Charlie Billington

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When did Michael Turner become the worst player in Norwich's history?

It was only a month or so ago that people were saying hit was between him and Tettey for player of the season.

Edit: I see this post is from 2012...
 
1950canary said:
Thank you along with others who picked up on the points I was making. Is facing a season of fighting relegation from the best league in the world knowing that if the worst happens you go down with a good squad, good Manager, no debts and millions in parachute payments doom and gloom - no! Being bottom of the lowest league with no money, awful players and days away from going out of existence - thats doom and gloom!! All players go through bad spells but most of our players in the mid 50's were just awful - which is why they were playing for the team at the bottom of the lowest league. It is no exageration to say that the likes of Charlie Billington and Cameron Buchanan wouldn't today get in the first team at Yarmouth - that is what you call a bad player. My Grandad first took me to Carrow Road in 1950. When he first started supporting City they played at Newmarket Road against the likes of Lowestoft and Kings Lynn before we got into the Football League and played at the Nest. We stayed in the lowest league until 1960 when we were promoted to what is now the Championship. My Grandad was then 70 and couldn't believe that he was going to see football at that high level for the first time in his life.
He stopped going in 1962 but did live long enough to see City promoted to the top league in 1972 - he was so proud of his Club that he was in tears the day after City beat Leyton Orient to get promotion. To the end he never wore any scarf in winter except his yellow and green one. That is where our Club came from and what our Club was built on. What we have had in the last 40 years has been wonderful but if people assume that we have always been a top Championship/lower Premiership club they are so wrong. If you had told me in 1957 that in my lifetime I would be watching the likes of Van Persie, Joe Hart, Steven Gerrard etc I would have called for the men in white coats as my Grandad would if you had told him that as he stood on the touchline at Newmarket Road.
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<applause> excellent post 1950!

It certainly brings into stark contrast the fortunes of both of the East Anglian clubs since those times. What was your earliest memory of the Old Farm Derby and what was the rivalry like between our two clubs back in the 50s and 60s? It would be interesting to read your take!
 
Andy Hughes, he was an absolute stinker of a player.

Stood out like a sore thumb even when in a struggling team.
 
I nearly forgot.


Gary Doherty, no player did more damage to this club over such a long period than him.
 
NZ-Tony said:
I came across this comment on Charlie Billington when checking through a "Where Are They Now?" Google search. Charlie was transferred from Norwich to Watford at the beginning of the 1957/58 Season and was appointed captain for our first game at Bournemouth. Watford lost 2-1 and Charlie was sent off. As 1950canary correctly states Charlie was unbelievably slow with very little talent, but "being too short" never. My first impression of him at Vicarage was to be amazed how big he was - he towered above everyone on the pitch. Unfortunately in the Watford Team photo of '57/58 he was seated (he only lasted one season) but the Aldershot Achieves have several photos of him and one caption refers to him as "the Shots giant centre half". It is strange how the memory can play tricks as the years pass by, but I'm sure my recollection of Charlie Billington is correct - he was a big man! (see photo link below)

http://www.mselliott.plus.com/Shots Team 50-1.html
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As you say - memory can play tricks. To be fair when Charlie played for us I was only 10 or 11 but I cannot forget how bad he was!!!
 
I came across 150canary's comment on Charlie Billington following a search for former Watford players. At the age of 30, Charlie was well passed his best when he was transferred from Norwich to Watford in 1957. Charlie only made 14 appearances for Watford (initially as captain) and his career was virtually over by Christmas. As described by 1950canary, he certainly was slow, but could never be considered as too short. He cut a commanding figure when I first was him at Vicarage Road; an enormous man, towering above every other player - can't find any statistics but I would guess he was at least 6' 4". As can be seen from the attached Aldershot Team photo of 1950, Charlie was no midget!
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johnnywarksmoustache said:
<applause> excellent post 1950!

