Joe Shaw (footballer, born 1928) explained

Joe Shaw
Full Name:Joseph Shaw
Birth Date:23 June 1928
Birth Place:Murton, England[1]
Death Place:Sheffield, England
Position:Defender / Midfielder
Youthclubs1:Upton Colliery
Years1:1945–1966
Clubs1:Sheffield United
Caps1:632
Goals1:7
Nationalteam1:Football League XI
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:?
Manageryears1:1967–1968
Manageryears2:1973–1976
Managerclubs2:Chesterfield

Joseph Shaw (23 June 1928 – 18 November 2007) was an English footballer who played for Sheffield United between 1945 and 1966. He also worked as a manager, being in charge of York City from 1967 to 1968 and Chesterfield from 1973 to 1976.

Career

Shaw made 714 appearances for Sheffield United in all competitions, including 632 in the League and 53 FA Cup ties, all three being club records. Shaw was a former Durham County schoolboy who joined United from Upton Colliery as an inside-forward and later successfully converted into a half back.

He played for United in two wartime fixtures in the Football League North during the 1944–45 season. The first game was a 3–1 victory over Huddersfield Town on 2 April 1945 when Shaw was just 16 years and 285 days old.

His League debut came in a Division One game against Liverpool on 30 August 1948, with United severely short of players, as a left-back. United lost 2–1, mainly against 10 men. Shaw was off the field with a bleeding nose when the first went in after around 21 minutes, missing a quarter of an hour of the first half and the majority of the second.

In the next few years he played at wing half and right half, but after two heavy defeats in season 1954–55, Reg Freeman decided to select him at centre half. He was described as hard-working, the pivot of United's "double banking" defensive system, where his lack of height never let him down owing to his superb anticipation and ability to read the game.

He was so successful that he was selected for the position for the Football League XI although the England cap that many thought he deserved was never awarded. In 1951, he also toured Australia with a Football Association team.

His 600th League appearance came on 6 February 1965 in a 2–1 victory over West Ham United and his last game was against the same team on 19 February 1966. He had three spells as team captain, 1954–1956, 1957 and 1964–1965.

He died at the age of 79 on 18 November 2007 in Sheffield.[2] In 2010, a statue of Shaw was erected at the Bramall Lane home of Sheffield United, to commemorate his service to the club.[3]

Career statistics

SeasonDivisionLeague
Apps
League
Goals
FA Cup
Apps
FA Cup
Goals
League Cup
Apps
League Cup
Goals
Other
Apps
Other
Goals
Total
Apps
Total
Goals
1944–45North22
1948–49One19221
1949–50Two372 32422
1950–51Two362 1372
1951–52Two391521462
1952–53Two423146
1953–54One35123401
1954–55One411143
1955–56One20121
1956–57Two 301132
1957–58Two 414348
1958–59Two 416249
1959–60Two 393244
1960–61Two 427150
1961–62One 375547
1962–63One 403144
1963–64One 4113441
1964–65One 25328
1965–66One 27229
Total 63275172417148

Managerial statistics

TeamNatFromToRecord
GWLDWin %
York City1 November 19671 August 196831913929.03
Chesterfield1 September 19731 October 197614354533636.87

Notes and References

  1. News: Blades legend dies at 79 . The Star . Sheffield . 19 November 2007 . 13 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161017144137/https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/blades-legend-dies-at-79-1-225844 . 17 October 2016 . dead .
  2. Web site: Passing of a Blade . Sheffield United F.C. . 18 November 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071206042405/http://www.sufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10418~1170574,00.html . 6 December 2007 . dead.
  3. Web site: From Portal to Plinth: The Sporting Statues Project . Joe Shaw . Sheffield Hallam University . 1 January 2020.