Charles "Charlie" Timmins (29 May 1922 – 13 April 2010) was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 former footballer.

Born in Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, Timmins signed for Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 before the Second World War

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. However, his registration papers were lost after heavy bombing in the Birmingham area. In the summer of 1948, Timmins signed for Coventry City

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

.

Timmins 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. He played a total of 165 games (161 in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

) and scored five goals before leaving the Sky Blues to join Leamington

Leamington F.C.

Leamington Football Club is the main football club in Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division....

 in 1959, aged 37.

Charlie then spent the 1960-61 season coaching Evesham United before finally hanging up his boots aged 39.

Charlie had been battling prostate cancer and died peacefully with his family at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham during the early hours of Tuesday 13 April 2010.

Trivia

• During the 1955–56 season, Timmins was touted by press as the "best full back outside the top flight" and speculation grew that he would join team mate Reg Matthews
  Reg Matthews
  Reginald Derrick Matthews was an English football goalkeeper.-Club career:In a playing career spanning almost 20 years, Matthews turned out for Coventry City, Chelsea and Derby County, making over 100 league appearances for each...
  
   in the England squad.
• Coventry turned down a substantial bid from Newcastle United
  Newcastle United F.C.
  Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
  
   for Timmins during his time at Highfield Road.
• Timmins was a member of the Coventry City Former Players Association and was a regular at the clubs official 'Legends' Days.