Mallett Joe Image 2 Southampton 1948

Description

Gateshead, County Durham born left half Joe Mallett began his football career as an inside right, initially with Dunston Colliery Works, from where he was signed at the age of seventeen by Second Division club Charlton Athletic to serve his apprenticeship under manager Jimmy Seed in November 1935. In May 1937 he went on loan to Third Division (South) club Queen’s Park Rangers and he made his Football League debut against Crystal Palace that October, scoring 4 goals in 32 appearances for Rangers before returning to now First Division Charlton, where he played twice for The Addicks in September 1938 before he re-joined QPR permanently in February 1939. However his career was then interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War, during which he served in the Royal Air Force and guested for Fulham and West Ham United, returning to QPR after the cessation of hostilities, playing for Rangers in the 1946 FA Cup and in the first post war peacetime season.

In February 1947 he transferred to Second Division club Southampton for a club record £5,000 after 15 goals in 92 matches for Rangers, and from the beginning of the following season he moved back to left half, where he played for the rest of his career. He missed just one match in 1948-49 and was an ever present in 1950-51, but lost his place in October 1952 during Southampton’s relegation season and joined Third Division (South) club Leyton Orient as player-coach in July 1953 after 3 goals in 223 matches for The Saints. He had two further seasons in East London, scoring once in 30 matches before his retirement from playing.

In 1959, he was reserve team coach at Nottingham Forest under Billy Walker and then Andy Beattie, where he brought on a succession of young players, including Ian Storey-Moore and David Pleat. In June 1964 he joined Birmingham City as coach, and a month later accepted the vacant managerial position. Although he was a proven technical coach with sound judgment of a player – he signed Geoff Vowden and Ron Wylie and gave Malcolm Page his debut – under his management Birmingham won only 13 out of 64 matches and were relegated from the First Division. He remained at the club as assistant manager under Stan Cullis from December 1965 to 1970.

When Cullis retired, Mallett went on to manage Panionios and coach at Apollon in the Greek Super League. Under his management, Panionios achieved their highest finishing position in Greek football (2nd in 1970-71) and won the 1971 Balkans Cup. From 1975 Mallett coached under Gordon Bradley at New York Cosmos in the NASL where he worked with players such as Pelé, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, rejoining Bradley at the Washington Diplomats in 1978, and later coached at San Jose Earthquakes. He also scouted for former club Southampton.