Sam Bartram
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Sam" Bartram was an English
footballer
and manager
.
, Angus Seed, was watching the game and Sam played so well that Angus recommended him to Charlton Athletic. In his first three years with Charlton the club rose from Division Three to runners-up in the top division. He subsequently played in goal for Charlton for 22 years, and was never dropped from the team until he retired in 1956. He is considered one of Charlton's greatest players, and their finest keeper. In his time at Charlton he won the FA Cup in 1947.
Bartram was involved in a well reported incident when thick fog closed in on a game he was playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Although Sam played for the England B team, he was burdened with the unwanted praise of 'the finest goalkeeper never to play for England' as the England national football team
had both Frank Swift
and Ted Ditchburn
jostling for the goalkeeper position. He played in four successive Wembley finals between 1944 and 1947 and was runner-up in the 1954 Footballer of the Year vote at the age of 40.
Bartram left Charlton to manage York City
, then Luton Town
, prior to a career as a football columnist for The People and spent his final years in Harpenden
. In 1976/7 an estate was built at the Jimmy Seed end of the ground consisting of a block of flats and seven houses. It was named Sam Bartram Close. In 2005, a nine-foot statue of Sam Bartram was erected outside The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic
, in order to celebrate the club's centenary.
Fifty years after his retirement, Charlton Athletic named Bartram's bar and restaurant in his honour at their Valley headquarters.
:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
.
Career
After school, Sam Bartram became a miner and played as either centre forward or wing-half in north east non-league football. As a teenager he had an unsuccessful trial with Reading. When his local village club Boldon Villa were without a goalkeeper for a cup final in 1934 Sam took over in goal. A scout from Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, Angus Seed, was watching the game and Sam played so well that Angus recommended him to Charlton Athletic. In his first three years with Charlton the club rose from Division Three to runners-up in the top division. He subsequently played in goal for Charlton for 22 years, and was never dropped from the team until he retired in 1956. He is considered one of Charlton's greatest players, and their finest keeper. In his time at Charlton he won the FA Cup in 1947.
Bartram was involved in a well reported incident when thick fog closed in on a game he was playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
"Soon after the kick-off," he wrote in his autobiography, "[fog] began to thicken rapidly at the far end, travelling past Vic WoodleyVic WoodleyVictor Robert Woodley was an English football goalkeeper who played for both Chelsea and the England national side between the wars....
in the ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
goal and rolling steadily towards me. The referee stopped the game, and then, as visibility became clearer, restarted it. We were on top at this time, and I saw fewer and fewer figures as we attacked steadily."
The game went unusually silent but Sam remained at his post, peering into the thickening fog from the edge of the penalty area. And he wondered why the play was not coming his way.
"After a long time," he wrote, "a figure loomed out of the curtain of fog in front of me. It was a policeman, and he gaped at me incredulously. "What on earth are you doing here?" he gasped. "The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field's completely empty".'
Although Sam played for the England B team, he was burdened with the unwanted praise of 'the finest goalkeeper never to play for England' as the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
had both Frank Swift
Frank Swift
Frank Victor Swift was an English footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester City and England. After starting his career with local clubs near his home town of Blackpool, in 1932 he was signed by First Division Manchester City, with whom he played his entire professional career.Swift...
and Ted Ditchburn
Ted Ditchburn
Edwin George 'Ted' Ditchburn was an English professional football goalkeeper who played for Northfleet United, Tottenham Hotspur, Romford, Brentwood Town and represented England on six occasions at international level....
jostling for the goalkeeper position. He played in four successive Wembley finals between 1944 and 1947 and was runner-up in the 1954 Footballer of the Year vote at the age of 40.
Bartram left Charlton to manage York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
, then Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, prior to a career as a football columnist for The People and spent his final years in Harpenden
Harpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
. In 1976/7 an estate was built at the Jimmy Seed end of the ground consisting of a block of flats and seven houses. It was named Sam Bartram Close. In 2005, a nine-foot statue of Sam Bartram was erected outside The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, in order to celebrate the club's centenary.
Fifty years after his retirement, Charlton Athletic named Bartram's bar and restaurant in his honour at their Valley headquarters.
Professional statistics
Sam Bartram holds the following records for Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
:
- Most FA Cup Appearances: 44
- Most Total Appearances: 623
- Most League Appearances: 579
- Oldest League Player Aged: 42
Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| York City York City F.C. York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions... |
 |
1 March 1956 | 1 July 1960 | 211 | 85 | 70 | 56 | 40.28 |
| Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
|
July 1, 1960 | June 1, 1962 | 95 | 35 | 42 | 18 | 36.84 |