Charlie Preedy

Charles James Fane Preedy (11 January 1900 – February 1978) was an English football goalkeeper.

Charlie Preedy
Personal information
Date of birth 11 January 1900
Place of birth Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India
Date of death 28 February 1978(1978-02-28) (aged 78)
Place of death Lakenheath, Suffolk, England
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1924–1928 Charlton Athletic 131 (0)
1928–1929 Wigan Borough 41 (0)
1929–1933 Arsenal 37 (0)
1933–1934 Bristol Rovers 39 (0)
1934– Luton Town
0000–1935 Margate
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

One of six children, Preedy was born in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India, where his father was serving with the Royal Artillery. The family returned to Eltham, London, in 1907 where he attended Gordon School. He began playing football as a youth, turning professional in 1924 with Third Division South Charlton Athletic, where he became the club's regular keeper and made 131 league appearances in four seasons. In a Football League Management Committee Meeting in May 1928, Preedy was removed from retained to transfer list.[1]

Preedy moved to Wigan Borough in 1928 and spent a single season there, playing 41 league matches, before moving to Arsenal in May 1929. He was not initially the Gunners' first team goalkeeper, instead mainly playing as understudy to Dan Lewis, Arsenal's regular keeper. Preedy made his Arsenal debut on 7 September 1929, against Sheffield Wednesday, and kept a clean sheet as Arsenal won 2–0.

Preedy kept his place after that match but was dropped after a 2–5 defeat to Aston Villa in November. After that, he was often left out of the team in favour of Lewis, but after Lewis was injured in a 6–6 draw against Leicester City, Preedy was picked to play in the FA Cup Final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Preedy kept a clean sheet and Arsenal won the match 2–0 in front of 100,000 spectators, the first of Arsenal's many successes over the years. He was presented with his winner's medal by King George V.

Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman was never happy with any of his goalkeepers and in an attempt to fill the role signed both Gerard Keizer and Bill Harper in the 1930 close season, and then Frank Moss a year later. Despite intense competition for the goalkeeper's place, Preedy made 25 appearances in the 1930-31 and 1931-32 seasons, but not enough to win a League Championship medal in the former. After an entire season spent as Moss's understudy, Preedy left Arsenal for Bristol Rovers in 1933, having played 40 matches for the Gunners. After a season with Rovers he moved to Luton Town and finished his career with non-league Margate in 1935. He then followed in the footsteps of his elder brother Jack, and became a London taxi driver. He died in 1978.

References
  1. "Football League Meeting". Hull Daily Mail. 19 May 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 13 April 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  • Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
  • Dykes, Garth (2011). Wigan Borough in the Football League: A Complete Record and Who's Who 1921–1931. Tony Brown. ISBN 978-1-905891-53-5.
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