Hewitt Charlie Image 1 Crystal Palace 1913

Description

Greatham, County Durham born inside right Charlie Hewitt began his football career in local football with Christ Church, and played for West Hartlepool in 1902 from where he was signed by First Division club Middlesbrough, making his Football League debut at Manchester City in February 1905, playing 6 matches at outside right before the season end, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers that April. Having started the new season at outside right, he was moved to inside right from November 1905, and he scored 11 goals in Middlesbrough’s 1905-06 campaign before a move to Southern League club Tottenham Hotspur in the 1906 close season after 13 goals in 38 appearances for ‘Boro.

A single season at White Hart Lane saw 11 goals in 35 appearances for Spurs, but he returned to Football League action with First Division club Liverpool in May 1907, where he scored 6 goals in 16 matches for The Reds but having lost his place to Bobby Robinson that November he played only 3 more matches before he signed for Second Division club West Bromwich Albion in April 1908 in time to play for Albion in their final fixture of the season. He was then a regular scorer for Albion over their next two campaigns, before a move to Spennymoor United, briefly, in the 1910 close season after 28 goals in 64 appearances for The Baggies.

Hewitt returned to senior football when he signed for Southern League club Crystal Palace later in 1910, where he became a pivotal player in their side, and over the next five years he scored 41 goals in 162 appearances for Palace before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football in May 1915. But after the War he joined North Eastern League club Hartlepools United in July 1919, and when they joined the new Third Division (North) in 1921 he was still fit enough, aged 37, to play 6 matches for them over the course of their inaugural League campaign.

Hewitt then moved into management with North Wales side Mold Alexandra before joining Third Division (North) club Wrexham in November 1924. He led them to Welsh Cup success a year later but left in December 1926 and became manager of non-league club Flint and later Connah’s Quay & Shotton where he repeated his Welsh Cup success.

In 1930, Hewitt took over as manager of Cheshire County League side Chester, who were looking to gain election to the Football League. His first season saw the club finish as runners-up, with the side being elected into the League in place of Nelson. Hewitt then established Chester as a force in Football League Division Three (North), finishing in the top four in four of their first five seasons. He also led them to Welsh Cup success in 1933.

In April 1936 Hewitt opted to move south and became manager of Football League Division Three (South) club Millwall, who he guided to promotion and an FA Cup semi final in 1937. After being sacked in April 1940 after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 had forced the abandonment of peacetime football, Hewitt returned to football after the War as manager of Leyton Orient in January 1946, where he remained manager until April 1948.

From August 1948 to January 1956 Hewitt had a second spell in charge of Millwall, his final job in football, leading them to a runners up position in the Third Division (South) in 1952-53, albeit they missed out on promotion but he was sacked midway through the 1955-56 season with Millwall struggling at the wrong end of the table, having managed Millwall in over 500 matches over his two spells in charge. In July 1956 he was awarded £4,500 in damages, relating to his sacking by Millwall six months earlier.