Huddersfield Town soccer hero's medals in auction

May 12 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HE was a hero of the skies in World War I.

And to Huddersfield Town fans, Charlie Wilson became another type of hero.

His 57 Football league goals in just 99 games helped the club become the top team in the country.

Town, under Herbert Chapman, won the Football League three times in a row in the early 1920s.

Now Charlie Wilson’s football past is to come up for auction – and two of his Town Championship medals are included in the auction.

The collection of medals awarded to Wilson for his achievements both on and off the pitch looks set to be the star lot at Staffordshire auction house Cuttlestones’ May 30 Fine Art sale.

Charlie Wilson was born in the Derbyshire town of Atherstone in 1895 and, in addition to making his mark on the football field, was a decorated war hero.

After surviving the first world war as an RAF bomber pilot, Charlie signed for Tottenham Hotspur, helping them to Division II success with 27 goals before reaching the pinnacle of English football by being a key player in Herbert Chapman’s 1920s Huddersfield Town side.

Charlie’s 1923 and 1924 winners’ medals will be coming under the hammer along with a host of the player’s other awards.

He finished his career at Stoke city where he was again successful, this time helping them to the Division III Northern title.