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Fullname: Charles Nicholas
aka: Charlie Nicholas, Champagne Charlie
Born: 30 Dec 1961
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
Signed: 18 June 1979 (1st stint), 6 July 1990 (2nd stint); 20 July 1994 (re-signed!)
Left: 22 June 1983 (to Arsenal); 17 May 1994 (free); 31 May 1995 (to Clyde)
Position: Forward, Striker
First game (first spell): Kilmarnock away 3-0, 16 August 1980
Last game (first spell): Rangers away 4-2 14 May 1983
First goal (first spell): : Stirling Albion home 6-1 30 August 1980 league cup
Last goal (first spell): Rangers away 4-2 14 May 1983 league
First game (second spell) : Aberdeen home 0-3 1 September 1990 league
Last game (second spell): Dundee United away 1-0 13 May 1995 league
First goal (second spell): Hibernian away 3-0 1 December 1990
Last goal (second spell): Raith Rovers Ibrox 2-2 27 November 1994 league cup final
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 20 caps
International Goals: 5 goals

Biog:

Charlie Nicholas at his best was a goal-scoring sensation whose goals and style made him the darling of the Celtic support in the early days.

Born in Cowcaddens and brought up in Maryhill, Charlie's next door neighbour as a youngster was another future Celt Jim Duffy. Charlie was a Celtic-daft youngster who had been at the club since a youth and finally fulfilled a dream by signing professional terms in June 1979. His talent in front of goal was obvious and it wasn’t long before he was knocking on the door of the first team.

At the close of the 1979/80 season Charlie was on the bench several times after excellent reviews in the successful Celtic reserve side under Frank Connor. However Billy McNeill refrained from throwing him in at a time when the team were struggling for goals and was criticised because of this by some Celtic fans as the league championship slipped away from Parkhead and ended up in Aberdeen in May 1980.

His first team debut as an 18 year old prodigy came as a substitute on August 16th 1980 when he made an appearance as substitute in a 3-0 league victory over Kilmarnock where he hit the post twice. His first goals came against Stirling Albion a week later in the League Cup and he had a sensational start of 13 goals in his first 12 Celtic games between August and October.

Frank McGarvey had recently joined Celtic from Liverpool and he developed a magnificent partnership with Nicholas. The busy, hard working McGarvey was the perfect foil for the delicate flicks and touches Charlie possessed but he also had a rocket shot with either foot and was a top class finisher. In that 1980/81 McGarvey scored 29 goals to Nicholas' 28 as Celtic romped home to the title. The highlight of the season was the 3-1 win over Rangers at Parkhead with Charlie scoring twice and he also scored the winner at Ibrox in a 1-0 win on 18 April 1981 on the day that Celtic all but clinched the title. As well as McGarvey and Nicholas Celtic also boasted George McCluskey's exceptional talents and despite his best efforts Billy McNeill could not find a design to his team to accommodate all three.

Seldom has a player made such an immediate impact in Scottish football than Nicholas in 1980 and he was a headline writers' dream. 'The Cannonball Kid, Charles De Goal, Charlie Bubbles and Champagne Charlie' were some of the names bestowed on him by the Scots press.

He started in the side in 1981/82 but lost his place in September to George McCluskey. The bad winter weather meant that Celtic did not play much in December and by January Celtic arranged a friendly against Morton at Cappielow where Charlie suffered a serious leg fracture after a tackle by Joe McLaughlin and with that Charlie's season was over. It had been a total contrast to his first season as a Celt.

He worked hard to regain his fitness and had a sensational season in 1982/83 when he scored 48 goals becoming the most wanted talent in Britain in the process. In September he scored a brilliant hat trick against Motherwell at Fir Park in a 7-0 win. Shortly after he scored a magnificent goal against Johan Cruyff's Ajax in Amsterdam on a dramatic night in which Celtic won 2-1 in the European Cup. In November he scored a last minute winner in the 1982 LCSF second leg at Tannadice and in the final he helped inspire Celtic to a 2-1 win over Rangers at Hampden when the scoreline did not truly reflect Celtic's superiority on the day. On New Years day 1983 Nicholas scored another spectacular effort at Ibrox in a memorable 2-1 win which gave Celtic their first new year win at Ibrox since the days of Jimmy McGrory. He had by then re-established the fine partnership he had with the under rated Frank McGarvey.

