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Where Are They Now? Pt XXX
With the close season being upon us and there being little to no news to speak of football-wise, I thought I would revisit a feature I’ve not done for a while. The subject of today’s article played for Blues in the late nineties, invariably at left back although he could do a job at left midfield at a push – Simon Charlton.
Simon Charlton
I only really became a regular at Blues during TF’s managerial reign, and Charlton is thus one of the first players I can remember seeing week in, week out. Unlike Gary Rowett (who remains one of my favourite ever players), Charlton never really stood out but he was one of those players who gave steady performances every week.
He made seventy-eight appearances for Blues (the first five on loan) after signing from Southampton for £200,000 in two and a half seasons without troubling the scoresheet.
He left in 2000 to join Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer, winning promotion to the top flight in his first season at the Reebok. He did even better on his return to the Premier League with the Trotters, winning their player of the season award for the 2001-02 season.
In all, he spent four seasons with Bolton Wanderers, making 120 league appearances and appeared in the 2004 League Cup final against Middlesbrough which Bolton lost 2-1.
Charlton then moved on to Norwich in 2004 for £250,000 but was unable to help the club avoid relegation to the Championship. His second season didn’t fare any better, and he left Carrow Road in unhappy circumstances having fallen out with the then-manager Nigel Worthington who Charlton felt had made him a scapegoat.
After a season with Oldham in League One, Charlton retired from playing and returned to Carrow Road as a youth coach in 2007. He took his first steps in management at East Anglian side Mildenhall Town of the Eastern Counties League as player manager between April 2009 and June 2010 before leaving due to “unforeseen circumstances and opportunities”.
Bizarrely, last season Charlton made his international debut some five years after retiring as a professional player, playing for the micronation of Sealand in a friendly against the Chagos Islands which was held at Godalming Town. Unfortunately for Charlton the game ended in a 3-1 defeat to the displaced islanders.
Charlton is now Director of Global Soccer Network, which is working on an app to help improve income streams for clubs, companies and individuals from their social media following.
Tags: Simon Charlton
74 Responses to “Where Are They Now? Pt XXX”
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Informative on the basis of the micronation Sealand –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Sealand
Wonder if BCFC could organise a pre-season friendly against such esteemed international opposition….
Dont want that Blueboy we would lose lol
What great days they were when we could pay £200,000 for a player. Will they ever return in my lifetime?
PS I am 21.
good honest player no frills just like john frain give his all. nice to see another ex blues full back on tv the other night one of my favourites who mcleish shouldnt have let go stephen kelly. k.r.o.
To fair to McLiesh, if I remember correctly it was Steven Kelly who started playing up – telling everyone he was too good for the Championship (and got his just rewards while rotting away in the reserves at Stoke for the next two seasons!)
never score a goal in blues shirt……….
one of my favourite left -backs Mark Dennis obviously before the nineties…..
ahhhh….goosebumps just thinking of Mark Dennis and Kevin Dillon marauding down the left wing for Blues in Jim Smith’s promotion winning team on 79/80 – what fantastic days!
Julian Dicks, Pat Van Den Hauwe, Kevin Ashley and what about Phil Hawker eh ?? anyone remember him btw i am only 42 lol
BFL71 – Julian Dicks, Pat Van Den Hauwe I liked both of those players, especially Julian no nonsense full back…
For blind commitment and hard work it has to be Grainger for me.
I’ll never forget his red mist away at Gillingham in December 2000 I think we’re he totalled one Gills player and didn’t even wait for the whistle before getting straight up and totalling another player. They were the most rckless challenges I’ve ever seen.I’m not condoning violence but it was pretty frickin funny. He didn’t wait for the card either and walked towards the tunnel and Blues fans in the corner to a heroes reception.
Magic and The Horses’ last minute goals also made it an incredible day when we had played like utter sh*te – brilliant memories.
Kevin Ashley??,god he’s a blast from the past, he was the first regular left back i can remember!!.I’d say happier days but they were kinda dire too. :) Like many of my age (36 and counting)…I think the best left back I have seen is Grainger,100% every game.
Actually was Ashley a right back??…..seems like an age ago now.
RB- Local lad from king’s heath
finest left back blues have ever had has got to be KEN GREEN now not many will remember him
thailand;, With Jeff Hall at r/back, !!.
then came along the Martin Grainger…..
Martin Grainger legend !!
Colin Green for me a real Welsh hardman. If you crossed him he would deck you and it was fun to watch. We played Villa away circa 1968 and he knocked out Charlie Aitken off the ball so it wasnt picked up by the officials. He tugged the shirt of Ron Hiron of Portsmouth who was a very tall but painfully thin striker and ripped his shirt in half!
