Charlie Elliott
Encyclopedia
Charles Standish 'Charlie' Elliott MBE
(24 April 1912 - 1 January 2004) was an English footballer, a first-class
cricketer
who played for Derbyshire
between 1932 and 1953 and an international cricket umpire.
Elliott was born in Bolsover
, Derbyshire
. In the 1931-1932 season, he played football for Coventry City, where he was a capable defender, but did not play again for them for several years. In the summer of 1932 he began his cricketing career at Derbyshire where he was an opening batsman and fine close fielder.
Elliott's first spell for Derbyshire lasted from 1932 to 1937 and he played for the side that won the County Championship
in 1936. Because of a financial crisis at the club he was released and became a professional for Stourbridge. At the start of the Second World War he joined the Coventry Fire Brigade, and was on the roof of Coventry Cathedral
during the blitz which destroyed it.
After the war, he played again for Derbyshire and he scored 1,000 runs in six consecutive seasons from 1947 to 1952. In total he played 468 innings in 275 matches with nine centuries and an average of 27.25. His best score was 215 against Nottinghamshire
in 1947, when he shared a stand of 349 with John Eggar
. In bowling he took eleven wickets at an average of 47.81 and a best performance of 2-25. He also played football for Coventry City again in the 1947-48 season bringing his Football League appearances total 95. He was caretaker-manager for Coventry for six months in 1954-55.
Elliott served as a first-class umpire from 1956 to 1974. He umpired in 42 Tests
between 1957 and 1974 and in five One Day Internationals between 1972 and 1974. He served on the England Test selection panel from 1975 to 1981, and was President of Derbyshire in 1993 and 1994.
Elliot was in Melbourne
when the Third Test of the 1970-71 Ashes series was washed out. He was asked to award the Man of the Match
award in the first ever One Day International, arranged at the last minute to replace the Test, and gave it to John Edrich
for his top-scoring 82 as "without John's 82 there'd have been no match".
A dapper man with immaculately groomed black hair, which he retained into old age, he died at Nottingham
, where he had kept a guest house, eight years short of his century.
Elliott was the nephew of Harry Elliott
, the Derbyshire and England
Test wicketkeeper and played alongside his uncle in pre-Second World War games and in 1947, when Harry reappeared in four matches at the age of 55 because of a Derbyshire injury crisis.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(24 April 1912 - 1 January 2004) was an English footballer, a first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1932 and 1953 and an international cricket umpire.
Elliott was born in Bolsover
Bolsover
Bolsover is a town near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. It is 145 miles from London, 18 miles from Sheffield, 26 miles from Nottingham and 54 miles from Manchester. It is the main town in the Bolsover district.The civil parish for the town is called...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. In the 1931-1932 season, he played football for Coventry City, where he was a capable defender, but did not play again for them for several years. In the summer of 1932 he began his cricketing career at Derbyshire where he was an opening batsman and fine close fielder.
Elliott's first spell for Derbyshire lasted from 1932 to 1937 and he played for the side that won the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1936. Because of a financial crisis at the club he was released and became a professional for Stourbridge. At the start of the Second World War he joined the Coventry Fire Brigade, and was on the roof of Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
during the blitz which destroyed it.
After the war, he played again for Derbyshire and he scored 1,000 runs in six consecutive seasons from 1947 to 1952. In total he played 468 innings in 275 matches with nine centuries and an average of 27.25. His best score was 215 against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in 1947, when he shared a stand of 349 with John Eggar
John Eggar
John Drennan Eggar was an English schoolmaster and cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Hampshire in 1938 and for Derbyshire from 1946 to 1954....
. In bowling he took eleven wickets at an average of 47.81 and a best performance of 2-25. He also played football for Coventry City again in the 1947-48 season bringing his Football League appearances total 95. He was caretaker-manager for Coventry for six months in 1954-55.
Elliott served as a first-class umpire from 1956 to 1974. He umpired in 42 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between 1957 and 1974 and in five One Day Internationals between 1972 and 1974. He served on the England Test selection panel from 1975 to 1981, and was President of Derbyshire in 1993 and 1994.
Elliot was in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
when the Third Test of the 1970-71 Ashes series was washed out. He was asked to award the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award in the first ever One Day International, arranged at the last minute to replace the Test, and gave it to John Edrich
John Edrich
John Edrich, MBE is a former English cricketer, who played for Surrey and England. He earned a reputation as a dogged and fearless batsman, and his figures show that he was amongst the best players of his generation...
for his top-scoring 82 as "without John's 82 there'd have been no match".
A dapper man with immaculately groomed black hair, which he retained into old age, he died at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, where he had kept a guest house, eight years short of his century.
Elliott was the nephew of Harry Elliott
Harry Elliott
Harry Elliott was an English cricketer who kept wicket for Derbyshire from 1920 to 1947 and for England between 1927 and 1934 and was an international Test umpire....
, the Derbyshire and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
Test wicketkeeper and played alongside his uncle in pre-Second World War games and in 1947, when Harry reappeared in four matches at the age of 55 because of a Derbyshire injury crisis.