Quick Facts
Biography
Joseph Joshua "Joey" Williams (4 June 1902 – 1978) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Arsenal, Carlisle United, Huddersfield Town, Middlesbrough, Rotherham County and Stoke City.
Career
Williams was an outside forward who started out with his hometown club Rotherham County, playing over a hundred games. In summer 1924 he was signed by Huddersfield Town and won two First Division titles in 1924–25 and 1925–26. During the latter season he played 23 league games for Huddersfield before moving to Stoke City in March 1926, who were relegated from the Second Division the same season, making Williams the first player to win a League Championship medal and be relegated in the same season. 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. He played 20 times in 1927–28 as Stoke finished fifth and then scored a career best of seven in 1928–29.
In the summer of 1929, he toured South Africa with a FA XI, earning two caps but these are not official recognised as caps for England. On his return to England, in September 1929 he moved to Arsenal, signed by his former boss at Huddersfield Herbert Chapman, who had previously managed him at Huddersfield Town. He made his Arsenal debut in a 5–2 defeat at Aston Villa on 25 September 1929 and the following month played in the 1929 FA Charity Shield, for the Professionals against the Amateurs at The Den, which they won 3–0.
Williams played sixteen times in the 1929–30 season, and helped Arsenal on their run to the 1930 FA Cup Final but was injured in a match against Newcastle United at the start of April 1930 and consequently missed the final. Returning the following season, he made only nine appearance as understudy to Joe Hulme and Cliff Bastin, who had established themselves as first-choice wingers, and 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 moved to Middlesbrough and played there for four seasons, before ending his career at Carlisle United in 1935–36.
Career statistics
- Sourced from Joey Williams profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| 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
- Football League First Division champions: 1924–25, 1925–26
- Football League Third Division North champions: 1926–27
- Football League First Division champions: 1930–31