Charlie Timmins

{{Short description|Charlie Timmins was an English footballer (1922–2010) who was Club Captain of Coventry City}}

File:Charlie Timmins - Coventry City.jpg

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Charlie Timmins

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1922|5|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Birmingham, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|4|13|1922|5|29|df=y}}

| death_place = Birmingham, England

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}

| position = Full back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1948–1959

| clubs1 = Coventry City

| caps1 = 161

| goals1 = 5

}}

Charles Timmins (29 May 1922 – 13 April 2010) was an English footballer.{{cite web |url=http://www.ccfpa.co.uk/playersdetail.php?ID=124 |title=Charlie Timmins |publisher=Coventry City Former Players Association |accessdate=21 May 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}

Born in Birmingham, Timmins signed for Birmingham City before the Second World War. However, his registration papers were lost after heavy bombing in the Birmingham area.{{citation needed|date=April 2009}}

Timmins served in the British Army throughout the Second World War as a Vehicular Driver in the 4th Field Squadron Royal Engineers before returning home in 1946.

In the summer of 1948, Timmins signed for Coventry City.

He had given up hope of pursuing a career in top-flight football and was playing for non-league Jack Moulds Athletic in Birmingham when Coventry manager Harry Storer turned up unannounced at the Timmins family home and persuaded him to sign for Coventry City.

Timmins spent 11 years at Coventry, including three years as club captain.

During the 1955–56 season, Timmins was touted by press as the "best full back outside the top flight"{{citation needed|date=May 2009}} and speculation grew that he would join teammate Reg Matthews in the England squad.{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-players/past-players/2009/03/16/stars-who-shone-for-coventry-city-in-1950s-92746-23156718/ |title=Stars who shone for Coventry City in 1950s |first=Jim |last=Brown |work=Coventry Telegraph |date=16 March 2009 |accessdate=21 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003143511/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-players/past-players/2009/03/16/stars-who-shone-for-coventry-city-in-1950s-92746-23156718/ |archivedate=3 October 2011 |df=dmy }}

Coventry turned down substantial bids from Newcastle United and Celtic for Timmins during his time at Highfield Road.

He played a total of 165 games (161 in the Football League{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/coventry/coventry.html |title=Coventry City : 1947/48 – 2007/08 |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=21 May 2009}}) and scored five goals before leaving Coventry to join Leamington in 1959, aged 37.

Timmins then spent the 1960–61 season coaching Evesham United before finally retiring aged 39.

File:Coventry City Highfield Road.jpg

Charlie was a member of the Coventry City Former Players Association and was a regular at the club's official 'Legends' Days.

After retiring from football, he worked for the Rover service department in Solihull and captained the works team.Rover News, vol.1, no.3, 30 March 1961

Charlie passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, during the early hours of 13 April 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/club_legend_dies_aged_87_518705/index.shtml|title=Club legend dies aged 87|publisher=Coventry MAD|date=2010-04-12}}