Charles Ambler

Charles James Ambler (13 August 1868 – 5 September 1952), born Charles James Toby, was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made a single appearance in the Football League for Royal Arsenal and had two spells at Tottenham Hotspur, making 20 Southern League appearances in his second spell. He also played, mainly as a reserve team player, for West Ham United, where he made two first team appearances, and later with Millwall. Life and career Born in Alverstoke, Hampshire, Ambler began his career at Bostall Rovers before signing as a professional with Royal Arsenal (soon after renamed Woolwich Arsenal) in 1891. He returned to the amateur ranks the following season, which, while nominally being registered as an Arsenal player, enabled him to play for a variety of clubs with no fixed tenure at any of them. In the period of 1891 to 1894, as well as playing in friendlies for Arsenal, he also played for Clapton, Dartford and Luton Town. In October 1894, he was formally transferred to Tottenham Hotspur and made his debut in an FA Cup second qualifying round match against Wolverton on 3 November 1894. Spurs, at that point, were not competing in an organised league, which meant that Ambler could also play elsewhere. In October 1894, Ambler signed Southern League forms with Luton Town, but did not register an appearance before he then signed Football League forms with Woolwich Arsenal the following month. There, he made one Second Division appearance, against Newton Heath on 30 November 1895. Ambler had been selected due to the suspension of first-choice 'keeper Harry Storer. Arsenal lost the match 5–1. With no other league appearances to his name, he left Arsenal in the summer of 1896 and returned to Tottenham Hotspur.