he prepared to implement direct, results-oriented tactics emphasizing physicality and simplicity over elaborate systems.

First Managerial Positions

Charlton assumed his first managerial role at on 8 March 1973, shortly after retiring as a player from United. In his debut season, he guided the Second Division side to the league title with 65 points from 42 matches, securing promotion to the First Division and earning recognition as Manager of the Year. This achievement stemmed from his emphasis on disciplined, direct play and squad cohesion, drawing on tactical insights gained under mentors like at . In the First Division, established mid-table stability under Charlton, finishing 10th in 1974–75, 12th in 1975–76, and 13th in 1976–77, avoiding relegation while occasionally challenging for higher positions. However, the club narrowly missed European qualification, and persistent underperformance from key players highlighted limitations in squad depth and transfer strategy, exacerbated by Charlton's relative inexperience in navigating top-flight financial constraints and player motivation. These factors, combined with his unfulfilled ambition for the England national team job, prompted his resignation in April 1977 after honoring a self-imposed four-year tenure limit. Charlton's next position came in October 1977 when he was appointed manager of Sheffield Wednesday, then languishing at the bottom of the Third Division. This role tested his adaptability amid acute challenges, including a demoralized squad and limited resources, marking an initial phase of rebuilding through pragmatic tactics before eventual promotion in 1980. The early struggles underscored lessons in patience and long-term planning, contrasting his quicker Second Division success at and revealing the causal impact of institutional disarray on managerial efficacy.

Managerial Career

Middlesbrough Tenure

Jack Charlton assumed the role of manager on 7 May 1973, succeeding and inheriting a Second Division side struggling with inconsistency and lacking direction. Under his leadership, the team emphasized disciplined organization and physical robustness, drawing on Charlton's experience from United's high-pressing system adapted to a more direct style suited to the squad's strengths. In the 1973–74 season, achieved promotion to the First Division by clinching the Second Division title with a record 65 points from 42 matches, finishing 15 points ahead of runners-up Luton Town; this feat was sealed with a 1–0 over Oxford United on 30 March 1974, marking the fastest promotion in club history at that point. Charlton's approach prioritized local North East talent, including signings like forward John Tudor and defender Willie Maddren, fostering a cohesive unit reliant on aerial duels, set-piece efficiency, and counter-attacks rather than possession dominance. This tactical framework yielded 23 wins and just 6 defeats in the promotion campaign, with the side scoring 90 goals while conceding only 36. Upon elevation to the top flight, maintained stability, recording mid-table finishes of 12th in 1974–75 and 7th in 1975–76, avoiding relegation threats through consistent defensive solidity and exploiting opponents' weaknesses via long-ball distribution to target men. Charlton's tenure, spanning until his resignation on 21 1977 to join Wednesday, established a foundation of resilience, with the club sustaining First Division status until relegation in 1982 amid mounting financial pressures that later culminated in near-liquidation risks.

Sheffield Wednesday Stint

Charlton assumed the role of manager at Sheffield Wednesday on 8 October 1977, inheriting a team rooted to the bottom of the English Third Division with just two points from their opening seven fixtures. Implementing a pragmatic, route-one approach emphasizing physicality and set-piece efficiency, he rebuilt the squad through shrewd, low-cost acquisitions and fostered a resilient team ethic that propelled the club to promotion as Second Division runners-up in the 1979–80 season, amassing 65 points from 42 matches. In the Second Division, Wednesday initially stabilized with a 10th-place finish in 1980–81 (51 points from 42 games), but Charlton's tenure grew increasingly pressured as promotion eluded the side despite competitive campaigns. The 1981–82 season saw them end fourth with 64 points, one point and one position short of the promotion places under the era's top-two automatic qualification system. A similar near-miss followed in 1982–83, again finishing fourth on 60 points from 42 games, while the team also advanced to the , defeating 2–1 in the quarter-finals before a 4–0 aggregate loss to Manchester United across two legs. These results highlighted tactical discipline but drew fan discontent over the direct style, perceived as lacking flair, and specific recruitment decisions, including the sale of promising assets that prioritized financial balancing over squad continuity. Charlton's departure came on 27 May 1983, triggered by escalating boardroom tensions over transfer dealings and unmet promotion expectations after back-to-back fourth-place finishes, compounded by supporter backlash against player disposals of local favorites. Across 303 competitive fixtures in charge, he secured 122 victories, 94 draws, and 87 defeats, equating to a win rate of 40.26%—respectable for mid-table consolidation but insufficient to satisfy demands for top-flight return amid the club's historical stature. Reflecting later, Charlton cited the persistent failure to reclaim First Division status as his primary regret from the Hillsborough spell, underscoring the challenges of sustaining momentum post-promotion in an era of limited resources and rigid league structures.

