Sam Bartram was an outstanding goalkeeper and one of English football's best-loved players. Agile, skillful, courageous, and flamboyant, he was an inspiration to colleagues and fans, appearing in 800 matches for Charlton Athletic, helping the club from Third Division to the runners-up spot in the League Championship in consecutive seasons. All Charlton's greatest moments came with Bartram on the team, such as succesive FA Cup finals in the late 1940s, and he remained first choice for almost 22 years until his retirement in 1956.