Tim Rawlings

Charles John "Tim" Rawlings (4 November 1932 – 28 September 2014) was an English footballer. A half-back, he made 231 league appearances in a 15-year career in the Football League. He made the bulk of these appearances for Walsall in between 1956 and 1963, but also had six years without a game at West Bromwich Albion, and also spent two years at Port Vale. He helped Walsall to win two consecutive promotions from the Fourth Division to the Second Division in 1959–60 and 1960–61.

Tim Rawlings
Personal information
Full name Charles John Rawlings[1]
Date of birth (1932-11-04)4 November 1932[1]
Place of birth Coleshill, Warwickshire, England[1]
Date of death 28 September 2014(2014-09-28) (aged 81)[2]
Position(s) Half-back
Youth career
Erdington Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1956 West Bromwich Albion 0 (0)
1956–1963 Walsall 200 (5)
1963–1965 Port Vale 31 (2)
Nuneaton Borough
Coleshill Town
Total 231 (7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Rawlings played for Erdington Albion, before joining West Bromwich Albion in 1950. He spent six seasons at The Hawthorns, but was not handed his First Division debut either by Jack Smith or Vic Buckingham, and was instead allowed to leave the "Throstles" for Walsall in 1956. The "Saddlers" finished 15th in the Third Division South in 1956–57 under the stewardship of John Love. New boss Bill Moore could only take the club to a 20th-place finish in 1957–58, which led them to become founder members of the Fourth Division. They then posted a sixth-place finish in 1958–59, six points and two places outside of the promotion places. Walsall then topped the division in 1959–60 by a five-point margin, to win a place in the Third Division. Walsall then finished second in 1960–61, six points behind champions Bury, to win a second successive promotion. The Fellows Park club finished 14th in the Second Division in 1961–62, before suffering relegation in 1962–63 due to their inferior goal average to 20th placed Charlton Athletic. In his seven years at the club Rawlings played a total of 201 league games, scoring five goals.[3]

Rawlings was signed by Port Vale manager Freddie Steele for a £4,000 fee in June 1963.[1] He made 22 appearances in the 1963–64 season, and played 14 games in the 1964–65 campaign, as the "Valiants" suffered relegation out of the Third Division under Jackie Mudie.[1] Rawlings was given a free transfer to Southern League side Nuneaton Borough in April 1965.[1] He later turned out for hometown club Coleshill Town.[4] He later worked for Lucas Industries.[5]

Statistics

Source:[6]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Bromwich Albion 1950–51 First Division 00000000
Walsall 1956–57 Third Division South 4011000411
1957–58 Third Division South 4411000451
1958–59 Fourth Division 4511000461
1959–60 Fourth Division 3502000370
1960–61 Third Division 1811010201
1961–62 Second Division 21000021
1962–63 Second Division 1600000160
Total 200560102075
Port Vale 1963–64 Third Division 1913000221
1964–65 Third Division 1211010141
Total 3124010362
Career total 2317100202437

Honours
Walsall

References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 245. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. "Half-back spent two seasons with the Vale in the 60s". port-vale.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  3. Hugman, Barry (1981). Football League Players Records (1946–1981). Aylesbury: Rothmans Publications. p. 285. ISBN 0-9075-7408-4.
  4. "History". coleshilltownfc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. Edwards, Leigh. "Ultimate Saddlers A-Z 14". saddlers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. Tim Rawlings at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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