| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles John Drinkwater[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1914-07-25)25 July 1914 | ||
| Place of birth | Willesden, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 April 1998(1998-04-08) (aged 83)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Denham, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.64 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1932–1933 | Hampstead | 0 | (0) |
| 1933 | Northfleet United | ||
| 1933–1934 | Golders Green | 24 | (7) |
| 1934 | Brentford | 0 | (0) |
| 1934–1935 | Golders Green | 23 | (8) |
| 1935 | Walthamstow Avenue | ||
| 1935–1938 | Aston Villa | 2 | (1) |
| 1938–1939 | Charlton Athletic | 3 | (0) |
| 1941 | Watford | 0 | (0) |
| 1944–1947 | Watford | 1 | (0) |
| 1951–1953 | Ruislip Manor | ||
| International career | |||
| England Juniors | 1 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1951–1953 | Ruislip Manor (player-manager) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Charles John Drinkwater (25 July 1914 – 8 April 1998) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Aston Villa, Charlton Athletic and Watford as an outside left. He later served Ruislip Manorasplayer-manager.
Drinkwater began his career at Athenian League club Hampstead in 1932 and failed to make an appearance before moving to Northfleet United in March 1933.[3] He returned to Hampstead shortly afterwards and made his debut for the club in the penultimate game of the 1932–33 season, a 4–1 victory over Uxbridge Town.[4] Drinkwater remained with Hampstead (then renamed Golders Green) for the 1933–34 season and scored his first goal for the club in the opening game of the season, a 2–1 defeat to Walthamstow Avenue.[5] He scored 10 goals in 36 appearances during the campaign and helped the Greens to a third-place finish in the league.[6][7]
Drinkwater's form earned him a move to Second Division club Brentford as an amateur in June 1934,[3] but he failed to make an appearance for the first team and returned to Golders Green for the start of the 1934–35 season.[4] Drinkwater moved to fellow Athenian League club Walthamstow Avenue before the end of the season.[8][9]
Drinkwater received another chance at League football when he signed for First Division club Aston Villa as an amateur in August 1935.[9] He signed a professional contract October that year.[9] Drinkwater's professional debut came in a league match versus Chelsea on 16 November 1935.[10] He instantly made a name for himself when he scored within three minutes of the kick-off.[11] The Straits Times reported that Drinkwater "trapped a centre with the coolness of a veteran, steadied himself and drove the ball into the net".[12] After one further appearance,[10] he joined First Division club Charlton Athletic in July 1938, but made just three appearances before being released during the 1939 off-season.[3]
The breakout of the Second World War halted competitive football until 1946, but Drinkwater signed for Watford during the war.[3] His war service took him away from the club, but he re-signed in October 1944 and was an ever-present during the 1945–46 season, when an enlarged FA Cup programme was played.[3] When competitive league play returned, Drinkwater made just one appearance during Watford's 1946–47 Third Division South season and he left Vicarage Road at the end of the campaign.[3]
After a spell training and coaching Pinner, Drinkwater resumed his playing career in April 1951, when he joined London League club Ruislip Manorasplayer-manager.[3] He achieved a runners-up finish in the 1952–53 season and left the club in October 1953.[3][13]
Burns made appearances for touring team Middlesex Wanderers in 1935.[14]
Drinkwater won one cap for England Juniors in 1935.[3]
During the Second World War, Drinkwater served in the Royal Navy as a Physical Training Instructor.[3] After the war, he worked at Mount Vernon Hospital as a remedial gymnast for 30 years.[3]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Golders Green | 1932–33[6] | Athenian League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 1933–34[6] | 23 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12[a] | 2 | 36 | 10 | ||
| Total | 24 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 37 | 10 | ||
| Golders Green | 1934–35[6] | Athenian League | 23 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 11[b] | 3 | 37 | 12 |
| 1935–36[6] | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | |||
| Total | 50 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 78 | 26 | ||
| Aston Villa | 1935–36[10] | First Division | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| Watford | 1945–46[15] | — | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 1946–47[15] | Third Division South | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 53 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 83 | 25 | ||
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