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Early Life: John Charlton
Early Life: John Charlton
mother's cousin.
The economy of the village of Ashington was based entirely on coal mining, and though his
family had a strong footballing pedigree, his father was a miner. The eldest of four brothers – Bobby,
Gordon and Tommy – the tight finances of the family meant that all four siblings shared the same bed. His father, Bob, had
no interest in football, but his mother, Cissie, played football with her children and later coached the local school's team. As
a teenager she took them to watch Ashington and Newcastle United play, and Charlton remained a lifelong Newcastle supporter.