It certainly brings into stark contrast the fortunes of both of the East Anglian clubs since those times. What was your earliest memory of the Old Farm Derby and what was the rivalry like between our two clubs back in the 50s and 60s? It would be interesting to read your take!
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Sorry Warky but I missed this at the time. The rivalry was always as fierce as it is now but I can't recall too much violence in those days despite there being no segregation of supporters. The only time I can remember it kicking off was a game at Portman Road - I am sure it was Boxing Day - where the goal at the end we defended in the first half was an ice-rink. Our GK was sliding all over the place but nothing was done but at half time out comes the groundsman with sand and salt etc. A few of our supporters behind that goal ran on the pitch - groundsman went one way his bucket went flying the other - a PC running to protect the groundsman slipped over and broke his ankle and it kicked off in several sections of the ground. As a generalisation you were far better than us in the 50's and 60's, there were spells when you were in Divisions above us and when our paths did cross you won more often than not. Happy days eh Warky!!!
 
NZ-Tony said:
I came across 150canary's comment on Charlie Billington following a search for former Watford players. At the age of 30, Charlie was well passed his best when he was transferred from Norwich to Watford in 1957. Charlie only made 14 appearances for Watford (initially as captain) and his career was virtually over by Christmas. As described by 1950canary, he certainly was slow, but could never be considered as too short. He cut a commanding figure when I first was him at Vicarage Road; an enormous man, towering above every other player - can't find any statistics but I would guess he was at least 6' 4". As can be seen from the attached Aldershot Team photo of 1950, Charlie was no midget!
You must log in or register to see images
Click to expand...

As I pointed out I was only 10 or 11 at the time and all I could really recall was that he was dreadfully slow and often beaten in the air which I, mistakenly, put down to lack of height. Obviously he was too slow in getting to the ball. What is more surprising is that I did find the professional record of Cameron Buchanan who I maintained was a far worse player than Charlie. In 15 years as a professional he played for 4 Clubs but only made a total of 86 appearances including 3 for Norwich. How bad can a player be to be remembered for 3 games 58 years later by a person who was only 11 at the time. Nobody with that lack of talent nowadays would get further than Eaton Park!!
 
1950canary said:
Sorry Warky but I missed this at the time. The rivalry was always as fierce as it is now but I can't recall too much violence in those days despite there being no segregation of supporters. The only time I can remember it kicking off was a game at Portman Road - I am sure it was Boxing Day - where the goal at the end we defended in the first half was an ice-rink. Our GK was sliding all over the place but nothing was done but at half time out comes the groundsman with sand and salt etc. A few of our supporters behind that goal ran on the pitch - groundsman went one way his bucket went flying the other - a PC running to protect the groundsman slipped over and broke his ankle and it kicked off in several sections of the ground. As a generalisation you were far better than us in the 50's and 60's, there were spells when you were in Divisions above us and when our paths did cross you won more often than not. Happy days eh Warky!!!
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Ray Crawford in his autobiography "Return of the Jungle Boy" mentions a cup tie between us I think in the late 50's up at Carrow Road. He writes that when the team bus was just a mile or so from your ground, all he could see as he looked outside the window, were loads of Norwich supporters holding up Coffins with the words Ipswich Town RIP! It had a terrific galvanizing effect on the team apparently and we ended up winning the match 2-1! I don't go that far back and I guess I'm a real young'un as my first experience of watching an EA Derby was at Portman Road in August 1972 and you bastards won! Jimmy Bone? I think scored both your goals? Anyhoo happy memories!
 
You've got me there Warky as I can't remember playing you in the Cup in the 50's. I can remember a Cup match in the early 60's where we drew at Carrow Road and then, amazingly, won the replay either 2-0 or 2-1 but that is the only Cup match I can remember before the later League Cup clashes.
 
Your absolutely right - on reflection, it is amazing to think that clubs like Norwich and Watford could afford to hold on to players with such little talent. I suppose many of them were there simply as permanent reserve team players. (Again, apologies for repeating myself).
 
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