Newcastle United Management

Jack Charlton was appointed manager of Newcastle United on 14 August 1984, taking charge of his boyhood club amid high expectations from the passionate regional fanbase. With limited funds available, Charlton inherited a squad featuring promising talents such as and , emphasizing an aggressive, direct playing style intended to resonate with the Geordie supporters' preference for attacking football. The team began the 1984–85 Second Division season strongly, securing maximum points from the opening three matches, during which Waddle scored three goals, fostering initial optimism. However, Charlton's tenure faced mounting challenges from terrace criticism and internal constraints. He made modest signings, including defender Pat Heard from Sheffield Wednesday, but these were viewed as underwhelming by fans accustomed to higher-profile developments. Board-imposed financial pressures culminated in the controversial sale of star winger to Tottenham Hotspur for £590,000 in the summer of 1985, a decision that symbolized the club's precarious position and alienated supporters who saw it as undermining Charlton's vision. This transaction, rather than tactical missteps, highlighted deeper structural issues, as the proceeds failed to bolster the squad meaningfully and exacerbated fan frustration with perceived short-termism. The combination of mixed on-field results—starting brightly but unable to sustain momentum—and vocal unrest from the St James' Park terraces led to Charlton's abrupt departure. On 10 August 1985, following a pre-season draw at home that drew chants demanding his dismissal, Charlton resigned, citing the unsustainable pressure from supporters unwilling to grant him time to adapt his methods to the club's demands. This short stint underscored the limits of Charlton's pragmatic approach in a high-stakes, regionally intense environment, where fan passion amplified scrutiny and board dynamics curtailed strategic flexibility.

Republic of Ireland National Team

Jack Charlton was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team on 12 February 1986, succeeding Eoin Hand following Ireland's failure to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. As an Englishman and 1966 World Cup winner with England, his selection drew initial skepticism and surprise in Ireland, given the historical rivalry between the two nations. Charlton addressed eligibility rules allowing players with Irish grandparents or parents to represent the team, incorporating British-born talents such as defender Paul McGrath (eligible via his Dublin-born father) and forward Tony Cascarino (via grandparents), thereby expanding the player pool beyond those born in Ireland. Under Charlton's leadership, Ireland qualified for their first major tournament at , topping a group that included (wins 2-1 home, 1-0 away), Luxembourg (5-0 home win), and (2-1 away win), while drawing 2-2 with away; a late 1-0 loss to at home cost the group win but secured second place. At the finals in , Ireland finished second in Group 2 with a 1-0 victory over (goal by ), a 1-1 draw against the , and a 1-0 defeat to the , advancing to the quarter-finals where they lost 0-2 to hosts on 22 June 1988. Ireland's qualification for the came via Group 6, where they finished ahead of (key 1-0 home win on 12 October 1988 and 1-1 away draw), , , and (5-0 home win on 2 February 1988 sealing advancement); a final home qualifier against on 28 October 1989 ended 1-0 to but Ireland advanced on . In the tournament in , Group F saw draws of 1-1 against (5 June), 0-0 against (11 June), and 1-1 against the (17 June), with Ireland advancing as one of the best third-placed teams; in the round of 16 on 25 June, a 0-0 draw with went to penalties, Ireland winning 5-4 to reach the quarter-finals, where they lost 0-1 to on 30 June 1990. Qualification for the was achieved through Group 3, with Ireland securing second place behind via wins including 3-1 over (both home and away) and a crucial 1-1 draw in on 2 1993; they advanced over on goal difference. At the finals in the , Group E results were a 1-0 opening win over (Houghton goal, 18 ), 1-1 draw with (22 ), and 0-1 loss to (25 ), leading to group stage elimination despite the historic first World Cup victory. Charlton's tenure ended after Ireland failed to qualify for , losing a play-off to the (1-0 away on 14 November 1995, 1-1 home on 29 November 1995 at ); he resigned on 19 December 1995, having managed 93 matches with a 50.5% win rate, guiding to three consecutive major tournaments from a base outside the traditional football powerhouses.

