Joe Johnson (footballer, born 1911)

{{short description|English footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Joe Johnson

| image =

| fullname = Joseph Alfred Johnson

| birth_date = 4 April 1911

| birth_place = Grimsby, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|8|8|1911|4|4|df=y}}

| death_place = West Bromwich, England

| position = Outside-left

| height = 5 ft 6+1/2 in{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-dispatch-football-guide-1936-v-di/134566111/ |title=Stoke City. Record-breaking staff re-engaged for this season |newspaper=Sunday Dispatch Football Guide |location=London |date=23 August 1936 |page=vi |via=Newspapers.com}}

| years1 = 1929 | clubs1 = Scunthorpe & Lindsey United | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1929–1931 | clubs2 = Bristol City | caps2 = 7 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1931–1937 | clubs3 = Stoke City | caps3 = 184 | goals3 = 54

| years4 = 1937–1939 | clubs4 = West Bromwich Albion | caps4 = 52 | goals4 = 22

| years5 = 1946 | clubs5 = Northwich Victoria | caps5 = | goals5 =

| years6 = 1946 | clubs6 = Hereford United | caps6 = | goals6 =

| totalcaps = 243 | totalgoals = 76

| nationalyears1 = 1936–1937| nationalteam1 = England| nationalcaps1 = 5| nationalgoals1 = 2

}}

Joseph Alfred Johnson (4 April 1911 – 8 August 1983) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Bristol City, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion as well as the England national team.{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}{{cite book|title=Stoke City 101 Golden Greats|year=2002|publisher=Desert Islands Books|isbn=1-874287554}}

Club career

Johnson was born in Grimsby and began working as a fishmonger whilst playing amateur football with Cleethorpes Royal Saints and then Scunthorpe & Lindsey United before being spotted by Second Division Bristol City in July 1929. He broke into the side in making his debut in the 1931–32 season. Bristol City were having a terrible campaign winning just three of their first 32 games before the club fell into severe financial difficulties and put their entire squad up for sale. Stoke City visited Ashton Gate on 16 April 1932 and the Bristol directors desperate for funds told the Stoke board they could buy whoever they wanted. Manager Tom Mather singled out their young left winger Johnson and signed him for a mere £250.

Johnson quickly took the place of the ageing Bobby Archibald and soon made an impression with the pace running up and down the left wing. With Stanley Matthews on the right wing Stoke had one of the best pairing of wingers in the country and he scored 15 times in 43 games in 1932–33 as Stoke won the Second Division title. He remained a key player in Stoke's forward line for the next four seasons and earned international recognition. He suffered an ankle injury on the opening day of the 1937–38 season and Stoke manager Bob McGrory decided to sell him to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £6,500.

Johnson spent nine years with the Baggies and during World War II he guested for Crewe Alexandra, Leicester City and Notts County. After the war he played for Northwich Victoria and Hereford United and later ran a refreshment area in Dartmouth Park, close to the Hawthorns. He died in West Bromwich in August 1983 at the age of 72.

International career

Johnson made his England debut against Ireland at Stoke's Victoria Ground. He went on to earn caps against Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. He scored his two goals in the games against Sweden and Finland.[http://www.thefa.com/England/MensSeniorTeam/Archive.aspx?p=334419 "Joseph Johnson- Profile at The FA.Com "], Retrieved on 15 December 2009

Career statistics

=Club=

Source:{{ENFA}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

!rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|FA Cup

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bristol City

|1931–32

|Second Division

|7

00070
rowspan="8"|Stoke City

|1931–32

|Second Division

|1

00010
1932–33

|Second Division

|41

15204315
1933–34

|First Division

|36

841409
1934–35

|First Division

|38

11103911
1935–36

|First Division

|31

700317
1936–37

|First Division

|36

13223815
1937–38

|First Division

|1

00010
colspan=2|Total

!184

549319357
rowspan="3"|West Bromwich Albion

|1937–38

|First Division

|18

720207
1938–39

|Second Division

|34

15303715
colspan=2|Total

!52

22505722
colspan=3|Career total

!243

7614325779

=International=

Source:{{NFT player |id=32475 |name=Johnson, Joe}}

class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan=2|England

|1936

10
193742
colspan=2|Total52

References