Charlie Aitken (footballer, born 1942)

Charles Alexander Aitken (1 May 1942 – 29 October 2023) was a Scottish footballer most associated with Aston Villa. Aitken is the West Midlands club's all-time record appearance-maker, having played 660 times for them. A left-back, he joined Villa as a youth in 1959. He debuted for the first team in the 1960-61 season and played for the club until 1976, before embarking on a one-year spell with the New York Cosmos where he made 24 appearances.

Aitken played for Villa in the top three tiers of English football, winning the Third Division and the League Cup during his time at the club. He also scored 16 goals for Villa and was capped by the Scotland Under-23s.

Aitken's 660 games have him atop Villa's appearance charts, with Billy Walker on 531 and Gordon Cowans on 527.

Charlie Aitken died on 29 October 2023, at the age of 81.