Charles Norman Adcock (21 February 1923 – 9 December 1998) was an English association football striker born in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Charles Adcock
Personal information
Full name Charles Norman Adcock
Date of birth (1923-02-21)21 February 1923
Place of birth Boston, England
Date of death 9 December 1998(1998-12-09) (aged 75)
Place of death Boston, England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1946–1949 Padova 84 (33)
1949–1950 Triestina 17 (4)
1950–1951 Treviso 9 (1)
1953-1954 Peterborough United 10 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Adcock was the first Englishman to play professional football in Italy. He joined Serie B club Padova in 1946 after being spotted playing in exhibition matches for the British Army.[1] After winning promotion in his second season, he went on to play 40 matches, scoring 11 goals in the Italian Serie A from 1948 to 1950 with Padova and later Triestina.[2] In 1948, AC Milan had been poised to sign Adcock to lead their attack, but Padova lodged a complaint about Milan's illegal approach and the transfer was blocked.[3]

In 1950, coach Nereo Rocco departed Triestina for Serie B Treviso and took Adcock with him. The 1950/51 season was Adcock's final active season in Italian football. When he returned to the UK in 1953, he played for non-league Peterborough United for a season.[4]

Despite his success in Italy, Adcock never played a professional match in England.

References

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  1. ^ Norman Adcock: The Forgotten Italian Football Trailblazer, calcioengland.com
  2. ^ RSSSF – List of English Players in Italy after 1945
  3. ^ The Guardian, Brian Glanville's Obituary of Charles Norman Adcock, 21st December 1998, retrieved 27th March 2024
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)