Charlie Shaw (footballer, born 1885)

Charles Shaw (21 September 1885 – 27 March 1938) was a Scottish footballer who mainly played for Celtic. He was their goalkeeper and team captain for several years in the 1920s.[1] He was succeeded as Celtic goalkeeper by Peter Shevlin. Although he was never capped by Scotland, he represented the Scottish Football League three times in matches against The Football League.[2] Shaw went 1,287 minutes in all competitions without conceding a goal; the record was not measured the way it is today, with the time after the first goal and the time before the last goal not being counted.

Charlie Shaw
Personal information
Date of birth 21 September 1885
Place of birth Twechar, Scotland
Date of death 27 March 1938(1938-03-27) (aged 52)
Place of death New York City, United States
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Baillieston Thistle
Kirkintilloch Harp
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1906–1907 Port Glasgow Athletic 37 (0)
1907–1913 Queens Park Rangers 232 (0)
1913–1925 Celtic 423 (0)
1925– New Bedford Whalers
National team
1914–1920 Scottish League XI 3 (0)
Teams managed
– New Bedford Whalers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

After a debut senior season with Port Glasgow Athletic,[3] Shaw played in England at Queens Park Rangers for six years,[4] missing only two league games in that time and winning the Southern League title twice[5] before returning to Scotland to join Celtic in May 1913 for s £250 fee.[6] On a return to London when Celtic played West Ham United in a charity game, the Londoners remembered him fondly and burst into applause as he entered the pitch. For Celtic he was even greater and a stalwart for many a year.

Shaw made his debut for the Bhoys in a 2–1 Glasgow Charity Cup win at Third Lanark on 6 May that year and it did not take long for him to win a place in the hearts of the Celtic support.

With the fragile-looking Shaw in goals, Celtic's defensive record improved dramatically. But Shaw also had the intelligence to match his athleticism. He was an excellent reader of the game and he developed a great understanding with Alec McNair and his other defenders. "Get it back tae Charlie!" was a common call.[6]

According to legendary Celtic manager Willie Maley: "Shaw, McNair and Dodds understood one another so well that they developed the pass-back into a scientific move of which there have been many imitators but none to equal the originators. It was indeed a spectacle to see either McNair or Dodds passing, with unerring accuracy and cheeky coolness, the ball to Shaw two yards away, with the opposing forwards almost on top of them. That was their method of getting out of a corner, which in all probability would otherwise have been fatal." (Weekly News 25 July 1936)

He became Celtic captain in September 1916 following "Sunny" Jim Young's retirement (1916) and his commanding voice was heard throughout games offering encouragement and instructions to his teammates. The captaincy even today is a rare honour for a goalkeeper, and this shows how highly thought of he was by his peers and coaches.

Notably, the fans at one game in 1922 were singing his name and praises to him, which is said to have struck one reporter as an "extraordinary stupid idea" to sing for a goalkeeper. It reflected more just how out of touch that journalist was, and also his clear lack of knowledge of Shaw and his reputation and achievements.

Charlie Shaw was also vocal off the pitch and his criticism of the low wages many footballers were paid did not go down well among the affluent and influential in the Parkhead boardroom. This likely stemmed from his background coming from Twechar (a small mining village as were commonly dotted around Scotland in those days). It is a measure of the man that despite his sporting prowess and lauded position that he could still fight for proper terms and conditions that he and his peers had to work within. While some Celtic directors may not have appreciated Shaw and his comments, the supporters most likely certainly did.

After leaving Celtic, Shaw emigrated to the United States to be player/manager of the New Bedford Whalers.[6][7] He died of pneumonia in 1938, in New York City.

Shoutout record

In the 1913–14 season, Shaw lost only 14 goals in 38 games, with 26 shut-outs along the away,[8] which remains a record for Celtic. It is estimated that from 13 December 1913 he and his defence did not concede a goal for 1,287 minutes. The duck was broken on 28 February 1914 when Falkirk defeated Celtic 1-0. This was a UK record then and lasted for almost 100 years before being broken by Edwin van der Sar.

Below is a breakdown of the 1,287 minutes Shaw went unbeaten:[8]

  • Raith Rovers 1–2 Celtic, League, 13 December 1913, 66mins (Raith scored in the 24th minute)
  • Celtic 0–0 Motherwell, League, 20 December, 90mins
  • Ayr United 0–6 Celtic League, 27 December, 90mins
  • Celtic 4–0 Rangers, League, 1 January 1914, 90mins
  • Partick Thistle 0–0 Celtic, League, 3 January, 90mins
  • Clyde 0–1 Celtic, League, 5 January, 90mins
  • Celtic 4–0 Dumbarton, League, 10 January, 90mins
  • Dundee 0–1 Celtic, League, 17 January, 90mins
  • Celtic 1–0 Airdrieonians, League, 24 January, 90mins
  • St Mirren 0–3 Celtic League, 31 January, 90mins
  • Clyde 0–0 Celtic Scottish Cup, 7 February, 90mins
  • Celtic 2–0 Clyde, Scottish Cup, 10 February, 90mins
  • Celtic 3–0 Greenock Morton, League, 14 February, 90mins
  • Forfar Athletic 0–5 Celtic, Scottish Cup, 21 February, 90mins
  • Falkirk 1–0 Celtic, League, 28 February 1914, 51mins (Falkirk scored in the 51st minute)
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References
  1. Celtic player Shaw, Charles, FitbaStats
  2. SFL player Charlie Shaw, London Hearts Supporters Club
  3. [A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012
  4. Seasonal Stats | Files, QPRnet
  5. History of QPR: Southern League Champions 1911-12 Season, QPR Report, 8 August 2011
  6. Charlie Shaw: A Celtic Star, The Celtic Star, 27 July 2018
  7. Celtic Soccer Legend Charlie Shaw Honored at Madonna Cemetery Ceremony, Patch, 7 April 2013
  8. Games involving Shaw, Charles in Season 1913/1914, FitbaStats
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