Charlie Drinkwater

Charles John Drinkwater (25 July 1914 – 8 April 1998) was an English football outside left and manager who played in the Football League for Aston Villa, Charlton Athletic and Watford.

Charlie Drinkwater
Personal information
Full name Charles John Drinkwater[1]
Date of birth (1914-07-25)25 July 1914
Place of birth Willesden, England
Date of death 8 April 1998(1998-04-08) (aged 83)[1]
Place of death Denham, England
Position(s) Outside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1932–1933 Hampstead 0 (0)
1933 Northfleet United
1933–1934 Golders Green 24 (7)
1934 Brentford 0 (0)
1934–1935 Golders Green 23 (8)
1935 Walthamstow Avenue
1935–1938 Aston Villa 2 (1)
1938–1939 Charlton Athletic 3 (0)
1941 Watford 0 (0)
1944–1947 Watford 1 (0)
1951–1953 Ruislip Manor
National team
England Juniors 1 (0)
Teams managed
1951–1953 Ruislip Manor (player-manager)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Non-league (1932–1935)

Drinkwater began his career at Athenian League club Hampstead in 1932 and failed to make an appearance before moving to Northfleet United in March 1933.[2] He returned to Hampstead shortly afterwards and made his debut for the club in the penultimate game of the 1932–33 season, a 4–1 victory over Uxbridge Town.[3] Drinkwater remained with Hampstead (now renamed Golders Green) for the 1933–34 season and scored his first goal for the club in the opening game of the season, a 2–1 defeat to Walthamstow Avenue.[4] He scored 10 goals in 36 appearances during the campaign and helped the Greens to a third-place finish in the league.[5][6]

Drinkwater's form earned him a move to Second Division club Brentford as an amateur in June 1934,[2] but he failed to make an appearance for the first team and returned to Golders Green for the start of the 1934–35 season.[3] Drinkwater moved to fellow Athenian League club Walthamstow Avenue before the end of the season.[7][8]

Football League (1935–1947)

Drinkwater received another chance at league football when he signed for First Division club Aston Villa as an amateur in August 1935.[8] He signed a professional contract October that year.[8] Drinkwater's professional debut came in a league match versus Chelsea on 16 November 1935.[9] He instantly made a name for himself when he scored within three minutes of the kick-off.[10] The Straits Times reported that Drinkwater "trapped a centre with the coolness of a veteran, steadied himself and drove the ball into the net".[11] After one further appearance,[9] he joined First Division club Charlton Athletic in July 1938, but made just three appearances before being released in the summer of 1939.[2]

The breakout of the Second World War would halt competitive football until 1946, but Drinkwater signed for Watford during the war.[2] His war service took him away from the club, but he re-signed in October 1944 and was an ever-present during the 1945–46 season, when an enlarged FA Cup programme was played.[2] When competitive league play returned, Drinkwater made just one appearance during Watford's 1946–47 Third Division South season and he left Vicarage Road at the end of the campaign.[2]

Return to non-league football (1951–1953)

After a spell training and coaching Pinner, Drinkwater resumed his playing career in April 1951, when he joined London League club Ruislip Manor as player-manager.[2] He achieved a runners-up finish in the 1952–53 season and left the club in October 1953.[2][12]

Representative career

Burns made appearances for touring team Middlesex Wanderers in 1935.[13]

International career

Drinkwater made one appearance for England Juniors in 1935.[2]

Personal life

During the Second World War, Drinkwater served in the Royal Navy as a Physical Training Instructor.[2] After the war, he worked at Mount Vernon Hospital as a remedial gymnast for 30 years.[2]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Golders Green 1932–33[5] Athenian League 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
1933–34[5] 23 7 1 1 12[lower-alpha 1] 2 36 10
Total 24 7 1 1 12 2 37 10
Golders Green 1934–35[5] Athenian League 23 8 3 1 11[lower-alpha 2] 3 37 12
1935–36[5] 3 2 1 2 — 4 4
Golders Green total 50 15 5 4 23 5 78 26
Aston Villa 1935–36[9] First Division 2 1 0 0 — 2 1
Watford 1945–46[14] — — 2 0 — 2 0
1946–47[14] Third Division South 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
Total 1 0 2 0 — 3 0
Career total 53 16 7 4 23 5 83 25
  1. 4 appearances and 1 goal in FA Amateur Cup, 4 appearances and 1 goal in Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 appearances in Middlesex Senior Charity Cup, 1 appearance in London Senior Cup.
  2. 4 appearances and 2 goals in Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup, 3 appearances in Middlesex Senior Charity Cup, 2 appearances and 1 goal in London Senior Cup, 1 appearance in FA Amateur Cup, 1 appearance in Middlesex Senior Cup.

References
  1. "Charlie Drinkwater". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  2. "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016 – Players – Digweed-Elkes" (PDF). watfordfcarchive.com. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  3. "Greensnet – Official Hendon FC: Hampstead 4–1 Uxbridge Town". Hendonfc.net. 5 May 1933. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  4. "Greensnet – Official Hendon FC: Results – Season 1933/1934". Hendonfc.net. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  5. "Greensnet – Official Hendon FC: Former Staff – Charlie Drinkwater". Hendonfc.net. 25 June 1914. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  6. Golders Green F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  7. Joyce, Michael. Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 (Third edition, with revisions ed.). Toton, Nottingham. p. 86. ISBN 9781905891610. OCLC 841581272.
  8. "Aston Villa Player Database". Aston Villa Player Database. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  9. "Charlie Drinkwater". 11v11.com. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  10. "Aston Villa v Chelsea, 16 November 1935 – 11v11 match report". 11v11.com. 16 November 1935. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  11. "Newspaper Article – THE VILLA MAKE ANOTHER CAPTURE". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  12. Ruislip Manor F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  13. "Newspaper Article – Untitled". nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  14. "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016 » Seasons – 1940/41 to 1949/50" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2019.
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