Horatio Stratton Carter better known as Raich Carter, was born on 21st December
1913, in Hendon, Sunderland, Tyne & wear. Raich Carter was a legend at
Sunderland Football Club. He was an obvious winner from the start being awarded
four England caps at schoolboy level in the 1926-28 period. Sunderland FC, ever
watchful for local talent, signed him on amateur forms following an unsuccessful
trial for Leicester City, from which he earned a professional engagement.
His widowed mother had been left with three young children, an uncle taking care
of the family and Raich joining the paid ranks enabled him to become the
family's main financial prop. He made his senior bow two months before his 19th
birthday. By the age of 24 he had won all of the then top honours available in
the English game. international caps, Inter-League, League .Championship and FA
Cup winner's medals. He shone at cricket, too and was awarded his county cap by
Durham county cricket club in 1932 when he made three appearances for
Derbyshire.
Raich Carter was a Sunderland lad who captained his home town club to the league
title and their first FA Cup final victory. He was the league's joint top scorer
with 31 goals during the title winning season and scored 3 in the cup run,
including the winner in the final. He married a few days before the final, and
when the Queen presented him with the Cup she said: "That will make a fine
wedding present."
Carter transferred to Derby County towards the end of the War, a club for whom
he had been a guest player while on RAF service. These guest appearances were
highlighted by an inside-forward partnership with Irish celebrity Peter Doherty,
who also moved 'permanently' to Derby in December 1945. The pair played a major
part in the Rams' annexation of the first post-war FA Cup.
Raich's next move as Hull City's player manager also produced a triumph as he
helped steer the club into Division Two via the 1948-49 Division Three (North)
Championship. He became a legend in Hull as elsewhere, the local papers coining
of the 'silver haired maestro' tag striking a true and lasting chord.
He led his new club, Derby County, to their first ever FA Cup. This made Carter
the only player to have won a Cup winner's medal either side of the War. His
departure from the club in September 1951 left them rudderless, and it was only
after he was persuaded to return as a player, that the Tigers managed to win
their battle against relegation.
At the age of nearly 40, he was still winning medals, this time in Ireland with
Cork. This also brought a tangible reward in the guise of a FA Cup-winner's
medal. It maintained his record of winning honours with every club he played
for. He then continued in the game on the management side. It was a high
standard to achieve in such a lengthy career but Carter would have accepted no
less. He set himself high standards and expected the same from others.
Raich was a legend of the game either side of the 2nd World War, not only for
the Lads, also with England, Derby County and as player manager of Hull City. As
a mark of his lasting fame a leisure centre, in his native Hendon, has recently
been named after him more than half a century after his last game for the club.
Trevor Brooking CBE officially opened the Raich Carter Sports Centre built just
a corner kick away from where he used to live in October. More than 60 guests
attended, including Raich's widow, Mrs Patricia Carter and family members, to
see the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at Sunderland's newest multi-purpose
sports centre.
Raich Carter was an aristocrat of the football world. So highly regarded was
this man that even his peers, often referred to him as the Maestro. One of the
most successful and happiest times of the Club's history can be linked to the
presence of a man whose hair was silver but whose talent was 24 carat gold.
Raich Carter died on the 9th October 1994, at Willerby, Hull, Yorkshire.
Raich Carter also had another claim to fame. After researching their family
tree, it seems a relative of Raich discovered that he was related to Captain
James Cook. Captain James Cook turned out to be Raich's great, great, great
uncle. The family connection story was covered by the Sunderland Echo.
