One of the non-travelling reserves for the 1908 Olympics Charles Pearce started his career at Wanstead as did his two other footballing brothers Bert and William. Charles was to later join Ilford and skippered them to victory over Walthamstow Grange in the 1908 Essex Senior Cup final. Bert, who later turned professional with Fulham and scored 50 goals in 97 games for the Cottagers between 1911-15, was in the same cup-winning team. Charles moved to Leytonstone in 1912 and won the Senior Cup a second time when they beat Harwich & Parkeston. A centre-forward or centre-half, Charles won Essex county honours and in 1908 played for the South against the North in the international trial at Chelsea. The nearest he came to an England cap was as one of the reserves for the international against Denmark at Park Royal in October 1911.
Great Britain