I go back as far as Colin Green too. One thing you can say about The Blues, we’ve had some cracking full backs over the years, especially left backs.
One right back I wish we’d seen more of, was Scott Hiley. He was class, such a shame that knee injury cut short his time with us. I remember myself, my son, daughter and grandson chatting to him outside St Andrews one day. He had this weird support device on the knee. Looked very awkward to walk in.
got me thinking probably not a well known player, in days i stood at stans archie styles, wonder if anyone remember him?
clue) same year of a winger who is now famous…………..
I remember him. Part of the Howard Kendall deal wasn’t he? Correct me if I’m wrong.
staffs- correct by both player were part-exchange for Latchford
famous winger same year…………
staffs – correct by both player were part-exchange for Latchford
famous winger same year…………
Don’t get ya mark. You mean for Blues? Or just famous? Only one I can think of is the now PFA man Gordon Taylor.
Kevin Ashley was sold to wolves he didn’t want to go after that he lost his love for football
undisputed champion……………………….kro
Staffsblue……….. undisputed champion……………………….kro
Was I right? :s
correct answer Gordon Taylor PFA.. played winger for blues……
I remember one goal he scored down StAn’s, can’t remember who it was against now… but he picked up the ball outside our area, and went on a zig-zagging dribble from left to right, then right to left…. and stuck the ball in the net. Fabulous goal. Can anyone fill in the blanks in my memory?
you should know staffs – us blues fans never make it easy lol
Martin Grainger , a legend even when ingured !!!
Apart from 100% commitment and no-nonsence tackling…. the thing I remember about Grainger, was his free kicks… he couldn’t half hit ’em!
Almajir any idea when the new kit will be released
No mate.
Speak to the club.
Israel U21 1-0 England U21. England finish bottom with 0 points and 1 goal. Nathan Redmond came on with 20 minutes to go.
If I’ve just watched England’s future… we really are in the brown stuff!
Great to see Redmond getting the plaudits as one of England’s best players in the tournament…only problem now is that he’s on every buggers radar!
It would have been even worse if England had done well. But for me, Redmond was one of the few plus points of the tournement.
Just listened to Peter Taylor on Sky saying that Redmond was the shining light for England.
Taylor was a successful U21 coach. He knows what he’s talking about.
Lost to Israel oh my god botton of the group , cant see England winning a major trophy in the next 30 years.
Pearce will be sacked and they will give the job to that insipid individual Southgate a failed manager.
They should sack Pearce, handcuff him to Southgate and send them both out of the country. Give the job to Peter Taylor. Pity Dario Gradi is semi-retired now.
What about Noel Blake? Promote him from the Under 19’s!!
Good call. I wouldn’t say no to Blakie.
Staffs got one for you here but no googleing
What player became the first in the country to score a hat trick after coming on as a sub for Birmingham City?.
I know this, but can’t bring it to mind. Bugger!
I would have said Burns off the top of my head, but don’t think it was.
Damn, just came to me. But I won’t say because you’ll think I googled it.
Same era/team as Johnny Vincent I think.
Tony,
You only know him because he played for the vile. Lol
non correct so far
yes staffs about then
you know the answer Mark?
Speaking of Johnny vincent and where are they now where is he?.
Just checked that. Sadly, Johnny died of cancer on 23 December 2006… just 2 months short of his 60th birthday.
One of my favourites was Phil Summerill. Loved watching him play.
The player who scored the hat-trick, was Great Value for money.
geoff vowden
He was Staffs
He had a hump on his back Staffs
Now that face rings a bell!
Tony,
I do but only because I looked on Wikipedia
Great question by the way, got anymore I promise not to cheat.
It’s strange though, when Vowden’s name popped into my head… I saw him in a Villa shirt. Weird.
Yes he left us for the shite but he averaged a goal every three games not bad
OK Marky name the blues player who was 5ft 6ins who got sent of for knocking out a 6ft 2 centre forward and another fulham player in the space of 20 seconds a very famous fulham player
he is said to be the finest passer of a ball ever in English football.
Sod it the missus is calling me gotta go cant argue with her lol
Tony
Educated guess Bertie Auld
Right… I’m back. Did I miss anything?
Well, the finest passer of the ball has to be Johnny Haynes. But the other two… phew.
Marky could be right with Bertie. He had a wee temper on him. Only other two I can think of, would be Greenie or Ron Wylie. I was definitely the 60s, as I don’t think Haynes played for Fulham in the 70s, but I could be wrong. Can’t think of the 6’2″ guy though.
The player was Bertie Auld the fulham players were Johnny Haynes,the 6-2 player was a guy called Maurice Cook. a big centre forward a good one to but he upset Bertie lol