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Page Last Updated 14 September 2011
 
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Charlie Athersmith

Aston Villa FC

 12 caps, 3 goals

P 12 W 9 D 1 L 2 F 43: A 13
79% successful
 1892-1900

disciplined: none
captaincies: none
minutes played: 1080

Profile
Full name William Charles Athersmith Harper
Born 10 May 1872 in Bloxwich, Staffordshire [no registration for Athersmith found. However, a registration is found for William Charles Athersmith Harper is found in Walsall, June 1872]

Notes

 New and enlightened information provided by Chris French has proven that Charlie Athersmith has in fact, another surname, Harper, and this was dropped at some point.

Census Note

According to the 1881 census, W C A Harper, the only child to Isaac and Mary Jane (née Wootton), is living with his mother, Mary J, and his step-father, Charles Perry.  These in turn, live with the Wootton's at a public house at 6A, 7 & 8 The Green in Walsall. Charles and Mary Jane with three children of their own, William's half-siblings. Charles is a stirrup flier.

According to the 1891 census, Charles Athersmith is an office clerk lodging at 30 Cattell Road, Aston, with the Baggott's, his future in-laws.

According to the 1901 census, Athersmith, along with seven other footballers, is visiting Blackpool, for they are staying at the Station Hotel on Talbot Road.
His family home was at 37 Carlton Road in Aston, where his wife, Elizabeth and daughter, Eveline M[arie], and one servant were living.

Following his death, according to the 1911 census, Elizabeth Athersmith and her daughter, Marie, are living at 27 Wyndcliff Road in Aston, along with her father and uncle. 
Family History Notes Athersmith is absolutely certainly a Harper. In early reports, he is known for being a cousin of Vic Wright. The Family Tree reveals that a first cousin of William Harper, is in fact, Vic Wright, born in Bloxwich, 1909. The only mystery then, is why, and how, did William Harper become Charlie Athersmith.
Married to Elizabeth Baggott, 1 January 1893 [registered in Aston, March 1893] occupation registered as clerk. Elizabeth was a British subject born in Cincinatti, USA.
Died 18 September 1910 at Victoria Villas, Station Hill, Oaken Gates, Shifnal, aged 38 years, 131 days. [registered in Shifnal, Shropshire, September 1910]. Address stated The Royal George, Evesham Street in Redditch.
Height/Weight 5' 8½", 11st  [1895]

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & Patrick Talbot's White Shirt, Black Country [2004].

Club Career
Club(s) Played for Bloxwich Wanderers FC when he was only 12 years-old, as well as Bloxwich Strollers.  Played with the Unity Gas Depot in Saltley before joining Aston Villa FC in February 1891 (308 appearances, 85 goals).  Joined Small Heath FC in September 1901 until 1905 (106 appearances, 13 goals). 
Club honours Football League Champions 1893-94, 1895-96, 1896-97, 1898-99, 1899-1900; FA Cup Winner 1894-95, 1896-97, runners-up 1891-92;
Individual honours Football League (nine appearances, four goals)
Distinctions None

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & Patrick Talbot's White Shirt, Black Country [2004].

England Career
Player number 195th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-right
First match No. 44, 5 March 1892, Ireland 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Solitude Ground, Belfast, aged 19 years 301 days.
Last match No. 70, 7 April 1900, Scotland 4 England 1, a British Championship match at Parkhead Glasgow, aged 27 years 333 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1891-92, 1896-97, 1897-98, 1898-99, 1899-1900;
Team honours British Championship winners 1891-92, 1897-98, 1898-99;
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Beyond England

Regarded as a player with pace, this came from track experience - he had run both as an amateur and professionally with some success, in an unusual variety of distances from 100 yards to a mile.  Spent two seasons with Grimsby Town FC as a trainer between June 1907 and May 1909. Died a little over a year later. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.15/16

 

Charlie Athersmith - Career Statistics
Squads Apps Comp.
Apps		 Mins. Goals Gls Av. min Comp.
Goals		 Capt. Disc.
12 12 12 1080 3 360 min 3 None None
Due to the fact that many matches rarely stuck to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries, errors and substitutions.  The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.

 

Charlie Athersmith - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
Home 6 5 0 1 30 5 +25 0 3 5.00 0.167 83.3 +4
Away 6 4 1 1 13 8 +2 0 2 2.167 1.333 75.0 +3
All - British Championship 12 9 1 2 43 13 +30 0 5 3.583 1.083 79.2 +7

 

Charlie Athersmith - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championships Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1891-92 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1896-97 3 2 0 1 11 2 +9 0 2 3.667 0.667 66.7 +1
BC 1897-98 3 3 0 0 9 3 +6 0 1 3.00 1.00 100.0 +3
BC 1898-99 3 3 0 0 19 3 +16 0 1 6.333 1.00 100.0 +3
BC 1899-1900 2 0 1 1 2 5 -3 0 0 1.00 2.50 25.0 -1
BC All 12 9 1 2 43 13 +30 0 5 3.583 1.083 79.2 +7
All Tournaments
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 12 9 1 2 43 13 +30 0 5 3.583 1.083 79.2 +7
All 12 9 1 2 43 13 +30 0 5 3.583 1.083 79.2 +7

 

Charlie Athersmith - Match History
 Clubs: Aston Villa F.C. - 12 full caps

Coach: F.A. Select Committee - 12 full capsx

Age 19
1 44 5 March 1892 - Ireland 0 England 2, Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC AW Start or
Age 24
2 59 20 February 1897 - England 6 Ireland 0, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham BC HW Start nk or
3 60 29 March 1897 - England 4 Wales 0, Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield HW Start or
4 61 3 April 1897 - England 1 Scotland 2, The Crystal Palace, Sydenham Hill HL Start or
Age 25
5 62 5 March 1898 - Ireland 2 England 3, Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC AW Start 42 or
6 63 28 March 1898 - Wales 0 England 3, The Racecourse, Mold Road, Wrexham AW Start or
7 64 2 April 1898 - Scotland 1 England 3, Parkhead, Glasgow AW Start or
Age 26
8 65 18 February 1899 - England 13 Ireland 2, Roker Park, Sunderland BC HW Start nk or
9 66 20 March 1899 - England 4 Wales 0, Ashton Gate, Bristol HW Start or
10 67 8 April 1899 - England 2 Scotland 1, Villa Park, Birmingham HW Start or
Age 27
11 69 26 March 1900 - Wales 1 England 1, Arms Park, Cardiff BC AD Start or
12 70 7 April 1900 - Scotland 4 England 1, Parkhead, Glasgow AL Start or

Notes

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CG