Personal Life

Family Dynamics and Estrangement

Jack Charlton married Patricia Kemp on 6 January 1958, with his brother Bobby serving as best man. The couple had three children—John, , and Peter—and Charlton prioritized family loyalty, often crediting his wife Pat for providing stability during periods of professional turbulence and fame. Charlton's fraternal bond with Bobby, forged in their mining family upbringing, frayed amid underlying personality differences—Jack's rugged, extroverted demeanor contrasting Bobby's more introspective nature—and intensified by perceived inequities in recognition and success. The decisive rupture occurred in 1996 after their mother Cissie's death, when Jack publicly accused Bobby of neglecting to visit her during her final illness, a charge Bobby denied, attributing his absence to work commitments and strained family logistics. Attempts at , including a publicized embrace during a 1997 Sports Personality of the Year award presentation, yielded only temporary thaws, as deeper resentments over familial roles and individual trajectories persisted. The estrangement endured without full resolution until Jack's death from on 10 July 2020; Bobby, then battling advancing , did not attend the . Jack's son John later contested media portrayals of irreparable acrimony, asserting the brothers maintained private cordiality despite public .

Interests Outside Football

Charlton harbored a profound passion for , particularly , which he pursued extensively in Ireland's River Moy and Lough Conn. He owned a holiday home in , for over two decades, treating the area as a personal retreat where he immersed himself in the sport. This enthusiasm extended to presenting the television series Salmon Run With Jack Charlton, in which he demonstrated deep knowledge of and local waterways, often attracting crowds to observe his casts. His catches, including a notable large from Limerick's Shannon River, underscored his skill and dedication to as a lifelong pursuit. Beyond , Charlton maintained strong ties to traditional rural and working-class life in , reflecting fondly on the Northumbrian landscape's grandeur and his upbringing in Ashington's mining communities. He owned the Charlton's in nearby Cambois, fostering local social connections reminiscent of the luxurious working men's clubs he knew from youth. These interests revealed a man rooted in countryside traditions and , which he engaged in throughout his life as an antidote to urban pressures. Charlton's off-field persona was marked by plain-speaking candor, evident in interviews and documentaries where he recounted personal stories with unfiltered directness and wit. He also contributed to charitable efforts, including endorsing a 2017 children's charity football match to raise funds, showcasing his support for community initiatives.

Health Decline and Death

Charlton first exhibited signs of cognitive decline in 1994 while managing the at the in the United States, struggling to recall players' names. Suspicions of emerged around 2016, with the condition becoming severe in the years leading to his death; he required ongoing family care, primarily from his wife Pat, at their home in , . In 2019, he was diagnosed with , a form of cancer, but his advanced led the family to withhold this information to avoid distress. Although some linked Charlton's to repeated head impacts from heading the ball—a common practice in his playing era from the 1950s to 1970s, before modern safeguards—his widow Pat rejected blaming football, emphasizing unproven causation and potential other factors such as age-related decline. His son John similarly described any direct football-dementia nexus as unsubstantiated. Charlton died peacefully on 10 July 2020 at age 85 from complications of , with exacerbating his frailty. His private funeral occurred on 21 at West Road Crematorium in , preceded by a cortege through where hundreds lined the streets in tribute; the coffin bore scarves from , the , Leeds United, and Newcastle United. His brother Bobby, also battling , could not attend.

