Richard Fuller

Henry Irving · June 17

One the fun bits of the helping to run the museum is answering queries.

So far this week we've had five, a request for permission to use VFR at a funeral (all sorted), two requests from founder member clubs of the EFL looking to start their own museum, a request about team line ups from the early 1970s (Colin Cameron's Home and Away come in very handy again) and a query from a granddaughter tracing her family tree and looking for playing details of her grandfather who played for us in the 1930s.

Richard Fuller was the name we were given. No one of that name played for Charlton first team until much later and that was Ricardo.

We found the 1935/36 team photo (thanks again Colin) but that listed a Ronald Fuller.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5000498/uploads/editor/ds/gsdqngnnh0aa.jpg

Henry Irving · June 17

By checking further into our records we found a player registered with the Football League, referred variously as Ronald J Fuller or Richard J Fuller. The family were sure that name was Richard and found it funny that we had Ronald but it appears both were used in different football records.

He was born in Burwell, Cambridgeshire and signed for Charlton on 30th August 1935, probably from Newmarket FC, having played for the Histon Institute during the previous two seasons. He was aged 20, height 5 foot 10 inches and weighed 10stone 12 pounds. It may be that he previously had some connection with Bolton Wanderers.

Here is the photo that the family sent us. 20 years old, just joined a big professional club on the way up, sporting the classic CAF Club badge, hair neatly cut, sitting on the Valley pitch.

charlton4ever · June 17

Brilliant. How great is our Museum/Staff.

Henry Irving · June 17

Richard never appeared for Charlton first team, but made 18 appearances in the reserves and scored 9 goals in season 1935-36. His position was outside left. His wages at Charlton were £3 10s 0d (£3.50) per week.

According to the records he left Charlton in 1936 and signed for Bexleyheath & Welling but the family said different.

They have records of him playing for St Gallen due to a recommendation from Jimmy Seed to Norman Smith (not the Charlton Haller of Famer but a player of the same name.

Some more research needed into English players in Swiss football.

TelMc32 · June 17

Not about Richard Fuller, but my dad worked with Eric Lancelotte for years at Ford’s factory in Woolwich. He lived down the road from us until he retired and moved to the seaside. Lovely guy.

killerandflash · June 17

What a fascinating, and modern sounding story, a player at short notice going on loan to a Swiss side. Not the sort of thing I'd think of happening in the mid 30s, or indeed any decade before the 80s!