Charles "Charlie" Wilson was an English football player who played in the Football League for Tottenham Hotspur, Huddersfield Town and Stoke City.
Background
Wilson was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire and began his career with local non-league side Atherstone Town before joining Southern League side Coventry City just before the outbreak of World War I. After being demobbed he played six times for Tottenham Hotspur in the 1918-1919 season, although for reasons unknown he decided to hide his identity.
Career
In four of these games he played under the name of "C. Williams" being described as a "clot from the Midlands" and in the other under the pseudonym of "C. Forshaw". Only in the sixth did he finally take to the field as Charlie Wilson. With the war over the Football League returned and Wilson scored 11 goals for Spurs in the 1919-1920 season helping them claim the Second Division title.
He scored 9 goals in 1920-1921 and 11 in 1921-1922 witch prompted Huddersfield Town manager Herbert Chapman to bring Wilson to Leeds Road.
He then scored 20 goals in 1923-1924 and 24 in 1924-1925 as Huddersfield claimed the First Division title. However with Huddersfield on their way to a third straight title Wilson picked up an injury early in the 1925-1926 season and so decided to put him up for sale.
Stoke City manager Tom Mather persuaded Wilson to join the Victoria Ground side and he joined Stoke along with his Huddersfield Town team mate, Joey Williams. The pair could not prevent Stoke slipping to relegation to the Third Division North.
Back in the Second Division for 1927-1928 Wilson had a fine season scoring a club record 38 goals.
He continued to be top scorer hitting 22 in 1928-1929 and 20 in 1929-1930 becoming the first Stoke player to reach 100 league goals. He struggled with injury in 1930-1931 scoring 10 in 16 games and left the club at the end of the season. After leaving Stoke he played non-league football with Stafford Rangers whilst keeping the Doxey Hotel.
He later played for Wrexham, Shrewsbury Town and Alfreton United before later becoming landlord of the Noah"s Ark public in Stafford.
He died in May 1971 at the age of 76.
Membership
He soon became a key member of Towns all conquering 1920s side as he scored 16 goals in 1922-1923 as Huddersfield finished in 3rd position.