Charles Griffiths (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1878 | ||
| Place of birth | Oswestry, England | ||
| Date of death | 15 May 1936 (aged 57–58) | ||
| Place of death | Rugby, England | ||
| Position(s) | Inside-forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Oswestry Olympics | |||
| Chirk | |||
| Oswestry United | |||
| St Helens Town | |||
| Barnsley | |||
| Luton Town | |||
| Coventry City | |||
| Barrow | |||
| 1907 | Preston North End | 0 | (0) |
| 1907 | Lincoln City | 1 | (0) |
| Wellington Town | |||
| Wrexham | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1910–1911 | Karlsruher FV | ||
| 1911–1912 | Bayern Munich | ||
| 1912–1914 | Stuttgarter Kickers | ||
| 1920 | Belgium | ||
| 1920–1922 | Vitesse Arnhem | ||
| 1922 | Be Quick 1887 | ||
| 1922–1923 | Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | ||
| 1923 | Lille | ||
| 1924 | France Olympic | ||
| 1925 | Berchem Sport | ||
| 1933 | Excelsior AC Roubaix | ||
| 1933–1936 | Royale Union Saint-Gilloise | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Charles Griffiths (1878 – 15 May 1936) was an English football player and coach. He played in England, and coached in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in the early 20th century.
Early life
Griffiths was born in Oswestry to a Welsh father and an English mother.[1]
Playing career
Griffiths played as an inside-forward for Luton Town and Barrow before joining Preston North End in 1907.[2] He then made one appearance in the Football League for Lincoln City in 1907.[3] He also played for Oswestry Olympics, Chirk, Oswestry United, St Helens Town, Barnsley, Coventry City, Wellington Town and Wrexham.[4][5]
He was temporarily banned from playing in 1899 for "taking part in a six-a-side and other illegal competitions."[1]
Coaching career
In 1910, he worked for Karlsruher FV.
In August 1911, he was appointed as the first full-time manager of Bayern Munich, however his time at the club was to last only seven months at the Bavarian club and was dismissed on 6 April 1912. He had however convinced the Bayern board members that a full-time coach was beneficial to the club.[6]
He would go on to manage Stuttgarter Kickers, he won the Southern German championship during his first season with the club and his second season was curtailed due to the breakout of World War I.[7]
Griffiths was part of the coaching staff for the Belgium national team in 1920 when they won the Olympic Games Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics football tournament.[8]
He managed Dutch club side Vitesse Arnhem between 1920 and 1922[9] and Be Quick in the 1922 Championship play-off.[10]
In September 1923, he joined Olympique Lillois.
In February 1924, he was appointed as the head coach for the France national team.[8]
He was appointed as manager at Belgian club side Berchem Sport in 1925.[11]
He won the Coupe de France in 1933 whilst manager at Excelsior AC Roubaix. He eturned to his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, and won the league in three consecutive seasons from 1933 to 1935.[12]
He retired in February 1936 due to ill health.[1]
Later life and death
Griffiths died in a hospital in Rugby on 15 May 1936.[13]
Honours
Karlsruhe FV
Stuttgart Kickers
RU Saint-Gilloise
References
- ^ a b c Mansfield, Mark (30 March 2024). "The forgotten story of the revolutionary Welsh manager and 'eternal marvel' of Belgian football".
- ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 108. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ^ "Profile". Lincoln City Archive. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ Charles Griffiths at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ "Charles Griffiths | Player Statistics | Wrexham (Wrexham AFC Archive)". www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk.
- ^ "Klinsmann of 1911" (in German). Spiegel. 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "Charles Griffiths". The Kicker Archives. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Griffiths est dans nos murs" (in French). Le Ballon Rond (Le Figaro). 23 February 1924. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "Vitesse-trainers vanaf 1914" (in Dutch). Vitesse. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010.
- ^ "Algemeen sportblad; officieel orgaan van de Noord-Hollandsche Voetbalbond, Noord-Hollandsche Korfbalbond, Noord-Hollandsche Athletiekbond, Zaansche Turnkring, Z.F.C. en tal van andere sportvereenigingen, jrg 7, 1922-1923, no. 8, 22-06-1922". 22 June 1922 – via Koninklijke Bibliotheek.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Geschiedenis" (in Dutch). Berchem Sport. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ "Brève(s)" (27 July 2011) (in French). dhnet.be. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ^ [1] Le Grand echo du Nord de la France 19 May 1936, Charles Griffiths est mort!
- ^ a b "Charles Griffiths: Bayern Munich's first full-time manager". Bavarian Football Works. 15 September 2019.
- ^ "Union Saint-Gilloise was Anderlecht before the war" (in French). RTBF. 12 March 2021.
