John
Charles
After scoring 42 goals for Leeds between 1953
and 1954, John Charles signed for the Rome side
Juventus for a then world record fee of £65,000.
He went on to play in 155 games and help Juventus
to three league titles and one Italian Cup gaining
the nickname Il Buono Gigante, The Gentle Giant.
He also won 38 Welsh caps and scored 15 times
for his country.
In our increasingly intolerant and dangerous
world, the story of John Charles - the greatest
Welsh footballer of all time and one of the worlds
very greatest, offers a powerful inspiration,
particularly to younger people.
The Gentle Giant - II Buono Gigante - Y Cawr
Addfwyn will not just remind an older generation
of a great man who was a superb footballer and
aquaint a new generation with the incredible story
of John Charles's life.
More importantly it will inspire us all to participate
in sport and in life with a little more of the
style, the fairness and the dignity which characterises
John's attitude to football and to the human race.
"He was indisputably the greatest player
in two positions I ever saw - centre forward and
centre back. I can't think of many other footballers
I can say that about" Michael Parkinson. |
Sir
Steve Redgrave
