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Joe
Reader |
West Bromwich
Albion FC
1 appearance,
2 goals against
P 1 W 0 D
1 L 0 F 2: A 2
50% successful
1894
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
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Timeline |
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Josiah Reader |
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Birth |
Tuesday, 27
February 1866 in Newhall Street, West Bromwich, Staffordshire |
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registered in West Bromwich January-March 1866. |
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Baptism |
Thursday, 3 May 1866 at All Saints' Church in West Bromwich |
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Education |
Attended Beeches Road School and
St Phillips School. |
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According to the 1871
census, Josiah is the fourth of five children to William and Mary (née
Bydall), they
live at Old Meeting Street in the Wednesbury area of West Bromwich. His
father is a labourer in the forge works. |
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According to the 1881
census, Josiah is now the younger of the two sons that remain at home with
their parents and a boarder, now at 26 Hargate Lane in Wednesbury, His
father is still a general labourer. |
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Marriage |
to Dorcas
Astbury, on 29 November 1890, at St. Andrew's Church, in West
Bromwich, Staffordshire. |
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registered in West Bromwich October-December 1890. |
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Children |
Joe and Dorcas Reader had three children together. Ivy Mary (b.1 June
1893), two others had died between census'. |
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According to the 1891
census, Josiah is a professional football player married to Dorcas and
living at 15 Trinity Road in West Bromwich. |
"TEETOTAL ATHLETES' TROPHIES.―AN
INTERESTING COLLECTION.
"There is an exhibition at the
Temperance Institute, Birmingham, a large collection of trophies won by
athletes who are pledged teetotalers. The three sons of Dr, Gray, of
Walsall, claim a table to themselves, so numerous are their prizes. Josiah
Reader, the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper, shows 15 gold and silver
medals and Staffordshire County and International appearances. T. Fletcher sends
from Manchester three Rugby football appearances, and English International
jersey, and four gold medals...One gentleman willing to have his joke at
Birmingham's expense, expressed disinclination to risk lending his
possessions to a city which lost the English Football Cup."
-
South Wales Daily News, Wednesday, 24 November 1897. |
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According to the 1901
census, Josiah still a professional footballer, still married, now with
one daughter, Ivy. They live at 11 Thynne Street in Sandwell. |
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"Joe Reader,
West Bromwich Albion's old custodian, who has been spending a few weeks at
Arley, on the Severn, has returned home, having practically recovered from
his serious illness." - Birmingham Daily Gazette, Friday, 29
November 1901. |
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According to the 1911
census, Josiah remains at home with his wife and daughter. The census
reveals that they had two more children that had died. Josiah is a County
Court Bailiff. They still live at 11 Thynne Street. |
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According to the 1921
census, Josiah, still a County Court Bailiff remains at home with his wife and
now-married daughter (to Harry Parkes and their daughter, Dorothy Mary). They still live at 11 Thynne Street. |
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"Albion Survivors
"The Albion's
party at Wembley of players who wore the colours of the club in their six
previous Final ties will number 21. Actually there are 23 survivors, of
whom ten figured in 1912 tie at the Crystal Palace. Harry Bell, who played
in 1892, is now in South Africa, and Roddy McLeod and Ezra Horton have not
been traced. The party includes Joe Reader, a noted goalkeeper in his day,
who has just retired as a county court bailiff. Jesse Pennington, Sid
Bowser, Claud Jephcott, Robert McNeal, and Hubert Pearson." -
Daily Herald, Friday, 17 April 1931. |
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According to the 1939 census, Josiah and
Dorcas are still married, living at 22A Stanway Road in West Bromwich.
Josiah is a retired County Bailiff.
(Dorcas died late 1940) |
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"Today, he
celebrates his 88th birthday, not unfortunately, in his home, where his
many well wishers would like to find him, but in Hallam Hospital, West
Bromwich, where he is recovering from an operation." -
Birmingham Daily Post, Saturday, 27 February 1954 |
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Death |
Monday, 8 March 1954
at Hallam Street Hospital on Hallam Street
in West Bromwich, Staffordshire. |
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aged
88 years 9 days |
registered in West Bromwich January-March 1954. |
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Obituary |
"Mr. Josiah Reader
"Mr. Josiah Reader, the last West
Bromwich Albion goalkeeper to wear long trousers, has died in Hallam
Hospital, West Bromwich, at the age of 88. He was associated with the
Albion for more than 60 years as a player and latterly as steward of the
directors' box in the stand. His playing career extended over 17 years,
and for 11 seasons, from 1889-90 to 1900-01, he was the recognised first
team goalkeeper. He played in one international match for England against
Ireland and kept goal for Albion in their two F.A. Cup finals against
Aston Villa―at the Oval in 1891-2, when Albion won 3―0, and at Crystal
Palace in 1894-5, when Villa won 1―0."
-
The Birmingham Post, Wednesday, 10 March 1954/Birmingham Weekly Post,
Friday, 12 March 1954. |
Funeral
Thursday, 11
March 1954
All
Saints' Parish Church,
West Bromwich |
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"The funeral service at All Saints' Parish
Church, West Bromwich, where Mr. Reader was at one time a member of the
Church Council and a sidesman." |
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Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
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Playing Career |
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Club(s) |
Played schoolboy and junior football before he joined Carters
Green FC. Joined West Bromwich Albion FC as an amateur in January 1885,
"making his first appearance on February 28, 1885," and
turned professional in August of the same year. At the end of the 1901-02
season, he was not being signed-on, resulting in his retirement. |
League History
315 appearances
one expulsion |
West Bromwich Albion FC 1889-1901 315
appearances.
debut: 26 October 1889 Aston Villa FC 1 West Bromwich
Albion FC 0.
last: 30 April 1901 West Bromwich Albion FC 0 Sheffield United FC 2. |
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Club honours |
Football League fifth place 1889-90 (5ᵃ);
FA Cup winners 1891-92
(7ᵃ),
runners-up 1894-95 (6ᵃ); |
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Individual honours |
Football League
(three appearances);
Staffordshire FA; |
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Distinctions |
Reader's Benefit Match was played between West Bromwich
Albion FC and Aston Villa FC in front of 3,000 on Monday, 18 October 1897.
Albion won 2-0.
His claim to fame in the early 20th century was to be
the last first-class goalkeeper to wear long trousers in goal. |
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Height/Weight |
6'
0", 12st.
2lbs [1892]. |
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Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & ENFA. |
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England Career |
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Player number |
One of
three who became the 211th
players (211) to appear for England |
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Position(s) |
Goalkeeper;
25th goalkeeper to appear |
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Only match |
No. 50, 3 March 1894, Ireland 2 England
2, a British Championship match at Cliftonville Gardens, Cliftonville, Belfast, aged
28 years
4 days. |
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Major tournaments |
British Championship 1893-94; |
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Team honours |
None |
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Individual honours |
None |
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Distinctions |
None |
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Beyond England |
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After retiring through illness, he
later served Albion as a trainer and coach, and then as a Hawthorns
steward until 1950, ending a 65 year association with the club. Also became a Bailiff for the county court. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.204. |
