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Stuart Balmer


Born: 20/9/1969 Falkirk
Debut: Brighton Away 15/9/1990. Final Game: Tranmere Home 25/4/1998
Honours: 9 Caps for Scotland Schoolboys. 11 caps for Scotland Youth. 1992/1993 Supporters Player of the Year.

A product of the famous Celtic Boys club, Stuart joined Charlton from Celtic in August 1990 for £100,000. He never played for Celtic's first team but went on to have eight years at Charlton making 263 League and Cup appearances and scoring 9 goals. The six foot plus centre half with the occasional spell at right back, Charlton career did not get off to the best of starts with a own goal on his first full start for the club at home to Leicester City in October 1990 followed by another own goal away at Notts County at the end of the same month.

However it was during the 1992/1993 that he become a regular in the side at Centre Half and picked up the Supporters player of the year trophy. The following season saw him wear the "Number one" shirt after the club choose to pick squad numbers in alphabetical order. He suffered a cracked rib and a punctured lung during the 95/96 season against Grimsby and had his only sending off against Norwich City the following season.

Stuart's last appearance in a Charlton shirt was as a late sub against Tranmere Rovers in April 1998 and whilst he was on the sub bench on a few occasions during the 1998/1999 Premiership season he was sold to Division Two Wigan Athletic in September 1998 for £200,000 where he would make over 125 League and Cup appearances during his 3 years with the Latics.

Spells at Oldham Athletic, Scunthorpe United and Boston United would follow before he moved back up to Scotland to become Player/Assistant Manager at Clyde. Further coaching roles would follow at Hamilton, St Mirren and Ross County.

November 2013 saw Stuart appointed assistant manager at Scottish League one side, Airdrie.

In 2006 Paul Scholes was asked by a magazine to name his all-time favourite XI, and at the heart of his defence was Stuart Balmer, the Scot who played for Oldham for two seasons at the start of the decade.
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Comments

  • Oooh Sweaty Balmer.... quality player. Didn't he score an own goal in his first game?
  • Didn't he score a couple own goals early on? But an absolute quality player and would be in my all time Charlton squad.
  • Oooh Sweaty Balmer.... quality player. Didn't he score an own goal in his first game?

    Didn't he score a couple own goals early on? But an absolute quality player and would be in my all time Charlton squad.

    Neither of you read the OP's post did you? :-)

    Great player for us. First time I saw him was through a side window on the team coach en route to Brighton (we lost). He looked like a frightened schoolboy. He came on as a late sub in that match so didn't get an own goal in his first match for us but in his first home start. I wondered what we'd bought! But he turned out all right didn't he.
  • He was a top player for us and a top man, in the days when footballers interacted with fans, sweaty being pissed and sitting in the nth for a while on new years day fixture
  • I remember the two OGies well, but he went on to become a stalwart. Chatted with him a few times at reserve games at Park View Road where he would pop down with his missus and his dog to watch them play. Very nice bloke. Probably the only player to play for all three "Athletic" teams in the FL?
  • Alan Hansen was commentating on the Blackburn and Charlton cup game.
    He said I have never heard of this bloke; however, he hasn't given Shearer a kick.
    Good mates with Walshy me thinks.
  • I remember the two OGies well, but he went on to become a stalwart. Chatted with him a few times at reserve games at Park View Road where he would pop down with his missus and his dog to watch them play. Very nice bloke. Probably the only player to play for all three "Athletic" teams in the FL?

    Neil Redfearn was another who had the "honour" of playing for all 3 Athletics as well.
  • Are AFC Bournemouth still really Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic?
  • I amazed to read he stayed with us until the Prem. I thought he was gone at the end of the 96/97 season.
  • Comes just after Rufus and Costa on my list of favourite centre-backs. Had nothing against Phil Chapple, but couldn't understand how he was keeping Balmer out of the side in 97/98.
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  • One of my all time favorites as well. Would make the bench of my all time eleven after Rufus and Webster class act
  • One of the first centre backs I remember playing for Charlton. Quality player, pretty sure he could run through a brick wall.
  • Good player, definitely a pioneer of the stubbly footballer look, does anyone else remember the Charlton razor he promoted?
  • I remember the two OGies well, but he went on to become a stalwart. Chatted with him a few times at reserve games at Park View Road where he would pop down with his missus and his dog to watch them play. Very nice bloke. Probably the only player to play for all three "Athletic" teams in the FL?

    Neil Redfearn was another who had the "honour" of playing for all 3 Athletics as well.
    Never played for us, just turned up.
  • edited October 2014
    Like others Sweaty is one of my all-time faves. Great defender and just always gave his all.