Legacy and Controversies

Achievements and Empirical Impact


As a player, Jack Charlton made 773 appearances for Leeds United from 1952 to 1973, contributing to the club's First Division title win in the 1968–69 season and the FA Cup victory in 1972. He also helped secure the League Cup in 1968 and the Charity Shield in 1969, forming a defensive partnership that underpinned Leeds' success under manager Don Revie. With England, Charlton played every match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, including the 4–2 final win over West Germany on July 30, 1966, earning a winner's medal as part of Alf Ramsey's squad that defeated opponents with a record of five wins and one draw. In his managerial roles at club level, Charlton achieved promotion for to the First Division by winning the Second Division title in the 1973–74 season, finishing with 65 points from 42 matches and conceding only 42 goals. At Sheffield Wednesday, he guided the team from the Third Division to promotion in 1979–80, securing second place with 64 points and elevating the club to the Second Division. These results demonstrated his ability to build defensively solid teams capable of ascending divisions through consistent performances rather than high-scoring dominance. Charlton's most quantifiable impact came as manager of the from 1986 to 1996, transforming a side that had never qualified for a major tournament into consistent international competitors. He led qualification for —the nation's first major finals—via a 5–0 aggregate playoff win over in November 1987, followed by the where Ireland reached the quarter-finals, defeating 5–4 on penalties in the round of 16 on June 25, 1990, and finishing sixth in rankings. The team advanced to the 1994 World Cup group stage, beating 1–0 on June 18, 1994, before exiting in the round of 16, marking three major tournament appearances in eight years and elevating 's global standing through pragmatic results over stylistic play. This success correlated with heightened national engagement, as evidenced by widespread public fervor during qualifications, though direct causal links to sustained youth participation growth remain anecdotal amid broader soccer trends.

Criticisms of Style and Methods

Charlton's managerial style emphasized direct play, long balls to forwards, and physical organization over intricate passing, a method derisively called "route one" by opponents who viewed it as crude and limiting. At Sheffield Wednesday in 1977, the existing squad, habituated to open, flowing football, rebelled against this imposition, contributing to early poor results and highlighting resistance to his tactical overhaul. Similarly, during his Newcastle United tenure from 1985 to 1988, critics targeted the perceived negativity of his setups, which prioritized defensive solidity and counter-attacks despite promotion to the First Division in 1984 and a Football League Cup final appearance in 1987. These approaches proved most contentious with the national team (1986–1995), where Irish pundit repeatedly condemned the "Garryowen" tactics—evoking rugby's high kicks—as wholly unsuited to international competition and an affront to soccer's traditions. Dunphy argued the style embarrassed Ireland and stifled creativity, particularly given the squad's "" of players like Paul McGrath and , who possessed technical skills allegedly underutilized in favor of repetitive aerial duels. Other detractors echoed that Charlton forced gifted talents into a simplistic, physical mold beneath their capabilities, fostering debates on whether successes stemmed from fortune in draws rather than refined methodology. Such critiques reflected era-specific tensions between pragmatic directness and aspirations for continental possession play, yet overlooked causal factors like substandard pitches, permissive physical rules until the 1992 back-pass ban, and the empirical viability of route-one against elite defenses, where unproven assumptions of flair's supremacy often ignored comparable outcomes from similar systems elsewhere.

Debates on National Eligibility and Identity

During Jack Charlton's tenure as manager of the national team from 1986 to 1996, FIFA's eligibility regulations permitted players to represent a nation if they or a or were born there, a provision known as the grandfather or "granny" rule. Charlton systematically identified and recruited British-born players meeting these criteria, resulting in 33 of the 56 players who appeared for during his era being born outside the country, predominantly in or . This approach expanded the talent pool amid 's limited domestic development infrastructure, enabling qualification for the 1988 , 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and 1990 play-offs, yet it ignited debates over national authenticity, with critics contending it diluted core Irish identity by prioritizing ancestry over birthplace or cultural immersion. Opponents, including segments of the Irish media and , argued that heavy reliance on players—often raised in with minimal prior ties to —eroded the concept of "Irishness," portraying teams as opportunistic assemblages rather than organic national squads; for instance, line-ups occasionally featured only three or four Irish-born starters, prompting accusations of cultural dilution and dependency on expatriates. British outlets satirized the strategy as the "," amplifying perceptions of inauthenticity, particularly as accents and backgrounds highlighted players' non-Irish upbringings. A stark example emerged post-tenure with striker , who earned 88 caps under Charlton and successors, only to disclose in his 2000 autobiography Full Time that his claimed Irish grandparent was actually Italian, rendering him ineligible under rules as he lacked verifiable ancestry or at the time of selection. Despite the Football Association of 's later assertion of eligibility via potential citizenship pathways, Cascarino's admission fueled of verification processes, questioning whether Charlton's maximization overlooked rigorous proof in pursuit of competitive edge. Charlton defended the policy unapologetically, asserting that selected players possessed legitimate ancestral claims and embodied Irish character through commitment, countering purist demands for exclusivity by noting the rule's pre-existence since FIFA's frameworks and its application across nations like and . Empirically, the strategy yielded Ireland's historic major tournament appearances without altering eligibility statutes, challenging narratives of dilution by demonstrating causal efficacy: restricted to birthplace qualifiers alone, Ireland's shallower pool likely precluded such results, as evidenced by pre-Charlton qualification struggles despite native talent. Post-1996, backlash persisted in discussions of identity, with some viewing the era's successes as tainted by "plastic Paddy" optics, though proponents emphasized that ancestry-based eligibility reflects diaspora realities in a globalized , prioritizing verifiable lineage over subjective cultural metrics. This tension underscores broader causal realism in national team composition, where rule-compliant expansion outperformed insular alternatives, even amid authenticity disputes.

