Following the sad news about Kevin Charlton’s passing on Thursday, Club Historian Ron Parrott, with a heavy heart, has compiled the following “Appreciation” and pen-pic detailing Kevin’s full playing career:-
“It’s been a devastating few weeks at Edgar Street with the passing of several former players and one of our beneficiaries so it was particularly upsetting to hear about the passing of former Hereford United goalkeeper Kevin Charlton on Thursday, aged 66. He passed away peacefully in hospital in Bangor, North Wales having experienced poor health for a number of years, a challenge that apparently, he faced with good humour and courage. Kevin first came to newly-promoted Hereford United in the summer of 1975 with a lot to prove and it wasn’t long before he was a regular in what many fans considered to be Hereford United’s best team ever. We walked away with the old Third Division championship and Kevin was a star. At 5'9" he was not the tallest of goalkeepers but he had great technique and was very acrobatic, which more than made up for his lack of inches and he notched up 45 appearances in that remarkable first season. He later enjoyed even greater success with Telford United and just two years ago, he became only the second player to be voted into their “Hall of Fame”. Kevin will be sadly missed.”
Appearances: 65 (65+0 sub.) Goals: 0
Seasons played: 1975/76 to 1977/78
Born Atherstone 12th September 1954, died Bangor, North Wales 18th November 2020
Kevin joined Wolves as a 15-year-old in 1969 and went on to serve an apprenticeship but unfortunately, he was third-choice keeper and spent most of his time in the Intermediate League and Reserve sides. Despite making the bench in a Texaco Cup match at Ipswich, Kevin never made the first-team and left to sign for AFC Bournemouth for £3,500 in the summer of 1972. Kevin made over 50 appearances at Dean Court over a three-year stay and in his last season, he was voted runner-up in the Hampshire Sports Personality of the Year Award, before leaving in June 1975 to sign for Hereford United.
At 5'9" Kevin was not the tallest of goalkeepers but he had great technique and was very acrobatic, which more than made up for his lack of inches. A lifelong Liverpool fan, Kevin had also been a diabetic all his life and it wasn't unusual for someone to be sent out to procure an emergency Mars Bar before a game. He was a key member of the 1975/76 Third Division championship winning side and kept goal in 45 games for probably United's best team ever. He was a bit of a character in the dressing room and popular with the fans and fellow players alike. The following season, Kevin had to compete with Tommy Hughes but still played 19 times in the old Second Division. His final season was 1977/78 but he only played one game before dropping down to non-league football with Bangor City in North Wales.
Having made the decision to go part-time in the Northern Premier League, Kevin took a job as a rep, selling books, maps and guides for a local wholesaler. He and his wife Valerie, set up home in Anglesey, where they enjoyed wonderful views of Snowdon and they lived there for over 30 years. Kevin spent three happy years with the Citizens until he was signed from Bangor City for Telford United by then manager Gordon Banks in February 1980. He commuted 100 miles each way and soon became an integral part of the Telford United side that achieved huge success in the 1980s, helping to put the club and town on the map. Kevin played in three FA Trophy finals, winning two of these at Wembley. He also won three England semi-pro caps and featured in two wonderful FA Cup runs, to the Fourth Round in 1983/84 and going one round further the following season. After 10 years at the Buck’s head, Kevin had notched up 525 appearances and kept a clean sheet in 150 of them. He then briefly returned to League football with Scarborough in September 1988 but only managed three more appearances before ending his career with second brief spells at Bangor and Telford before finally retiring from the game. Kevin became a good golfer too and his son Jim, played football for Morecambe. In 2018, Kevin was proud to become the second member of Telford United's "Hall of Fame".