RIP The King

[muffins]

I'm not sure if you'll have heard of him but the great John Charles passed away in the early hours of Saturday. He'd been battling bladder cancer and died from a blood clot in his leg. About a month ago he was taken to hospital in Italy and his old club Juventus paid to fly him back to his home in Leeds but I think his condition just worsened. I think he was 72. This is a real shame because not only was he a great footballer but he did a lot of work for charity. John played in the 50s so I've never seen him play but from what I've heard people say he was amazing and his record speaks for itself really. He played for Cardiff, Leeds, Juventus and AS Roma. He became part of the ground staff at his home team of Swansea at 15 and was snapped up by Leeds 3 years later in 1949. He started out as a defender but it emerged that he had a talent for scoring too. In the 1953-54 season he scored 42 goals in 39 appearances which I think remains a record for the second division. In 1957 he moved to Juventus and became the world's most expensive footballer at 65,000 pounds; imagine what he'd be worth in today's market as someone who could play virtually anywhere! He'd scored 154 goals for Leeds in 316 games. He won 3 Italian League titles and the Italian Cup at Juventus. He was 6 foot 2 and became known as 'Il Gigante Buono' (the gentle giant) as he was never sent off or even booked. I think it's pretty safe to say that the Italians loved(and still do)him and this is shown when, 40 years after he finished at Juventus, he was voted as one of the ten greatest foreigners to play for the club. This is no surprise when you consider that he scored 23 goals in 34 matches in a season(93 goals in 155 matches overall) taking into account how defense minded the Italian League was. I know they still adore him over there because when Wales played Italy in 2002 John Charles came onto the pitch and had rapturous applause not only from the Welsh support but also the Italian support. He returned to Leeds in 1962 but this didn't last very long and moved to Roma for 70,000 pounds for a year. He then went to Cardiff and played with his brother, Mel. He retired from football in 1966. It has to also be noted that he played 38 times for Wales scoring 15 goals and helped Wales to their only World Cup in 1958 where they got to the quarter finals where we eventually lost to Brazil 1-0 with a certain 17 year old Pele scoring his first World Cup goal. John didn't play this match as he'd had lumps kicked out of him the match before. If he'd played who knows what would have happened. Oh well, there's no shame in losing to Brazil from a Pele goal. This guy is probably the best ever footballer to come out of Wales, one of the best to have come out of Britain and one of the greatest the world will ever see. John Charles was a true legend and I hope he rests in peace. My condolences to his family.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3488975.stm

[glamour-gal]

oh really???
i didn't know that!!
my deepest condolences!!!

of course i know john charles, but i didn't know about his death!


thanx for posting, muffins!

[muffins]

It's a real shame. I've never cried for someone I've never met but I feel a bit teary right now. All these tributes keep coming in from people like Jack Charlton, Del Piero and Sir Bobby Robson. There was a minute's silence at the Manchester United v Leeds United match and it was well respected. In Italy I think they do it a bit differently and have a minute's applause(someone please tell me if I'm wrong)and this was respected at the Bologna v Juventus match. Cardiff City also had a minute's silence but some Sunderland fans decided to boo it and this provoked some City fans to shout at them so the minute's slience was not well respected which made me feel sick to read about. I'm glad Cardiff thrashed them 4-0. In City's next home match I think they should have another one because John Charles deserves his minute's silence to be respected properly. I also think all League of Wales matches held a minute's silence. Calls are being made for some type of tribute to be made. Some say that Swansea should re-name their new stadium(White Rock)after him once they move into it but some people don't agree because rugby will be played their also. I say stuff the rugby, this guy was a legend but I realise not everyone will share my views. Some say Cardiff should re-name their new ground after him when they move into it. Others say that there should be a statue outside every club he played for and others say that a road by the Millennium Stadium should be named after him. If it were up to me, I'd do them all.

[glamour-gal]

hope you're feeling better now!! *hugz*

yes, you're right, in italy they have this so called 'minute's applause'!

i really hate this kind of situation when some fans just don't know how to react right!!
if there's a minute of silence, they should be quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


i like the idea with the statue the most!

[muffins]

Micahel Parkinson(well-repected TV interviewer)said every football club in Britain should have a statue of him outside their ground because he should be an example to other players. His funeral will take place in Leeds on March 1st, Saint David's Day. Apparently the family have requested Swansea council to find them a choir to sing at the funeral. His hurst is also said to be taken through Elland Road where fans will be able to pay their respects. He will then be cremated and his wife has said she wants his ashes to be scattered in Swansea. I got this from my local newspaper and the details aren't finalised as yet.

[glamour-gal]

thanx a lot for posting!

[muffins]

It was confirmed today that virtually what I posted will happen next Monday on Wales' patron saint day.

[muffins]

It was his funeral today. People like Sir Alex Ferguson, Mark Hughes and Jack Charlton were there. It was also announced that the west stand of Elland Road is to be named the John Charles stand.

[glamour-gal]

i kinda like the idea when streets/road are named after famous people!!

good idea!!