A Timbers Ring of Honor member, Clive Charles' No. 3 jersey is the only number to have been retired by the club.
Editor's Note: In honor of the Portland Timbers' 50th anniversary, the club is recognizing an All-Time XI collection of the best players from across all eras of the team's history as voted on by you, the fans. The XI is comprised of one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards – a 3-4-3 formation.
Each day between now and the team's 50th anniversary celebration on July 19 – when the Timbers host Minnesota United FC (7:30pm PT, TICKETS, Apple TV on MLS Season Pass) – the club will unveil one player from the All-Time XI followed by a special recognition of the group on the evening of July 19th.
Defender Clive Charles
It is difficult to talk about the growth of Portland soccer – let alone American soccer – without talking at some point about Clive Charles.
A product of West Ham United in London, Charles rose through the youth ranks there alongside another future Timber in Clyde Best where the two were among the first Black players in England's First Division. Charles later spent time on loan with NASL side Montréal Olimpique from 1971-72 before playing three seasons with Cardiff City alongside two other future Timbers in Willie Anderson and Bill Irwin. In 1978, the young defender came to Portland, with Charles helping that year's side go all the way to the NASL semifinals. In four seasons with the Green and Gold, Charles appeared in 67 matches for the NASL era Timbers plus made another nine appearances for the indoor team. He contributed 12 career assists and was considered one of the first modern outside fullbacks of the era, often sprinting up the sideline channels to join in the Timbers attack.
After his playing career ended, Charles and his family returned to Portland with the former Timber turning to coaching. He first coached at Reynolds High School in Portland and then, most famously, coaching both the men's and women's programs at the University of Portland. While at UP, he led the Pilots women to the 2002 Division I NCAA Championship and compiled a combined 429-144-44 record while winning 13 conference titles, earning 20 NCAA tournament berths and making seven Final Four appearances.
During this time, Charles also founded FC Portland Academy in 1987, a youth club still operating today, and led countless soccer camps across the Portland area that helped grow the sport at a grassroots level.
He was an assistant coach on the 1998 U.S. Men's World Cup squad in France and was the head coach for the U.S. Men at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he became the first coach to lead a U.S. team to the medal round. The list of players and coaches he had an impact on across his career is long, including such stars as Christine Sinclair, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Shannon MacMillan, Brian Dunseth, Jeff Agoos, Tiffeny Milbrett, Kasey Keller, Steve Cherundolo, Josh Wolff, Ben Olsen, Frankie Hejduk, and many more.
Clive Charles helped lay the foundation for the Portland Timbers and soccer in the region. A Timbers Ring of Honor member, his No. 3 jersey is the only number to have been retired by the club.
From the Archives
Join us for the presentation of the Timbers All-Time XI on July 19 when the Timbers host Minnesota United!
Celebrating 50 years of the Timbers
Celebrating 50 years as a club, the Timbers honor the fan-vote, All-Time XI, Ring of Honor members and alumni from all eras. The match features a crossbody bag giveaway.
All-Time XI Eligibility:
The Timbers All-Time XI is comprised of one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three forwards – a 3-4-3 formation.
To be considered, fans voted on the 50 eligible players who met established criteria based upon career achievements as a Timbers player and were selected by a panel. Players had to meet one of the following criteria:
- Play a minimum of 100 league games for the club for field players; 50 league games for goalkeepers.
- Inducted into the Timbers Ring of Honor.
- Rank in the Top 5 (by era) in a career statistical category (games played, goals, assists, wins, shutouts, etc.) for the club.
- Be a key contributor in winning a championship or trophy.
- Receive league honors (All-League, Best XI, MVP, All-Star, Golden Boot, Rookie of the Year, etc.) as a member of the club.
