Ray Charnley

Raymond Ogden Charnley (29 May 1935 – 15 November 2009) was an English professional footballer. He was a centre forward and was one of the most prolific scorers for Blackpool, with whom he spent ten years, including all but one season in the top flight of English football.

With 193 goals in 363 league games, Charnley is the third-highest scorer in Blackpool's history, behind Jimmy Hampson and Stan Mortensen.

In a playing career spanning eighteen years, Charnley also played for Morecambe (with whom he began and ended his career), Preston North End, Wrexham and Bradford Park Avenue. He scored a total of 293 career league goals in 605 games.

He won one England cap, in 1962.

There have been Blackpool footballers who have played more games for the club than Ray Charnley; and there have been men who have contributed more league goals to the Bloomfield Road cause than the tall, rangy Lancastrian centre-forward. But on both counts, from faithful fans of the Seasiders whose memories stretch back half a century and beyond, there would have to come the heartfelt and grateful rider: not many|From Ray Charnley's obituary in The Independent

He made his Morecambe debut on 29 September, in a 5–2 defeat at Lancaster City in the Lancashire Combination Cup. In his three seasons at Christie Park he was a regular scorer. In the 1956–57 season he scored 31 goals in 37 league games and 12 goals in 15 cup games. He ended the 1957–58 season as the club's third-highest scorer, with 12 goals in 20 games, behind Jackie Mudie and Bill Perry, who both netted 18. At the end of the season he was voted as the club's "most promising player". He had started the season with eight goals in eight games. On 20 January 1962 he scored four goals in a 7–2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then on 3 February, against Nottingham Forest he scored his 100th league goal in only his 156th game

Charnley, once again, began the 1965–66 season by scoring in the opening game, a 2–2 draw with Fulham. He missed just one game all season and lead, jointly with Alan Ball, the scoring in the league, with 16 goals, although he was again overall top scorer with another three cup goals. The 1966–67 saw Blackpool finish bottom of the First Division and relegated to the Second Division, although Charnley was again top scorer on 14 goals. He also scored six goals in the League Cup as Blackpool reached the fifth round, including a hat-trick in a second-round 5–1 win over Manchester United. the forward was on his way out of Bloomfield Road, to Preston North End for a transfer fee of £12,500.

They finished bottom of the Fourth Division in the 1968–69 season. The following season they again finished bottom, but this time lost their application for re-election and were voted out of the Football League and dropped into the Northern Premier League. He scored fifteen goals in 59 league games for the Avenue that season.

Return to Morecambe At the end of the season, Charnley re-signed for former club Morecambe, who were by then playing in the Northern Premier League. He made 24 league starts in 1970–71, finishing the season as top scorer with 13 goals. After 14 games in the 1971–72 season, he was released. His last game came on Good Friday 1972, when he scored in a 3–0 home win over Chorley. In his two stints with Morecambe, Charnley scored a total of 98 goals in 177 appearances in all competitions. After his release, Charnley retired from football, at the age of 37.

International career Despite his goalscoring record, Charnley won just one England cap, in 1962, when he received a call-up for a 1964 European Nations' Cup Preliminary round game against France on 3 October at Hillsborough. When asked in later years if he felt bitter about not being picked more for England, Charnley said: "No, I thought I might have been given another chance. But I was not surprised when I was dropped. I just could not get into the match. I think four of the five forwards were making their first, and last, appearances."

+ Date Venue Opponent Result goals 13 May 1961 Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur 4–2 3 17 May 1961 Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore 9–0 2 21 May 1961 Government Stadium, Hong Kong 4–2 2 23 May 1961 Government Stadium, Hong Kong Combined Chinese XI 3–0 1 3 June 1961 English Park, Canterbury, New Zealand Canterbury 11–1 1 10 June 1961 Epsom Showgrounds, Epsom 6–1 1 19 June 1961 San Francisco, United States San Francisco 2–1 1

Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame Charnley was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Charnley is in the 1960s.

After a short illness, Charnley died on 15 November 2009 at Rossall Hospital, aged 74. His funeral took place on 24 November at Holy Trinity Church, South Shore, Blackpool. Jimmy Armfield told the packed church: "As you get older you learn to face upset, but I still have problems saying goodbye to friends, especially one of 52 years. He hadn't been well for a while, nevertheless losing him is hard to take. Somehow, this planet we share is less attractive when people like Ray Charnley leave."

There was a minute's applause before the first West Lancashire derby of the 2009–10 season between Blackpool and Preston North End at Bloomfield Road on 30 November. +

International statistics