Charlie Satterthwaite

Charlie Satterthwaite

Charlie Satterthwaite was born in Cockermouth in 1877. He played local football for Black Diamonds before joining Bury in 1895. However, he only played in four games for the club before joining Liverpool in 1899. He joined a team that included George Allan, Harry Storer, Jimmy Ross and Tom Bradshaw.

Satterthwaite helped Liverpool win the First Division league title in the 1901-02 season. After scoring 12 goals in 46 games he joined West Ham United on in 1903. Satterthwaite scored on his debut against Millwall. He also scored a hat-trick in a FA Cup match against Chatham. He went one better when he got four in a game against Brighton & Hove Albion. By the end of the season Satterthwaite was easily West Ham's top scorer with 18 goals in league and cup games.

Satterthwaite scored 21 goals in 61 league appearances for West Ham United. His powerful shooting is claimed to have broken the net in one game. In a match against Sheffield United the ball hit a goalkeeper on the head and knocked him out before going over the line.

Satterthwaite was sold to Woolwich Arsenal in April 1904. They also signed Bobby Templeton from Newcastle United for £375 in December 1904 to help them cope with First Division football. Arsenal did reasonably well at the top level finishing in 10th place (1904-05). Satterthwaite was top scorer with 11 goals in 30 games.

Arsenal finished in 12th place in the 1905-06 season. Satterthwaite, along with two other former Irons, Roderick McEachrane and James Bigden, was in the Woolwich Arsenal team that defeated West Ham United in the first round of the FA Cup on 18th January, 1906. Arsenal went onto beat Watford (3-0), Sunderland (5-0), Manchester United (3-2) before losing to Newcastle United 2-0 in the semi-final. That season Satterthwaite scored 10 goals in 18 games.

Woolwich Arsenal finished in 7th place in the 1906-07 season. Satterthwaite was top scorer with 17 goals. Once again they had a good cup run beating Bristol City (2-1), Bristol Rovers (1-0) and Barnsley (2-1) before losing to Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in the semi-final.

During this period Woolwich Arsenal had a very impressive forward line that included Satterthwaite, Bert Freeman, Tim Coleman, Bobby Templeton and Billy Garbutt. The defence was also very good with players such as Jimmy Ashcroft, Andy Ducat, Roderick McEachrane, Jimmy Sharp and Percy Sands in the team.

Satterthwaite had difficulty holding his place in the team during the 1907-08 and 1908-09 seasons and he decided to retire in 1910.

Charlie Satterthwaite died in May 1948.