Charles Griffiths (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Charles Griffiths

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname =

|birth_date =

| birth_place = Rugby, England

|death_date = 15 May 1936

|death_place = Rugby, England

|height =

|position = Inside-forward

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 =

|clubs1 = Oswestry Olympics

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 =

|clubs2 = Chirk

|caps2 =

|goals2 =

|years3 =

|clubs3 = Oswestry United

|caps3 =

|goals3 =

|years4 =

|clubs4 = St Helens Town

|caps4 =

|goals4 =

|years5 =

|clubs5 = Barnsley

|caps5 =

|goals5 =

|years6 =

|clubs6 = Luton Town

|caps6 =

|goals6 =

|years7 =

|clubs7 = Coventry City

|caps7 =

|goals7 =

|years8 =

|clubs8 = Barrow

|caps8 =

|goals8 =

|years9 = 1907

|clubs9 = Preston North End

|caps9 = 0

|goals9 = 0

|years10 = 1907

|clubs10 = Lincoln City

|caps10 = 1

|goals10 = 0

|years11 =

|clubs11 = Wellington Town

|caps11 =

|goals11 =

|years12 =

|clubs12 = Wrexham

|caps12 =

|goals12 =

|manageryears1 = 1910–1911

|managerclubs1 = Karlsruher FV

|manageryears2 = 1911–1912

|managerclubs2 = Bayern Munich

|manageryears3 = 1912–1914

|managerclubs3 = Stuttgarter Kickers

|manageryears4 = 1920

|managerclubs4 = Belgium

|manageryears5 = 1920–1922

|managerclubs5 = Vitesse Arnhem

|manageryears6 = 1922

|managerclubs6 = Be Quick 1887

|manageryears7 = 1922–1923

|managerclubs7 = Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

|manageryears8 = 1923

|managerclubs8 = Lille

|manageryears9 = 1924

|managerclubs9 = France Olympic

|manageryears10 = 1925

|managerclubs10 = Berchem Sport

|manageryears11 = 1933

|managerclubs11 = Excelsior AC Roubaix

|manageryears12 = 1933–1935

|managerclubs12 = Royale Union Saint-Gilloise

}}

Charles Griffiths (died 15 May 1936) was an English football player and manager. He played in England, and coached in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in the early 20th century.

Playing career

Griffiths was born in Rugby{{cite web|title=Charles Griffiths|url=http://www.kickersarchiv.de/pmwiki.php/Main/GriffithsCharles|publisher=The Kicker Archives|access-date=5 October 2013}} and played as an inside-forward for Luton Town and Barrow before joining Preston North End in 1907.{{cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |year=2004 |publisher=Tony Brown|location=Nottingham |isbn=1-899468-67-6|page=108}} He then made one appearance in the Football League for Lincoln City in 1907.{{cite web|url=http://www.redimps.com/archive3/index.mv?cat=players&drop=playerdetsdrop&play=grif01|title=Profile|access-date=5 September 2013|publisher=Lincoln City Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722083944/http://www.redimps.com/archive3/index.mv?cat=players&drop=playerdetsdrop&play=grif01|archive-date=22 July 2012|url-status=dead}} He also played for Oswestry Olympics, Chirk, Oswestry United, St Helens Town, Barnsley, Coventry City, Wellington Town and Wrexham.{{ENFA}}

Coaching career

In 1910, he worked for Karlsruher FV, during his time with the club, they won the Southern German championship.

In August 1911, he was appointed as the first full-time manager of Bayern Munich, however his time at the club was to last only seven months at the Bavarian club and was dismissed on 6 April 1912. He had however convinced the Bayern board members that a full-time coach was beneficial to the club.{{cite web|title=Klinsmann of 1911|url=http://einestages.spiegel.de/static/topicalbumbackground/1194/der_klinsmann_von_1911.html|publisher=Spiegel|access-date=4 October 2013|language=de|year=2008}}

He would go on to manage Stuttgarter Kickers, he won the Southern German championship during his first season with the club and his second season was curtailed due to the breakout of World War I.

Griffiths was part of the coaching staff for the Belgium national team in 1920 when they won the Olympic Games Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics football tournament.{{cite web|title=Griffiths est dans nos murs|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k55626098|publisher=Le Ballon Rond (Le Figaro)|access-date=4 October 2013|language=fr|date=23 February 1924}}

The same article also suggested that he won a Belgian championship with Royale Union Saint Gilloise in 1923.

He managed Dutch club side Vitesse Arnhem between 1920 and 1922{{cite web|url=http://www.vitesse.org/historie/trainers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620043620/http://vitesse.org/historie/trainers.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 June 2010|title=Vitesse-trainers vanaf 1914|language=nl|publisher=Vitesse}} and Be Quick in the 1922 Championship play-off.[https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMGAZS02:001084008:00001 Page 7 In verband met de trainer-kwestie]

In September 1923, he joined Olympique Lillois.

In February 1924, he was appointed as the head coach for the France national team. He was in what was described as a 'federal' position and the team was selected by committee.

He was appointed as manager at Belgian club side Berchem Sport in 1925.{{cite web|title=Geschiedenis|url=http://www.berchem-sport.com/geschiedenis.html|publisher=Berchem Sport|access-date=4 October 2013|language=nl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731232016/http://berchem-sport.com/geschiedenis.html|archive-date=31 July 2013}}

He won the Coupe de France in 1933 whilst manager at Excelsior AC Roubaix, but he soon moved on, returning to his former club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. During his second spell at Union SG, he won the league in three consecutive seasons 1933–1935.{{cite web|title=Brève(s)|date=27 July 2011|url=http://www.dhnet.be/archive/breves-51b7e383e4b0de6db994c999|publisher=dhnet.be|access-date=4 October 2013|language=fr|format=27 July 2011}}

Griffiths died in a hospital in Rugby on 15 May 1936.[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4765208p/f5.item] Le Grand echo du Nord de la France 19 May 1936, Charles Griffiths est mort!

Honours

Karlsruhe FV

Southern German championship: 1911{{cite web|url=https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/platform/amp/2019/9/15/20856882/bayern-munich-history-first-coach-manager-charles-griffiths-england-english | date=15 September 2019 |title=Charles Griffiths: Bayern Munich's first full-time manager| work=Bavarian Football Works}}

Stuttgart Kickers

Southern German championship: 1913

RU Saint-Gilloise

Belgian First Division: 1922–23, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35{{cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/l-union-saint-gilloise-etait-l-anderlecht-de-l-avant-guerre-10716906 | date=12 March 2021 |title=Union Saint-Gilloise was Anderlecht before the war | publisher=RTBF | language = fr }}