Charlie Nicklas
{{Short description|English footballer (1930–2018)}}
{{distinguish|Charlie Nicholas}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{use British English|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Charlie Nicklas
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1930|4|26|df=y}}
|birth_place = Sunderland, England
|death_date = {{death date and age|2018|7|26|1930|4|26|df=y}}
|death_place = Sunderland, England
|height = {{height|ft=5|in=8+1/2}}
|position = Centre forward
|youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 =
|years1 = 1950 |clubs1 = Silksworth Colliery Welfare
|years2 = 1950–1953 |clubs2 = Hull City |caps2 = 6 |goals2 = 1
|years3 = 1953–1954 |clubs3 = Darlington |caps3 = 17 |goals3 = 6
|years4 = 1954–1955 |clubs4 = Headington United |caps4 = 13 |goals4 = 4
}}
Charles Nicklas (26 April 1930 – 26 July 2018) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Hull City and Darlington. Before joining Hull, Nicklas played non-league football for Silksworth Colliery Welfare, and after leaving Darlington he played in the Southern League for Headington United.{{cite book |editor-first=Barry J. |editor-last=Hugman |title=The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998 |date=1998 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |isbn=978-1-85291-585-8 |page=405}}{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player5/charlienicklas.html |title=Charlie Nicklas |work=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=5 October 2014}}
Life and career
Nicklas was born in 1930 in Sunderland, which was then in County Durham. He played as a wing half before what the Sunderland Echo described as a promising career was interrupted by National Service in the Royal Air Force.{{cite news |title=Trevor Ford takes over again |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=2 November 1951 |page=13}} He began playing for Wearside League club Silksworth Colliery Welfare at the start of the 1950–51 season,{{cite news |title=Dawdon ring changes |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=25 August 1950 |page=12}} but soon went on trial with Football League Second Division club Hull City, and turned professional with that club in December 1950.{{cite news |title=City's young wing-half |newspaper=Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=13 December 1950 |page=6}}
He made his first-team debut a year later, on 27 October 1951, playing in the unaccustomed position of centre forward; although he had played a few reserve matches in that position, the Yorkshire Post doubted that "a home match against a team playing as strongly as Rotherham United are just now is the ideal occasion" for a youngster's debut.{{cite news |title=More bold moves by team selectors |first=Richard |last=Ulyatt |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=27 October 1951 |page=11}} Rotherham took a three-goal lead, but Hull came back to draw, and Nicklas scored their opener: he "had his faults, but dash, speed and courage were not among them. He harassed [the goalkeeper] into a goal offering and accepted it with glee".{{cite news |title=Great day for the newcomers |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=29 October 1951 |page=3}} He was known for his pace, having competed in professional sprint races. Nicklas played five more matches for Hull, the last of which was on 22 March 1952.{{cite web |url=http://tigerbase.hullcity.com/tigers-players.php |title=Players |website=TigerBase |publisher=Matt Wales |accessdate=19 January 2021}}
Nicklas stayed with the club until the end of the following season, when he moved on to Darlington of the Third Division North. He scored six goals from seventeen league matches for Darlington, and spent the 1954–55 season with Headington United in the Southern League, scoring four goals from fourteen matches in all competitions.{{cite web |url=http://www.rageonline.co.uk/mainpage/player/570/ |title=Charlie Nicklas |website=Rage Online |accessdate=19 January 2021}}
Nicklas, a nephew of Sunderland and Fulham player Barney Travers, died in his native Sunderland in 2018 at the age of 88.{{Hugman|14610|access-date=19 January 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicklas, Charlie}}
Category:Footballers from Sunderland
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Silksworth Colliery Welfare F.C. players
Category:Hull City A.F.C. players
Category:Darlington F.C. players
Category:Oxford United F.C. players
Category:English Football League players