:Joe Wilson (footballer, born 1861)
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Joe Wilson
| image = Joe Wilson footballer.jpg
| image_size = 200
| fullname = Joseph James Wilson
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1861|1|8|df=y}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1952|10|20|1861|1|8|df=y}}
| death_place = Handsworth, England
| height =
| position = Outside left
| years1 = 1877–1880
| clubs1 = Hamstead Swifts
| years2 = 1880–1885
| clubs2 = Aston Unity
| years3 = 1885
| clubs3 = Stoke
| years4 = 1885–1886
| clubs4 = Walsall Town
| years5 = 1886–1887
| clubs5 = Aston Villa
| years6 = 1887
| clubs6 = Walsall Town
| years7 = 1887–1890
| clubs7 = West Bromwich Albion
| caps7 = 40
| goals7 = 4
| years8 = 1890–1891
| clubs8 = Kidderminster Harriers
| years9 = 1891–1892
| clubs9 = Birmingham St George's
}}
Joseph James Wilson (8 January 1861 – 20 October 1952) was an English footballer who played at outside left. During his 15-year playing career he represented several teams from the West Midlands region, both as an amateur and a professional. He gained an FA Cup winners medal with West Bromwich Albion and was the scorer of the club's first ever goal in The Football League.
Biography
Wilson was born in Handsworth, Birmingham and attended St Mary's Council School and Handsworth Grammar School. He began his football career during the amateur era, joining Hamstead Swifts in 1877 before transferring to Aston Unity three years later. In September 1885 he moved to Stoke, but did not remain at the club for long as later that year he began playing for Walsall Town, the club that later merged with Walsall Swifts to form Walsall F.C. Wilson signed for Aston Villa in August 1886 before re-joining Walsall Town twelve months later. He remained at the latter club for just one month, then turned professional with West Bromwich Albion in September 1887.{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | year = 2005 | page = 250 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4}}
He scored twice on his Albion debut against Wednesbury Old Athletic in October 1887, helping his club to a 7–1 victory in the FA Cup first round, and was a member of the team that beat Preston North End 2–1 in the 1888 FA Cup Final.{{cite book| last=Willmore | first=G.A. | title=West Bromwich Albion: The First Hundred Years | publisher=Readers Union | year=1980 |page=24}} 1888–89 was the first season of the newly formed Football League; Albion were one of the twelve founder members and travelled to Wilson's former club Stoke on 8 September 1888 for their first league fixture. In the final five minutes of the match, Wilson scored Albion's first ever league goal, which helped his team to achieve a 2–0 victory.{{cite book| last=McOwan | first=Gavin | title=The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion | publisher=Headline | year=2002 | pages=21–22| isbn=0-7553-1146-9}} Joe Wilson missed two of the "Throstles" 22 Football League matches and scored four goals in season 1888-89 and was part of a midfield that achieved a big (three goals or more) League win on two separate occasions.{{cite web | title= English National Football Archive| first=| last=| url=http://www.enfa.co.uk//| accessdate=25 March 2018}} (registration & fee required)
In August 1890, Wilson was transferred to Kidderminster Harriers, where he played for twelve months before a move to Birmingham St George's. He retired from playing football in April 1892 and from 1894 to 1910 was a Football League referee and linesman, officiating in First Division, Second Division and FA Cup matches, as well as at Non-League level. Wilson later worked as a goldsmith in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter for 25 years prior to the Second World War. He died in Acocks Green, Birmingham on 20 October 1952.
Described by one source as a smart, unobtrusive left-winger of dashing style and all-out aggression, Wilson kept defences on the alert with his cunning wing play.{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion 1878 - 2005 | publisher = Derby Books | year = 2012 | pages = 250 | isbn = 978-1-78091-154-0}}
Career statistics
{{Expand section|date=December 2013}}
Source:{{cite book | last=Matthews | first=Tony | title=West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record | publisher=Breedon Books |year=2007 | pages=174–177, 394, 428 | isbn=978-1-85983-565-4}}Statistics are incomplete, but are complete for Wilson's time at West Bromwich Albion. The original FA Cup game against Accrington on 18 January 1890 was declared void due to the state of the pitch; Wilson's goal and appearance in that match have been counted here but may not be counted in some other records.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps
!Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||
| rowspan="3" valign=top|West Bromwich Albion
|0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| 1888–89
|20 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 9 |
| 1889–90
|20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!40 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 20 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Joe}}
Category:Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football outside forwards
Category:Aston Unity F.C. players
Category:Stoke City F.C. players
Category:Aston Villa F.C. players
Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
Category:Kidderminster Harriers F.C. players
Category:Birmingham St George's F.C. players
Category:English Football League players