Celtic led the league race from August until January and looked certs for 3 in a row but it all fell apart after the New Year. Charlie was now into the last year of his contract and as the weeks past it became obvious that he would depart although he refused to confirm or deny this in the media. A posse of media men followed his every move on and off the park and his Celtic performances became a side attraction to his increasing commercial appearances.

In March 1983 he scored another spectacular goal in his Scotland debut against Switzerland and the big guns in England, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all made their interest known in him. Celtic had a dreadful April when they lost two league games, which ultimately cost them their title, and also a SCSF to Aberdeen and the Celtic fans now felt that that the circus following Charlie was affecting the morale of the team. The club claimed they were desperate to keep him and although Billy McNeill made a great personal effort the feeling was that Desmond White and the Celtic board were happy witht the income he would bring in, in an era when Celtic's home gates had dropped to an average of under 20,000 per game.

The last game of the season was on 14 May 1983 and the title could have gone to Celtic, Aberdeen or Dundee United that day. Celtic were 2-0 down at Ibrox and roared back for a memorable 4-2 win with Charlie netting 2 penalties but Dundee United held on at Dens Park to nick the league by the narrowest of margins. After the final whistle at Ibrox Charlie came over to salute the fans in what looked like his final farewell. He went on to win both the Scottish footballer of the year and the Scottish PFA player of the year shortly after.

At the end of May he finally announced that he was departing to England. He had the choice of Liverpool, who were Europe's finest side, Manchester United or Arsenal. He surprised everyone by going to Highbury and it became clear that living in London and earning a higher wage far outstripped any footballing decision to be made. No one could understand it and with that he was off to the lure of London's bright lights.

His Celtic goal tally alone had been impressive enough but he showed so much more than the vital ability to put the ball in the net. He was quick off the mark, had great vision, wonderful touch and above all personality. He played with a natural swagger but his self-confidence was fully justified. He was an entertainer and a goal-scorer supreme – and a homegrown one at that. No wonder the Celtic fans adored him. His departure was a terrible blow to Celtic and reminded the fans of Kenny Dalglish's departure to Anfield six years previously and after only three seasons as a first team player the fans felt bitter at his leaving at only 21 years of age. It's still felt to this day that he could have given the club more service but perhaps the thought of that broken leg in 1982 had swayed him into departing by realising that he had a short career.

In August 1984 he played for Arsenal in a friendly at Parkhead and was roundly booed by the hard core Celtic fans in the Jungle who clearly had still not forgiven him for his 'betrayal' in leaving a year earlier.

England beckons

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal all wanted him. The Anfield club – now home to former Hoops hero Kenny Dalglish – seemed the natural choice. Champions of England on a seemingly almost permanent basis and among the very best club sides in Europe Charlie’s skills would have found a natural home in Bob Paisley’s talented side.

But instead, and to the surprise of all, Nicholas headed to Highbury and Don Howe’s Arsenal. A transfer fee reportedly between £625,000 and £800,000 - headed to Parkhead. Had he not been out of contract then he would have commanded a fee of double that figure. Howe’s Gunners were a far cry from the ‘Double Winning’ Highbury side of 1971 and the glory and panache of Arsene Wenger’s cosmopolitan Arsenal was still a very long way off. Howe’s side were workmanlike but mediocre and they were far from a natural home for a flair player like Nicholas. But Charlie did have the compensation of a £100,000 signing on fee and a £2,000-a-week contract (massive money for the time) as consolation. He also had the most glamorous nightclubs in the country on his doorstep.

