Bob Charles was the son of a goalkeeper who had worked with Ted Bates at Folland Aircraft during the War and had occasionally got a game in the Folland’s side that boasted so many professional guests. Bob progressed rapidly, as a teenager, to play for the Saints, under Bates. Having kept goal for the Southampton side that won the English Schools Trophy in 1957, he then won England schoolboy honors and was in the same England youth team as Nobby Stiles and Geoff Hurst (see scrapbook section).

And his promotion from the Reserves to the first team was even more spectacular than that of Terry Paine. On Saturday 26 September 1959, the 17-year-old made his debut for the Reserves.

Come the Monday, he was in the first team at Shrewsbury (see scrapbook section for match report). Even Paine had a week between those two career-stages. Having thus become the youngest ’keeper in the Football League, Charles kept his place – until top-of-the-table Southampton suffered two hefty defeats just before the transfer deadline. Bates hurried to sign the experienced Ron Reynolds for the run-in to Third Division championship, but Bob’s 24-match run was sufficient to earn him a medal. Yet within a year, a career which had promised so much was over.

The reason for his decline was a loss of discipline leading to a tendency to put on weight and a badly broken elbow sustained after he joined Weymouth. Bob then remained in Southampton and ran a car sales business in Portswood for a time although he also spent 20 years as a Southampton Docker.  He was a larger than life character and one best expressed by the following eulogy read out at his funeral which was compiled by the Channon family.  

A tribute to Bob Charles, Southampton’s Rough Diamond Things get harder as we grow older. Especially when those who we never expect to leave us to go. If you are a Southampton ‘Mush’ or a ‘Nipper’ of a certain vintage, you may well know about a character who defined the word ‘banter’ and threw away the rulebook when it came to decorum. Bob Charles was a Southampton lad who was born in Bursledon in 1941 and died on Friday. Those are the facts of the matter, but if you knew the man, he’s fondly remembered by his two best mates here; Phil and Mick Channon.

Their first thoughts are extended towards his long-suffering and devoted wife Maureen. This isn’t a sad, or miserable tale of a man who has left us too soon – although he did. Bob Charles was a person who everyone will remember with a smile. From his prodigious appearances as England’s Youth team goalkeeper and room-mate of Nobby Stiles to his following incantations as a Docker and then a second-hand car dealer, he remained an all-round banter merchant and a joy to know. Bob was a rough diamond, full of verve and full of opinion. No wonder he had the two Channon brothers got on so well. Bob was their Big Brother. He wasn’t the sort of older sibling who commanded their respect mind you. He was the one who they took the **** out of mercilessly. Between the years 1965 and 2014 to be precise. As a goalkeeper for Southampton, Bob watched on in 1960 as Saints, a third division side, dismantled Manchester City 5-1 in a famous FA Cup-tie at Maine Rd with Bert Trautmann in the opposition’s goal. Although the great Trautmann’s dignity in congratulating Bob on their victory after the final whistle lived with the then 18-year-old until the end of his days, other people’s affections for Bob Charles will endure for longer.

Mick takes up the tale. “I first saw Bob Charles when I went to The Dell to watch Saints with my Dad. As a kid, I only ever watched Derek Reeves and Terry Paine to be honest. They were my idols, but all us Saints fans wanted to watch were goals! 5-4, 4-3, 3-2 – Reeves always scored at least two and I never watched the goalie. As long as we saw goals, that’s all I can remember caring about, but we all heard about the Cup win at City, it was Southampton’s biggest boast back then. Bob was in a team who went forward, not back, and we’d come all the way from Salisbury Plain, so I never watched him closely. Bob was an old arse when I first met him a few years later. He’d have been 25 at least! I was in digs with Tommy Traynor, a superman. He was a devout Catholic, loved his family and looked after me superbly. To cut a long story short, Bob had broken his arm and his career ended abruptly at Weymouth and I ended up moving into digs with him because he was a Docker with Tommy once they’d finished at The Dell. We were almost in the same age bracket me and Bob, and although Tommy was very much a mentor in terms of discipline and guidance, I was on almost £10 a week, so I and Bob moved in together and had some right laughs – as young lads do. That was when Phil came into the picture. He’s four years younger than me and nine years than Bob but they had a special relationship. Phil absolutely slaughtered him. I can’t remember a day when Bob wasn’t hammered by Phil. I used to take the **** out of the lads in the dressing room, but Phil murdered Bob for the next 40 years” Phil Channon now takes up the story “The first time I saw Bob, he was lying on the sofa in the digs he shared with Mick, almost completely naked. You don’t forget that sort of moment. From then on, we were like brothers. Bob was the competitive one, always buying, selling, bargaining, scheming.  Sometimes, with us as well. My kids were all supplied with cars from ‘Sandhurst Motors’ and I know Mick’s were as well. Some of them didn’t break down for a week or two and some of them even had MOT certificates. Bob loved coming on our shoot days up to West Ilsley in the later years – I and Neil used to take the **** something rotten but they are days I will never forget. So much fun. Such a great lad. The hub of our humor. For the last 20 years at 7 o’clock every Sunday morning, he’d be around my house in Bishop’s Waltham – moaning, whinging, complaining about this, that or the other. The fruit and veg stock went by-the-by on them occasions, although he still took a box load of Hyland’s produce back to Maureen once he’s finished grumbling. I’ll miss those Sundays we had together – a cup of tea and a moan with my mate. I swear Maureen deserves a medal”.

Bob Charles was a legend indeed. The Channon family has lost a special friend, someone who each and every one of us will never forget. Grandma, Jane, Mick, Jill, Phil, Liz, Nicky, Michael, Ruth, Neil, Amber, Jack, India and all of the kids offer their love and support to Maureen, Marc and Linda and the whole Charles family who congregate every Boxing Day at the top of Hill Lane – Bob’s Birthday was always good fun. We have a two-year-old for this season: We’ve called it ‘Honest Bob’. Well when you’re writing something poignant about Bob Charles, you’ve got to take the **** haven’t you?