Charles Frederick Rutter (22 December 1927 – 19 October 2012) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

. Born in

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, char ...

, Rutter was playing non-league football for Taunton Town when he was spotted by

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...

who offered him a full contract with the club. He made his debut in a 0–0 draw with

Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at T ...

in 1950. His performances in the 1951–52 season earned him a call-up for the

England B England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations. Si ...

team. Towards the end of that season he sustained a serious knee injury in a match against

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

which kept him out for the whole of the following season. On his return he found his place in the squad taken by

Ron Stitfall Ronald Frederick Stitfall (14 December 1925 – 22 June 2008) was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international. A one club man he played his entire career for his hometown club Cardiff City. Career Born in Cardiff, Stitfall was a keen ...

and, although he stayed at the club until 1958, he struggled to break into the side again. He returned to non-league football after leaving Cardiff, including briefly managing Kent club

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separ ...

. After his retirement from football, Rutter set up his own tropical bird business in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

's central market.

References

1927 births 2012 deaths English men's footballers Taunton Town F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players English Football League players England men's B international footballers Men's association football defenders Footballers from Bromley {{England-footy-defender-1920s-stub