Gentle Giant John Charles Dies
By EIFION WILLIAMS
Soccer enthusiasts everywhere will be saddened to hear of the recent death of Welsh football hero John Charles. The sadness will be especially felt by millions of Italian soccer fans who called him “Il buono gigante,” the gentle giant.
Charles died of complications following a heart attack at the age of 72. His funeral was held on March 1 – St. David’s Day – in Leeds, the city whose football club he successfully led to promotion in the mid-1950s. At his wife’s request, his ashes will be returned to his home town of Swansea where a suitable memorial will eventually be built to honour a man who is considered one of the city’s greatest heroes.
John Charles was a big man in every way. Well over six feet tall, he was a dominating figure whenever and wherever he played the game. Fellow Leeds United player Jackie Charlton, later manager of the Republic of Ireland, remembers that “He was quick, he was strong, he could run with the ball. He was half the team in himself.”
Incredibly, John Charles was never booked or sent off in his entire career. This alone, combined with his undoubted talent, would mark him as one of the greatest players of all time in any professional sport.
Charles signed on with Leeds United at the age of 17. In 1957 he transferred to the Italian club Juventus where he became one of the most popular players in the team’s history. Following his death there were as many tributes in the media from Italian fans as there were from his British fans.
In the six years following John Charles’ arrival Juventus, after languishing at the bottom of the Italian first division for several years, won three championships and the Italian Cup.
He eventually returned briefly to Leeds and then played for another Italian side, Roma. He later played for Cardiff and following his active playing days became manager of Hereford and Merthyr Tydfil. He also served briefly as technical director of the Hamilton Steelers in Canada.
John Charles played 38 times for Wales. Many Welshmen will remember the excitement of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden when Charles led Wales to the quarter-finals, the country’s best ever performance in World Cup competition.
They will also remember their disappointment on hearing that Charles would not be able to play against Brazil in the quarter-finals because of injury. The dream was over, Wales lost 1-0, and Brazil, with their 17-year old star Pele, went on to win the World Cup.
John Charles was the David Beckham of his day, although he never enjoyed the rewards that are lavished on Beckham and other sports heroes today. Charles’ transfer fee to Juventus was £65,000, a record at that time but low by today’s standards, even accounting for inflation.
But as one fan commented on hearing of his death, “He makes today’s overpaid, petulant prima donas seem pretty insignificant.”
The last word on John Charles is best left to his close friend and fellow Welsh international Terry Medwin: “He always looked like a Greek god. On the soccer field he certainly operated on another plane, among the greatest of players. Thanks for the memories John.”
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