Johnson Joe Image 1 Stoke City 1935

Description

Grimsby, Lincolnshire born outside left Joe Johnson started his football career in the Midland League with Scunthorpe & Lindsey United in 1930 from where he was signed by Second Division Bristol City in 1931, making his Football League debut against Barnsley the same October and scoring once in 7 appearances, one of which was in a 0-0 draw with Stoke City on 16th April. He must have impressed, as he was signed by Stoke at the end of April 1932, making his Stoke debut in the last match of the 1931-32 season in a 1-0 victory over Bradford Park Avenue.

Described as “an immediate success”, he missed only one game the following season, scoring 15 goals as Stoke won the Second Division Championship and finishing as Stoke’s second top goalscorer. He played four more seasons in the First Division for The Potters before joining West Bromwich Albion in December 1937 after 57 goals in 193 appearances for Stoke City. But he couldn’t save Albion from relegation at the end of the season, although the following season he equalled his 15 goals of 1932-33 and 1936-37, scoring 4 goals in a win over Bury in March 1939. His Albion career was cut short by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, by when he had scored 22 goals in 60 appearances for The Baggies and after the War he joined non league Northwich Victoria in 1946, subsequently playing for Hereford United later in 1946 before his eventual retirement.