Career Data

Playing Statistics

Charlton played his entire professional club career with Leeds United from 1952 to 1973, making 629 appearances in league competitions and scoring 70 goals. In total, across all competitive matches, he recorded 762 appearances and 95 goals, both club records.
ClubLeague AppearancesLeague GoalsTotal AppearancesTotal Goals
Leeds United6297076295
For England, Charlton earned 35 caps between 1965 and 1970, scoring 6 goals, including participation in the victory.
National TeamCapsGoals
356
Career aggregate totals across club and international matches: 797 appearances, 101 goals. As a player with Leeds United, Charlton contributed to the following major honours:

Managerial Record

Charlton's managerial tenures yielded varying results across clubs and the international stage, with his longest spell at Sheffield Wednesday and most successful in terms of win percentage with the national team.
TeamYearsPldWinsDrawsLossesWin %
1973–1977222103576246.4
Sheffield Wednesday1977–1983292116859139.7
Newcastle United1984–19854815151831.3
1986–19959447301750.0
During his time with the Republic of Ireland, Charlton oversaw successful qualification campaigns for , the (reaching the quarter-finals), and the , contributing to the team's 50% win rate across competitive and friendly matches. The side scored 128 goals while conceding 63, with notable results including 5–0 victories over and .

Honours and Awards

As a player, Jack Charlton contributed to England's victory in the , earning a winner's medal as part of the squad that defeated 4–2 in the final at on 30 July 1966. With Leeds United, he won the title in the 1968–69 season, the in 1972, the Football League Cup in 1968, and the in both 1967 and 1971. He was also named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1967 and selected for the PFA Team of the Century (1907–1976) in 2007. In recognition of his contributions to football, Charlton was appointed Officer of the (OBE) in the 1974 . As a manager, Charlton guided to the title in the 1973–74 season, securing promotion to the First Division with a record of 23 wins, 9 draws, and 6 losses, earning him the inaugural of the Year award. With the national team from 1986 to 1996, he achieved qualification for (Ireland's first major tournament appearance), the (reaching the quarter-finals after defeating on penalties in the round of 16), and the (advancing to the round of 16). For his impact on Irish football, Charlton received honorary Irish citizenship in 1996 and was made a Freeman of the City of . Posthumously, following his on 10 July 2020, he was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award by the Irish government in November 2020 for elevating Irish football and fostering national unity through sport. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 and the in 2005.

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  114. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2000/1029/152299-cascarino/
  115. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-new-twist-in-cascarino-row/26257148.html
  116. https://www.facebook.com/ballsdotie/posts/jack-charlton-said-every-man-in-his-squad-was-as-irish-as-they-come-/10158840673596042/
  117. http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/leeds-united-fc/jack-charlton-7289/league-apperances_a13535/
  118. https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/on-this-day-jack-charlton-was-born
  119. https://www.sofascore.com/manager/jack-charlton/799239
  120. https://www.soccer-ireland.com/irish-soccer-managers/records.htm
  121. https://mfcstats.com/managers/manager/42
  122. https://www.footballdatabase.eu/en/player/details/13838-jack-charlton
  123. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12026164/jack-charlton-a-world-cup-hero-with-england-and-ireland
  124. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/07/11/jack-charlton-irelands-greatest-manager-changed-country/
  125. https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/posthumous-honour-for-icon-jack-charlton-in-presidential-distinguished-service-awards-197317
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