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Personal

Fullname: Charles Nicholas
aka: Charlie Nicholas, Champagne Charlie
Born: 30 Dec 1961
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
Signed: 1980 (1st stint), 1990 (2nd stint)
Position: Forward/Striker
First game : Kilmarnock away 3-0, 16 August 1980
Last game : Rangers away 4-2, 14 May 1983
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 20 caps
International Goals: 5 goals

Biog

Charlie Nicholas at his best was a goal-scoring sensation whose goals and style made him the darling of the Celtic support in the early days.

Cowcaddens-born Charlie was a Celtic-daft youngster who had been at the club since a youth and finally fulfilled a dream by signing professional terms in June 1979. His talent in front of goal was obvious and it wasn’t long before he was knocking on the door of the first team. His big team debut came as a substitute on August 16th 1980 when he made an appearance in a 3-0 league victory over Kilmarnock. Charlie quickly established himself as a key figure in the squad and he helped the Bhoys lift the 1980/81 league title.

Even at this early stage of his career it was clear that Charlie was – or at least could be – something very special and already the press and media were making noises encouraging the player to depart Parkhead for England.

Charlie would suffer a set-back the following campaign when illness and then a leg-break playing for the reserves saw his season ruined. He would return with a vengeance. In season 1982/83 Charlie was simply unstoppable. His goal tally alone was impressive enough but the player showed so much more than the vital ability to put the ball in the net. He was quick off the mark, had great vision, wonderful touch and above all personality. He played with a natural swagger but his self-confidence was fully justified. He was an entertainer and a goal-scorer supreme – and a homegrown one at that. No wonder the Celtic fans adored him.

The 1982-83 season saw him score fifty goals and win the Scottish Footballer of the Year and Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

But despite playing for the club he loved and having the adulation of the entire Celtic support, not everything was rosy in the garden for Charlie By now the player enjoyed a high media profile and his love of the limelight and nightlife saw him dubbed ‘Champagne Charlie’. He was simply the hottest young thing in British football and Charlie began to cast his eyes southwards.

England beckons

The player made it known to the press that he fancied a crack at life in England. He stated his motivation was for purely football reasons but it was a line even Charlie, by now a Scotland international, himself didn’t believe. The disappointed Celtic support resigned themselves to the heart-break of another terrace idol leaving. The Celtic board just rubbed their hands at the prospect of another fat transfer fee.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal all wanted him. The Anfield club – now home to former Hoops hero Kenny Dalglish – seemed the natural choice. Champions of England on a seemingly almost permanent basis and among the very best club sides in Europe Charlie’s skills would have found a natural home in Bob Paisley’s talented side.

But instead, and to the surprise of all, Nicholas headed to Highbury and Don Howe’s Arsenal. A transfer fee reportedly between £625,000 and £800,000 - headed to Parkhead. Howe’s Gunners were a far cry from the ‘Double Winning’ Highbury side of 1971 and the glory and panache of Arsene Wenger’s cosmopolitan Arsenal was still a very long way off. Howe’s side were workmanlike but mediocre and they were far from a natural home for a flair player like Nicholas. But Charlie did have the compensation of a £100,000 signing on fee and a £2,000-a-week contract (massive money for the time) as consolation. He also had the most glamourous nightclubs in the country on his doorstep.

Dress it up any way you want but its impossible to disguise the fact that Charlie’s years at Arsenal were wasted. He was appreciated by the Highbury support who recognised his undoubted ability and the touch of class his play brought to their side. But while his talent could have bloomed at Anfield – or even Celtic Park – into a truly world class player it was stifled at Highbury with "boring, boring Arsenal". In January 1988 – with just a League Cup winners medal to his name – he departed the Gunners.

Back Home

Now, at what should have been the peak years of his career, there were no longer any of games top clubs interested in him. Instead he moved to Aberdeen in a £400,000 move. His form with the Dons was good and he helped them to Scottish Cup glory in May 1990 when they defeated Celtic on penalties. Just a couple of months later he was back at Parkhead.

He was welcomed with open arms by a support who hoped he could somehow recapture the talismanic form of old to help transform Celtic’s fortunes and stop a rampant Rangers. The vision and touch was still there, but Nicholas Mark II lacked the speed, hunger and the youthful confidence of the younger model. He did have a new found maturity and while his natural ability may not have been so potent it was significant enough to still make him a key and standout performer. Although it has to be said it was much easier to stand out in a Celtic side so much poorer than the one he left. He was porter and not as fast, yet even a poorer Charlie was far better than many of the players we had at the time.


In his complete Celtic career Nicholas scored 125 goals in 209 appearances, and is fondly remembered as a player.

Post

The final curtain came down on Charlie Nicholas’ Celtic career in when he departed for Clyde in 1996. His talent should have provided so much during a career which asks one question – "What if?". That Nicholas left Celtic too soon and to the wrong club now seems indisputable and there is equally no doubt that in terms of talent Charlie had everything to become one of the great forwards of his generation.

In recent years Charlie has gone on to carve out a very successful media career as a co-commentator, pundit and newspaper columnist. At times lampooned for his rather inventive use of the English language, Nicholas had the last laugh by becoming one of the most prominent pundits on the box and has become a key member of Sky’s ground-breaking Soccer Saturday show.

Not all has been great, Charlie dropped a faux pas on National television when he and the odious Jim White (journalist/presenter) were heard to make derogatory remarks against the ‘Fields of Athenry’ song in a TV studio, which was heard being played over the loudspeaker at Celtic Park before a big European game. So much for Charlie the Celtic man, and a disappointing remark from an old great.

At times outspoken, he was a fierce critic of Berti Vogts during his time as Scotland boss. His criticism of Celtic has seemed to some to be strangely vindictive on occasion and there are fans have accused him of sticking the boot into the club to please his media paymasters. Charlie insists that he remains and always will be a Celtic fan.

Playing Career

Honours

Indicate any known awards (player of the year, etc)

Pictures

• Picture Gallery

KStreet

• KDS Player Discussion

Links

• The Bhoy in the Picture (Celtic Underground - St Anthony)

Anecdote

The players were all in "Panama Jacks" after a game when Charlie was at the height of his press popularity, a player from another team who thought that Charlie was over-rated said to him.

"The papers make you out to be some sort of superstar, btw I can do anything you can do!".

The bold Charlie takes a £20 note out his wallet tears it in half and throws it away and says to the guy "Can you do that?".

After the guy disappears with his tail between his legs, Charlie is scouring the floor for the 2 bits of the £20.
(Source: Danny McGrain Biog(?))