Charlie Nicklas
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Nicklas[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 April 1930[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1950 | Silksworth Colliery Welfare | ||
| 1950–1953 | Hull City | 6 | (1) |
| 1953–1954 | Darlington | 17 | (6) |
| 1954–1955 | Headington United | 13 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Charles Nicklas (born 26 April 1930) is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Hull City and Darlington. Before joining Hull, Nicklas played non-league football for Silksworth Colliery Welfare, and after leaving Darlington he played in the Southern League for Headington United.[1][3]
Life and career
Nicklas was born in Sunderland, which was then in County Durham.[1] He played as a wing half before what the Sunderland Echo described as a promising career was interrupted by National Service in the Royal Air Force.[2] He began playing for Wearside League club Silksworth Colliery Welfare at the start of the 1950–51 season,[4] but soon went on trial with Football League Second Division club Hull City, and turned professional with that club in December 1950.[5]
He made his first-team debut a year later, on 27 October 1951, playing in the unaccustomed position of centre forward; although he had played a few reserve matches in that position, the Yorkshire Post doubted that "a home match against a team playing as strongly as Rotherham United are just now is the ideal occasion" for a youngster's debut.[6] Rotherham took a three-goal lead, but Hull came back to draw, and Nicklas scored their opener: he "had his faults, but dash, speed and courage were not among them. He harassed [the goalkeeper] into a goal offering and accepted it with glee".[7] He was known for his pace, having competed in professional sprint races.[2] Nicklas played five more matches for Hull, the last of which was on 22 March 1952.[8]
Nicklas stayed with the club until the end of the following season, when he moved on to Darlington of the Third Division North.[1] He scored six goals from seventeen league matches for Darlington,[1] and spent the 1954–55 season with Headington United in the Southern League, scoring four goals from fourteen matches in all competitions.[9]
Nicklas is the nephew of Sunderland and Fulham player Barney Travers.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 405. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
- ^ a b c d "Trevor Ford takes over again". Sunderland Echo. 2 November 1951. p. 13 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Charlie Nicklas". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
- ^ "Dawdon ring changes". Sunderland Echo. 25 August 1950. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "City's young wing-half". Daily Mail. Hull. 13 December 1950. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Ulyatt, Richard (27 October 1951). "More bold moves by team selectors". Yorkshire Post. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Great day for the newcomers". Yorkshire Post. 29 October 1951. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Players". TigerBase. Matt Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ "Charlie Nicklas". Rage Online. Retrieved 6 October 2014.