    Remember when he punctured his lung. Horrible little f***er he was marking just elbowed him in the ribs when he jumped for a header. Still one of the nastier things I have seen at football as it was definitely intended to cause an injury.
  • Charlton's No.1.

    Anyone else remember the crazy season when they gave out squad numbers alphabetically?
  • Balmer looked a lot older than his actual age. Perhaps this was due to an early hard life on the bonny banks of the Clyde. Wholehearted defender who reminds me of another Scottish stalwart, Christian Dailly.
    Balmer was eventually replaced by Eddie Youds so just missed out on the glory days of the late 90s.
    I remember that he was sold for what was quite a large fee at the time. All in all a typical Scots professional; tough, dependable and pretty formidable.
  • The Sun had an interview with Sweaty as part of their Saturday match preview when we played newly-relegated Middlesbrough at the Riverside, first day of the season 97/98.

    Headline: "Balmer: I'll give Ravanelli a welcoming kick into Division 1".

    Love an old school hard man.
  • edited October 2014
    MrLargo said:

    The Sun had an interview with Sweaty as part of their Saturday match preview when we played newly-relegated Middlesbrough at the Riverside, first day of the season 97/98.

    Headline: "Balmer: I'll give Ravanelli a welcoming kick into Division 1".

    Love an old school hard man.

    That game was my first visit to the Riverside. If I remember, Balmer finished the game with a bloodied bandage wrapped around his head. Ravanelli scored a virtual last minute headed winner. I watched that game amongst the 'Boro fans. They gave me all kinds of stick after I stood up and screamed 'yes' as Steve Jones scored for us.
    This game was also the league debut for superhero Clive Mendonca. It seems like only .. errrr .. yesterday ?
  • Good player, definitely a pioneer of the stubbly footballer look, does anyone else remember the Charlton razor he promoted?

    i dont use it but i am a proud possessor of a charlton Razor

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  • Charlton's No.1.

    Anyone else remember the crazy season when they gave out squad numbers alphabetically?

  • I have a memory of a late goal in a televised game at Filbert St. Shot that stuck in the top frame of the goal. Think we still lost
  • I have a memory of a late goal in a televised game at Filbert St. Shot that stuck in the top frame of the goal. Think we still lost

    Yes a 2-1 defeat. 93/94.
  • A very good player . Sweaty was superb in the Blackburn reply match . Shearer did not have a look in
  • He hit a 35 yard dipping volley at Notts County in a 0-0 draw one season that came back off the bar. Would've been a stunner had it gone in.
  • Why are we talking about Stuart Balmer, great player though he was?
  • drewman said:

    Why are we talking about Stuart Balmer, great player though he was?

    Probably because we're bored talking about loans, no strikers and who's rack it might be. Next up we're going to do a Mike Small thread and re-live some of his golden moments in a Charlton shirt....
  • MrLargo said:

    Comes just after Rufus and Costa on my list of favourite centre-backs. Had nothing against Phil Chapple, but couldn't understand how he was keeping Balmer out of the side in 97/98.

    Love these threads ... and another good Charlton servant I enjoyed watching.

    Phil Chapple keeping Sweaty out in 97/98 doesn't sound quite right though, I think this was quite a bit earlier in the 90s (but illogical at any time!). For some reason Curbs persisted for a while with a not-so-speedy central pairing of Chapple and McLeary, then came the embarrassing 4-3 defeat against Derby at the Valley after we were 3-1 to the good at half time. Doubly embarrassing for me as I was sat with my Derby-supporting best mate. After that, Curbs saw the light and paired Stuart with a young Richard Rufus. Watching our defence in the mid-90s never seemed quite as stressful again...
  • Waited a long time for a central defender I liked (previous Bobby Goldthorpe, Paul Went, Elliott) then him, RR and steady Eddie all within a few years.
  • AshBurton said:

    MrLargo said:

    Comes just after Rufus and Costa on my list of favourite centre-backs. Had nothing against Phil Chapple, but couldn't understand how he was keeping Balmer out of the side in 97/98.

    Love these threads ... and another good Charlton servant I enjoyed watching.

    Phil Chapple keeping Sweaty out in 97/98 doesn't sound quite right though, I think this was quite a bit earlier in the 90s (but illogical at any time!). For some reason Curbs persisted for a while with a not-so-speedy central pairing of Chapple and McLeary, then came the embarrassing 4-3 defeat against Derby at the Valley after we were 3-1 to the good at half time. Doubly embarrassing for me as I was sat with my Derby-supporting best mate. After that, Curbs saw the light and paired Stuart with a young Richard Rufus. Watching our defence in the mid-90s never seemed quite as stressful again...
    We had some decent CBs around that time (91-93), Gatting, Webster, Balmer and the young Linvoy Primus
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