Ray Charnley

Early career

Born in Lancaster, Lancashire, Charnley started out as a teenager in the Preston North End B team. When the team was disbanded, he joined North Lancashire and District Football League side Bolton-le-Sands. He later signed as a part-time professional with non-League Morecambe, in the Lancashire Combination, joining them from Bolton-le-Sands for £15 in September 1954, whilst also working as a painter and decorator apprentice. He made his Morecambe debut on 29 September, in a 5–2 defeat at Lancaster City in the Lancashire Combination Cup. In his three seasons at Christie Park he was a regular scorer. In the 1956–57 season he scored 31 goals in 37 league games and 12 goals in 15 cup games.

Blackpool

On 27 May 1957, Charnley moved to nearby Blackpool, who were then in the First Division, the top flight of English football, for £750. He was bought by then-manager Joe Smith. After being injured in pre-season training, the 22-year-old first played three reserve-team games before making his first-team debut in September, a 2–0 defeat at Luton Town. A month later, he scored two goals in Blackpool's record home victory, 7–0 against Sunderland, before being forced to leave the game with a severely gashed head. He ended the 1957–58 season as the club's third-highest scorer, with 12 goals in 20 games, behind Jackie Mudie and Bill Perry, who both netted 18. At the end of the season he was voted as the club's "most promising player". Charnley eventually teamed…

Despite his goalscoring record, Charnley won just one England cap, in 1962, when he received a call-up for a 1964 European Nations' Cup Preliminary round game against France on 3 October at Hillsborough. When asked in later years if he felt bitter about not being picked more for England, Charnley said: "No, I thought I might have been given another chance. But I was not surprised when I was dropped. I just could not get into the match. I think four of the five forwards were making their first, and last, appearances."

Club statistics

International statistics

After he retired, Charnley moved back to Blackpool, where he set up his own painting and decorating company. He had married his wife Edna in 1958. They had one son, Wayne. After a short illness, Charnley died on 15 November 2009 at Rossall Hospital, aged 74. His funeral took place on 24 November at Holy Trinity Church, South Shore, Blackpool. Jimmy Armfield told the packed church: "As you get older you learn to face upset, but I still have problems saying goodbye to friends, especially one of 52 years. He hadn't been well for a while, nevertheless losing him is hard to take. Somehow, this planet we share is less attractive when people like Ray Charnley leave." His son, Wayne, paid tribute to his father, saying he was proud of the tributes which had remembered his father as a gentleman, as that was what he was, adding, "Not many people can drop into a conversation that their dad played for England. I could, and I was very proud to do so." There was a minute's applause before the first West Lancashire derby of the 2009–10 season between Blackpool and Preston North End at Bloomfield Road on 30 November.