Roger Joseph Explained

Roger Joseph
Fullname:Roger Anthony Joseph
Birth Date:1965 12, df=y
Birth Place:Paddington, England
Position:Right back
Youthyears1:–1983
Youthclubs1:Brentford
Youthyears2:1983–1984
Youthclubs2:Southall
Years1:1984–1988
Clubs1:Brentford
Caps1:105
Goals1:2
Years2:1988–1996
Clubs2:Wimbledon
Caps2:162
Goals2:0
Years3:1995
Clubs3:Millwall (loan)
Caps3:5
Goals3:0
Years4:1996
Clubs4:Chelsea
Caps4:0
Goals4:0
Years5:1996–1997
Clubs5:Leyton Orient
Caps5:14
Goals5:0
Years6:1997
Clubs6:West Bromwich Albion
Caps6:2
Goals6:0
Years7:1997–2000
Clubs7:Leyton Orient
Caps7:53
Goals7:0
Years8:2001
Clubs8:Southall
Caps8:0
Goals8:0
Years9:2001–2002
Clubs9:King's Lynn
Caps9:5
Goals9:0
Years10:2003
Clubs10:AFC Wimbledon
Caps10:0
Goals10:0
Years11:2003–2004
Clubs11:Leatherhead
Years12:2004
Clubs12:Southall
Caps12:2
Goals12:0
Years13:2004–2005
Clubs13:AFC Wimbledon
Caps13:0
Goals13:0
Nationalyears1:1991
Nationalteam1:England B
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:0

Roger Anthony Joseph (born 24 December 1965) is an English former professional footballer who played as a right back, best remembered for his time in the Football League with Wimbledon and Brentford. He won two caps for England B at international level.

Club career

Brentford

Joseph began his career alongside his older brother Francis at Third Division club Brentford and rejoined the club in October 1984, after having been released as a junior and then playing non-League football for Southall.[1] He made his senior debut on the final day of the 1984–85 season in a 1–1 draw with Millwall and attempted to establish himself as the club's first choice right back during the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons,[2] before excelling in 1987–88 and winning Brentford's Players' Player of the Year award. His performances also saw him voted into the Third Division PFA Team of the Year and he became the first Brentford player to receive the accolade. He departed Griffin Park for a club record £150,000 fee in August 1988, having made 122 appearances and scored two goals for the Bees.

Wimbledon

Joseph signed for First Division club and reigning FA Cup holders Wimbledon in August 1988 for a £150,000 fee. He began his time with the Dons as a regular but drifted out of contention by the 1993–94 season, making just 13 league appearances, before managing just three appearances in the following season (ending the season on loan at First Division club Millwall) and remaining absent for the entirety of 1995–96.[3] Joseph was released in May 1996 after making 199 appearances without scoring.

Later career

Joseph had a spell with Premier League club Chelsea during the early months of the 1996–97 season and made five appearances for the club's reserve team.[4] He joined Third Division club Leyton Orient on a non-contract basis on 22 November 1996 and made 14 appearances before joined First Division club West Bromwich Albion on non-contract terms on 28 February 1997.[5] He made just two substitute appearances in March 1997, before departing the club at the end of the 1996–97 season.

Joseph returned to Leyton Orient on 3 August 1997. He was a regular pick during the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons and helped Orient to the 1999 Third Division play-off final, which was lost 1–0 to Scunthorpe United. Joseph made just one appearance during the 1999–00 season and was released at the end of the campaign, after making 77 appearances across his two spells at Brisbane Road.

Non-League football

After his release from Leyton Orient, Joseph dropped into non-League football and played for King's Lynn, Leatherhead and had two spells with former club Southall.[6] [7] He had two spells with AFC Wimbledon during the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons and though he did not make any competitive appearances, he became one of the first players to play for both Wimbledon and its phoenix club.[8]

International career

Joseph won two England B caps during the second half of the 1990–91 season, starting in wins over Iceland and Switzerland B.[9]

Personal life

Joseph is of Dominican descent.[10] His brother Francis and nephew Zak are also footballers.[11] Prior to his return to professional football with Brentford in 1984, Joseph worked as a painter and decorator.

Career statistics

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Brentford1984–85Third Division1000000010
1985–86281002030331
1986–87331102030381
1987–88430102030490
Total10522060901222
Wimbledon1988–89First Division310000000310
1989–90190000000190
1990–91380000000380
1991–92260000000260
1992–93Premier League3200000320
1993–941301010150
1994–9530002030
Total1620120190601990
Millwall (loan)1994–95First Division5050
Leyton Orient1996–97Third Division14000140
West Bromwich Albion1996–97First Division2020
Leyton Orient1997–98Third Division25010301[12] 0300
1998–9927010202[13] 0320
1999–001000000010
Total670205030770
King's Lynn2001–02Southern League Premier Division500050
Career total35801603001804220
  1. Book: Haynes, Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 978-0955294914 . Harefield . 90.
  2. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 398–399.
  3. Web site: Roger Joseph . 21 December 2016 . 11v11.com.
  4. Web site: 1996–97 season London Combination League . 5 November 2015 . TheChels.info – The Chelsea Football Club Wiki.
  5. Book: Croxford, Mark . The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties . Lane . David . Waterman . Greville . Legends Publishing . 2011 . 978-1906796716 . Sunbury, Middlesex . 352–353.
  6. Web site: Player Details: Season 2001-2002 Roger Joseph . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180118182206/http://soccerfactsuk.co.uk/s2001/player_details.php?playerid=6377 . 18 January 2018 . 18 January 2018 . SoccerFacts UK.
  7. Web site: Roger Joseph . 5 November 2015 . footballdatabase.eu.
  8. Web site: AFC Wimbledon Player Profile Roger Joseph . 5 November 2015 . www.wimbledonheritage.co.uk . 20 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220063253/http://www.wimbledonheritage.co.uk/players.php?Psection_id=3&Psub_section_id=3&apps=1&player_id=157&squad=37&position=Defender . dead .
  9. Web site: England – International Results B-Team – Details . 5 November 2015 . RSSSF.
  10. Web site: Kings of the Castle: Francis Joseph . 5 September 2022 . www.brentfordfc.com . en-gb.
  11. Web site: Ex-Sheffield United and Reading striker inspires son . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812070438/http://www.getbucks.co.uk/sport/football/news/ex-sheffield-united-reading-striker-inspires-6708743 . 12 August 2014 . 5 November 2015 . getbucks.
  12. Appearances in Football League Trophy
  13. Appearances in Third Division play-offs

Honours