Biography
Inside forward and right winger Charles Best joined the Tigers in May 1911 after impressing as an amateur for Middlesbrough – indeed City were fined £25 by the Football League for approaching an amateur not registered to them, and his transfer was only fully ratified in October 1911. He was then eased into the Tigers’ first team and scored his first goal for City in a January 1912 FA Cup tie gainst Oldham Athletic. Despite his forward leanings, Best was not a regular goalscorer and added just two more during his first season in wins against Wolves and Huddersfield. Charles started 1912/13 season in the City first XI and scored on the opening day of the season in a 4-1 win over Blackpool. A further goal four weeks later proved to be Best’s last for City as a knee ligament injury sustained against Leeds City in November 1912 ended his run in the first team and his footballing career. He stayed at City for a further two years until 1915, working on the coaching staff before returning to his Cleveland roots.
Best was born in Boosbeck, deep in the heart of East Cleveland ironstone mining country. He had come to prominence as an amateur at Eston United, with whom he reached the FA Amateur Cup final in 1909 (Eston lost 0-6 to the Londoners of Clapton). He joined Middlesbrough on amateur terms early in 1911 and made a handful of first team appearances for the Boro before his move to Hull.
By 1939 Best was back living in East Cleveland where he worked as a grocer. He died in Middlesbrough in the first quarter of 1965.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 11 October 1888, Boosbeck
Hull City First Game: 21 October 1911, Stockport County A (Division Two), 23 years, 10 days old
Hull City Final Game: 2 November 1912, Leeds City H (Division Two), 24 years, 22 days old
Clubs
Eston United (1908-1911), Middlesbrough (1911), Hull City (1911-1913)
Hull City Record
Career: 37 apps, 5 goals
Charles Best| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911/12 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1912/13 | 11 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |