Joseph Joshua Williams (4 June 1902 – 1978) was an English footballer. Williams featured for clubs Arsenal, Carlisle United, Huddersfield Town, Middlesbrough, Rotherham County and Stoke City in his playing career.[1]

Joey Williams
Personal information
Full name Joseph Joshua Williams[1]
Date of birth 4 June 1902[1]
Place of birth Rotherham, England[1]
Date of death 1978 (aged 76)[1]
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)[2]
Position(s) Outside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1921–1924 Rotherham County 95 (7)
1924–1926 Huddersfield Town 58 (6)
1926–1929 Stoke City 82 (17)
1929–1932 Arsenal 22 (5)
1932–1935 Middlesbrough 78 (11)
1935–1936 Carlisle United 20 (2)
Total 355 (48)
International career
1929 FA XI 2 (?)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Williams was an outside forward who started out with his hometown club Rotherham County, for whom he played over a hundred games. In the summer of 1924 he was signed by Huddersfield Town. At Huddersfield he won two First Division titles in 1924–25 and 1925–26. During the 1925–26 season he played 23 league games for Huddersfield. Williams then moved to Stoke City in March 1926, of whom were relegated from the Second Division.[1] He helped Stoke gain an instant return to the Second Division winning the Third Division North in 1926–27 as he scored six goals in 31 appearances. Williams thus became the first player to be relegated and win a League Championship medal in the same season.[1] He was capped 20 times in 1927–28 as Stoke finished fifth. He then scored a career best of seven goals in the following season.[1]

In the summer of 1929, he toured South Africa with an FA XI, earning two caps. On his return to England in September 1929 he moved to Arsenal, being signed by his former boss at Huddersfield Herbert Chapman. Williams made his Arsenal debut in a 5–2 defeat at Aston Villa on 25 September 1929. The following month he played in the 1929 FA Charity Shield, for the Professionals against the Amateurs at The Den, which the Professionals won 3–0.[3]

Williams played sixteen times in the 1929–30 season, and helped Arsenal on their run to the 1930 FA Cup final. He was unfortunately injured in a match against Newcastle United at the start of April 1930 and consequently missed the cup final. Returning the following season, he made only nine appearances. These came as an understudy to Joe Hulme and Cliff Bastin who had established themselves as first-choice wingers, and he thus missed out on a third Championship medal. Williams made one more appearance for Arsenal before leaving in March 1932; in total he played 26 games for Arsenal, scoring five goals.

Williams then joined up with Middlesbrough who he played with for another four seasons. He then ended his playing days at Carlisle United in the 1935–36 season.

Career statistics

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Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rotherham County 1921–22 Second Division 21 2 2 0 23 2
1922–23 Second Division 32 2 1 0 33 2
1923–24 Third Division North 42 3 3 1 45 4
Total 95 7 6 1 101 8
Huddersfield Town 1924–25 First Division 35 0 1 0 36 0
1925–26 First Division 23 6 1 0 24 6
Total 58 6 2 0 60 6
Stoke City 1925–26 Second Division 11 2 0 0 11 2
1926–27 Third Division North 28 6 3 0 31 6
1927–28 Second Division 20 2 0 0 20 2
1928–29 Second Division 23 7 1 0 24 7
Total 82 17 4 0 86 17
Arsenal 1929–30 First Division 12 3 4 0 16 3
1930–31 First Division 9 2 0 0 9 2
1931–32 First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 22 5 4 0 26 5
Middlesbrough 1931–32 First Division 11 1 0 0 11 1
1932–33 First Division 30 6 4 1 34 7
1933–34 First Division 23 3 1 0 24 3
1934–35 First Division 14 1 2 1 16 2
Total 78 11 7 2 85 13
Carlisle United 1935–36 Third Division North 16 1 1 0 17 1
1936–37 Third Division North 4 1 0 0 4 1
Total 20 1 1 0 21 1
Career Total 355 48 24 3 380 51

Honours

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Huddersfield Town
Stoke City
Arsenal

References

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Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "Optimists of the North. Rotherham County". Athletic News. Manchester. 6 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Professionals v. Amateurs – selected teams for annual match". Derby Daily Telegraph. 26 September 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ Joey Williams at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
General
  • Ian Thomas, Owen Thomas, Alan Hodgson, John Ward (2007). 99 Years and Counting: Stats and Stories. Huddersfield Town A.F.C. ISBN 978-0955728105.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.