Charles Cotton

Cotton started 1903/04 in Hammers' goal after joining pre-season from Reading. He played nine games for West Ham before his differences with the club's directors led to his transfer to Liverpool. He made 13 League appearances in a season which was to end in relegation to the Second Division. Peter Platt had been first-choice 'keeper at the start of that season but Cotton came into the side for the away fixture against Wolves on 28 December 1903 and kept his place until the Goodison derby on April Fools' Day. Everton thrashed Liverpool 5-2 and even though Cotton had conceded just a goal on average in the 11 matches that preceded the Goodison humiliation, Platt was brought back for the last three matches of the season. But neither man would represent the club again as Ned Doig was given the goalkeeper's jersey at the start of 1904/05 when Cotton had returned to West Ham.

Cotton started the 1909/10 season in goal for Southend in the Southern league but developed Bright's disease, an infection in the kidneys, and died on 3 January 1910.