Fletcher Charlie Image 2 Plymouth Argyle 1938

Description

Homerton, East London born outside left Charlie Fletcher started his senior football career with local Second Division club Clapton Orient spending 1927 on their books without making a first team appearance. He had trials with Aston Villa and Plymouth Argyle before he joined Third Division (South) club Crystal Palace in October 1927, making his Football League debut against Newport County in September 1928, but he only played 7 times for Palace before the New Year, without scoring.

He joined Merthyr Town in August 1929, scoring once in 24 appearances in what proved to be their final League season, and when they were not re-elected to the League he returned to Clapton Orient, by now a Third Division (South) club, playing three full seasons at Lea Bridge Road, and in 1931-32 he top scored with 22 goals to earn the nickname “Thunderboots”, missing only two matches in his final two seasons. After 34 goals in 126 appearances he joined Second Division Brentford in August 1933 in a swap deal for Percy Whipp, helping them win the 1934-35 Second Division Championship and with it their first ever promotion to the First Division, with a personal contribution of 10 goals in his second successive ever present season for The Bees.

But in his only First Division season he fell out of favour with manager Harry Curtis in December 1935 and returned to the Second Division joining Burnley in February 1936, scoring 22 goals in 68 matches before a move to Plymouth Argyle in November 1937. After his Plymouth debut a few days later, in a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, he played occasionally for the first team but exactly a year later left for Ipswich Town in November 1938 after 6 goals in 24 appearances for The Pilgrims, scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances for Ipswich during their inaugural campaign as a Football League club.

However his career was effectively ended by the advent of the Second World War, albeit he did briefly return to Portman Road after the War and played in their 1945-46 FA Cup campaign, scoring in total 11 goals in 40 appearances for them either side of the conflict, and then also re-joined Clapton Orient in December 1945 already aged 40 without making their first eleven before his eventual retirement.