Joe Fidler Explained

Joe Fidler
Fullname:Joseph Edward Fidler
Birth Date:1885
Birth Place:Sheffield, England
Height:5 ft 10 in[1]
Position:Full-back
Clubs1:South Street New Connexion
Years2:1903–1905
Clubs2:Sheffield United
Caps2:2
Goals2:0
Years3:1905–1906
Clubs3:Fulham
Years4:1906–1913
Clubs4:Queens Park Rangers
Caps4:165
Goals4:0
Years5:1913–1914
Clubs5:Woolwich Arsenal
Caps5:25
Goals5:0
Years6:1914–1915
Clubs6:Port Vale
Caps6:5
Goals6:0
Nationalteam1:Southern League XI
Nationalcaps1:1

Joseph Edward Fidler (1885–1948) was an English professional football left back who played in the Football League for Woolwich Arsenal and Sheffield United.[2]

Playing career

Fidler joined Sheffield United from South Street New Connexion, and played one First Division game in both the 1903–04 and 1904–05 seasons. He moved on to Fulham and then Queens Park Rangers, spending six years at QPR. He joined Woolwich Arsenal in February 1913. He played 13 games as the club was relegated out of the First Division and into the Second Division at the end of the 1912–13 campaign.[3] With Jack Peart out injured, he was partnered with Joe Shaw at full-back for the last 13 games of the 1912–13 season and first ten matches of the 1913–14 campaign, before he was dropped for England international Bob Benson.[4] He joined Port Vale of the Central League in summer 1914, but was unable to establish himself in the first-team at the Old Recreation Ground.[5]

Military service

In January 1915, he enlisted in the 17th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) to fight in World War I.[6] Due to the number of footballers who were placed there it was nicknamed the Football Battalion.[7]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sheffield United1903–04First Division100010
1904–05First Division100010
Total200020
Queens Park Rangers1906–07[8] Southern League First Division1800000180
1907–08[9] Southern League First Division330201[10] 0360
1908–09[11] Southern League First Division390301[12] 0430
1909–10[13] Southern League First Division390705[14] 0510
1910–11[15] Southern League First Division360102[16] 0390
1911–12[17] Southern League First Division70001080
1912–13[18] Southern League First Division50200070
Total17701501002020
Woolwich Arsenal1912–13[19] First Division130130
1913–14Second Division12000120
Total25000250
Port Vale1914–15Central League500050
Career total20901501002340
  1. News: The coming of the big ball: the Second Division: Woolwich Arsenal . Athletic News . Manchester . 18 August 1913 . 5 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription.
  2. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . Tony Brown . 2012 . 978-1905891610 . Nottingham . 97.
  3. Web site: Joe Fidler . Arsenal F.C. . 13 November 2017.
  4. Book: Matthews . Tony . Who's who of Arsenal . 2007 . Mainstream Publishing . Edinburgh . 9781845962326 . 14 April 2020.
  5. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 100. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.
  6. News: Pitching into the battle. Sheffield Telegraph. 16 January 2009. 13 November 2017.
  7. News: Cult Hero 60: Joe Fidler . 1 June 2020 . onevalefan.co.uk . 30 March 2016.
  8. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1906–07 . 21 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170908021501/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1906.xls . 8 September 2017 . dead .
  9. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1907–08 . 21 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140539/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1907.xls . 12 June 2018 . dead .
  10. Appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup.
  11. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1908–09 . 21 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141357/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1908.xls . 12 June 2018 . dead .
  12. Appearance in London Challenge Cup.
  13. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1909–10 . 21 November 2017 . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140805/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1909.xls . dead .
  14. 3 appearances in London Challenge Cup, 1 appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup, 1 appearance in London Professional Charity Fund.
  15. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1910–11 . 21 November 2017 . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141224/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1910.xls . dead .
  16. 1 appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup, 1 appearance in London Challenge Cup.
  17. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1911–12 . 21 November 2017 . 9 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190109062126/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1911.xls . dead .
  18. Web site: QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1912–13 . 21 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170201234449/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1912.xls . 1 February 2017 . dead .
  19. Web site: Joseph Edward Fidler. 11v11.com. 21 November 2017.