Dress it up any way you want but its impossible to disguise the fact that Charlie’s years at Arsenal were wasted. There were many who said that he required a Frank McGarvey type as a partner to do the the hard work for him up front. However, he was appreciated by the Highbury support who recognised his undoubted ability and the touch of class his play brought to their side. But while his talent could have bloomed at Anfield – or even Celtic Park – into a truly world class player it was stifled at Highbury with "boring, boring Arsenal". In January 1988 – with just a League Cup winners medal to his name – he departed the Gunners.

As much as he still retains links with Arsenal (it's financially beneficent to do so) he has carried a sense of bitterness of how his career panned out, as he put it in 1993: "I was blessed in those days, but Arsenal took it away from me."

Back Home

Now, at what should have been the peak years of his career, there were no longer any number of top clubs interested in him. Instead he moved to Aberdeen in a £400,000 move. His form with the Dons was good and he helped them to Scottish Cup glory in May 1990 when they defeated Celtic on penalties. Just a couple of months later he was back at Parkhead.

He was welcomed with open arms by a support who hoped he could somehow recapture the talismanic form of old to help transform Celtic’s fortunes and stop a rampant Rangers. The vision and touch was still there, but Nicholas Mark II lacked the speed, hunger and the youthful confidence of the younger model. He did have a new found maturity and while his natural ability may not have been so potent it was significant enough to still make him a key and stand-out performer. Although it has to be said it was much easier to stand out in a Celtic side so much poorer than the one he left. He was porter and not as fast, yet even a poorer Charlie was far better than many of the players we had at the time.


In his complete Celtic career Nicholas scored 125 goals in 209 appearances, and is fondly remembered as a player.

Post-Celtic

The final curtain came down on Charlie Nicholas’ Celtic career when he departed for Clyde in 1996. His talent should have paid out so much more during a career which asks one question – "What if?". That Nicholas left Celtic too soon and to the wrong club now seems indisputable and there is equally no doubt that in terms of talent Charlie had everything to become one of the great forwards of his generation.

In recent years Charlie has gone on to carve out a very successful media career as a co-commentator, pundit and newspaper columnist. At times lampooned for his rather inventive use of the English language, Nicholas had the last laugh by becoming one of the most prominent pundits on the box and has become a key member of Sky’s ground-breaking Soccer Saturday show. Although, he was more one of the back-slapping happy-go-lucky type of football analysts which can nauseate anyone.

However, Charlie dropped a faux pas on national television when he and the odious Jim White (journalist/presenter) were heard to make derogatory remarks against the ‘Fields of Athenry’ song in a TV studio, which was heard being played over the loudspeaker at Celtic Park before a big European game. So much for Charlie the Celtic man, and a disappointing remark from an old great. Some may never wholly forgive Charlie for those remarks after all the support had done for him.

At times outspoken, he was a fierce critic of Berti Vogts during his time as Scotland boss. His criticism of Celtic at certain points has seemed to some to be strangely vindictive on occasion and there are fans who have accused him of sticking the boot into the club just to please his media paymasters. Charlie insists that he remains and always will be a Celtic fan but ultimately Charlie Nicholas will be best remembered for his premature departure in 1983 from which his career never truly recovered. He has retained a bitterness on this against everyone it seems at times, but the choice ultimately was his to go.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Scottish Premier Division

• 1980-81, 1981-82

Scottish Cup

• 1995

Scottish League Cup

• 1982
  

Pictures

• Picture Gallery

KStreet

• KDS Player Discussion

Links

• The Bhoy in the Picture (Celtic Underground - St Anthony)

Anecdote

The players were all in "Panama Jacks" after a game when Charlie was at the height of his press popularity, a player from another team who thought that Charlie was over-rated said to him.

"The papers make you out to be some sort of superstar, btw I can do anything you can do!".

The bold Charlie takes a £20 note out his wallet tears it in half and throws it away and says to the guy "Can you do that?".

After the guy disappears with his tail between his legs, Charlie is scouring the floor for the 2 bits of the £20.
(Source: Danny McGrain Biog(?))