Charlie Dove

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Charles Dove was born in 1879 in East Ham, England. He was regarded as a super-fit footballer, who in 1895 stood at nearly 6 feet and weighed 12 stone, considered large at the time for a sixteen year old from a working-class area of Essex. His main position was defender.

He played for many local teams and was a schoolboy player of some repute, winning two medals as a right back with Park School. Upon leaving school he joined Forest Swift Juniors as a centre forward, before moving on to captain Plaistow Melville. Charlie Dove continued to make his name at Upton Park F.C. and with South West Ham, being regarded as an exceptional talent.

Charlie was an employee of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, working as an apprentice to the riveters and jumped at the chance to play for the newly-formed Thames Ironworks F.C. in 1895. The half a crown (12½p) membership would have been a third of his weekly wage.

A local paper featured this following article about Charlie Dove during the 1897-1898 season.

"FOOTBALL SKETCHES - 1. Charlie Dove (Thames Ironworks) If not absolutely the finest right half back in Essex, the subject of our sketch is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant men in the country in that position. Even when joining them his true position was not apparent. He played centre forward and full back and it was not until he had occupied nearly every place - with the exception of goal - that his worth as a right half was demonstrated. In this berth he plays a brilliant game, full of resource and the Thames Limited combination sadly missed him in their opening matches. However, he is expected to be fit and able to turn out on Saturday against Brentford, when he will considerably strengthen the team." - East Ham Echo, prior to the away game against Brentford on 23 April 1898.

On 31 December 1898 Charlie Dove completed the distinction of playing in every position for the club when he deputised for goalkeeper Tommy Moore in an away game against Maidenhead. He even kept a clean sheet and the Thames Ironworks won 4-0.

Dove was an important part of the Thames team that won successive London League and Southern League Division Two titles, and had a connection with the club adopting claret and blue as their colours. Charlie had got the kits for the club at a very cheap price of £3.10s. They had come from his father William Dove, who was a professional sprinter of national repute, as well as being one of the coaches at Thames Ironworks. During the summer of 1899, Bill Dove had been at a fair in Birmingham, close to Villa Park, the home ground of Aston Villa. The scrawny looking Dove had been challenged to a race against four Villa players, who wagered money that one of them would win. Bill Dove defeated them, and when they were unable to pay the bet one of the Villa players, who was responsible for washing the team's kit, offered a complete side's 'uniforms' to Dove in payment of the bet. The Aston Villa player subsequently reported to his club that the kit was 'missing'.

Charlie Dove would continue to be a major player for Thames Ironworks, and it's later incarnation of West Ham United until his controversial transfer in 1901 to arch-rivals Millwall F.C.. In 1902 Dove unfortunately suffered an injury which ended his playing career.

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[edit] References

Belton, Brian (2006). West Ham United Miscellany. Pennant Books. ISBN 0-9550394-4-4.
Blows, Kirk & Hogg, Tony (2000). The Essential History of West Ham United. Headline. ISBN 0-7472-7036-8.
West Ham United F.C. Player & People List