Charlie Oatway

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Charlie Oatway

| image = Charlie Oatway.JPG

| caption = Oatway in 2011

| fullname = Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway{{cite book

| last = Hugman

| first = Barry J.

| title = The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005

| publisher = Queen Anne Press

| year = 2005

| page = 463

| isbn = 1-85291-665-6 }}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|11|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hammersmith, England

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| years1 = 1993–1994

| years2 = 1994–1995

| years3 = 1995–1997

| years4 = 1997–1999

| years5 = 1998

| years6 = 1999–2007

| years7 = 2007–2009

| clubs1 = Yeading

| clubs2 = Cardiff City

| clubs3 = Torquay United

| clubs4 = Brentford

| clubs5 = → Lincoln City (loan)

| clubs6 = Brighton & Hove Albion

| clubs7 = Havant & Waterlooville

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 32

| caps3 = 67

| caps4 = 57

| caps5 = 3

| caps6 = 224

| caps7 = 6

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 1

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 8

| goals7 = 0

| totalcaps = 389

| totalgoals = 9

}}

Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway (born 28 November 1973), known as Charlie Oatway, is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Oatway retired from the professional game in August 2007. He was assistant manager and a player at Havant & Waterlooville but departed the club in June 2009. He is currently assistant manager at Eastbourne Borough, having previously been an analyst with Shanghai Shenhua, continuing his integral role within Gus Poyet's management team having previously worked with him at Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland, AEK Athens and Real Betis Balompié.

Career

Born in Hammersmith, London, Oatway spent eight years at Brighton & Hove Albion and eventually became club captain. He has also played for Cardiff City, Torquay United and Brentford (at all three clubs he played under manager Eddie May) as well as a brief loan spell at Lincoln City. At Brentford he scored once, his strike coming in a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Off+colour+Albion+get+stung+by+killer+Bees%3B+Brentford+3+West+Bromwich...-a060769928|title=Off colour Albion get stung by killer Bees; Brentford 3 West Bromwich Albion 0 (Brentford win 4–2 on aggregate).|publisher=thefreelibrary.com|date=19 August 1998 |access-date=12 August 2013}}

Following yet another serious injury, Oatway retired from playing with immediate effect on 2 August 2007. Oatway's career at Brighton was successful. He won the Third Division championship in 2001, the Second Division championship in 2002 and was a Second Division play-off champion in 2004.{{cite web| title = Oatway Forced To Retire| url = http://www.seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1083759,00.html| publisher = Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.| access-date = 4 August 2007}}{{dead link|date=October 2015}} After his retirement, Oatway spent some time as a sporting liaison for "Albion in the Community", offering coaching sessions at Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/23200239|title=Charlie Oatway: Brighton & Hove Albion coach departs Amex|publisher=BBC|access-date=16 April 2017|date=5 July 2013}}

Following his professional retirement, Oatway joined Conference South team Havant & Waterlooville as a player and assistant manager. He departed the Hawks in June 2009{{cite news|url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Oatway-leaves-Hawks.5400965.jp|title=Oatway leaves Hawks|date=25 June 2009|publisher=The News|access-date=24 July 2009}} following disagreements about his financial arrangements with the club: the club ceased payments for his playing contract at the end of the 2008–09 season though a new contract solely as assistant manager was offered.{{cite news|url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Hawks-hit-back-after-Oatway.5458580.jp|title=Hawks hit back after Oatway exit shock|date=25 July 2009|publisher=The News|access-date=24 July 2009}} Oatway was appointed first-team coach at Brighton & Hove Albion by manager Gus Poyet on 1 December 2009.

On 29 November 2016, Oatway joined Chinese Super League side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, as a member of coaching staff to Gus Poyet.{{cite web|url=http://www.shenhuafc.com.cn/news_detail.php?newsId=5317|title=古斯塔沃·波耶特（Gustavo Poyet）正式出任上海绿地申花足球队主教练|publisher=(in Chinese) Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Official Website|date=29 November 2016|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=20 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020105957/http://www.shenhuafc.com.cn/news_detail.php?newsId=5317|url-status=dead}}

Personal life

Oatway's full name is Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James Oatway. The reason behind this rather unusual name is the fact that both his parents were Queens Park Rangers fans, and decided to give their son the names of QPR's entire 1973 first-team squad.{{cite news| first = Nicky| last = Bandini| last2 = Dart| first2 = James| title = The most unusual footballer names ever| url = http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,2053813,00.html| newspaper = The Guardian| date = 11 April 2007| access-date = 4 August 2007}} When his parents told his aunt the proposed name, she said "he'd look a right Charlie", and the name stuck.{{cite news | title=Quotes; Lewis/Ranieri | date=26 April 2004 | publisher=BBC Sport | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/quotes_of_week/3659905.stm | access-date = 6 August 2007 }} His son, also called Charlie, spent several years working through football developmental squads, including 2009–10 with Bognor Regis Town and 2012–13 with Brighton.{{cite news|url=http://www.chichester.co.uk/sport/Two-more-young-guns-help.5462959.jp|title=Two more young guns help Rocks shape up for season|date=15 July 2009|publisher=Chichester Observer|access-date=24 July 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bexhillobserver.net/sport/football/brighton-hove-albion/charlie-oatway-junior-signs-one-year-deal-at-the-albion-1-4030704|title=Charlie Oatway junior signs one year deal at the Albion|date=6 July 2012|publisher=Bexhill Observer|access-date=16 April 2017}}