Joe Fidler

Joseph Edward Fidler (1885–1948) was an English professional football left back who played in the Football League for Woolwich Arsenal and Sheffield United.^[1]

Joe Fidler

Personal information
Full name	Joseph Edward Fidler[1]
Date of birth	1885
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Date of death	1948 (aged 62–63)[1]
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s)	Full-back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	South Street New Connexion
1903–1905	Sheffield United	2	(0)
1905–1906	Fulham
1906–1913	Queens Park Rangers	165	(0)
1913–1914	Woolwich Arsenal	25	(0)
1914–1915	Port Vale	5	(0)
International career
	Southern League XI	1
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sheffield United	1903–04[8]	First Division	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	1904–05[8]	First Division	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total		2	0	0	0	—		2	0
Queens Park Rangers	1906–07[9]	Southern League First Division	18	0	0	0	0	0	18	0
	1907–08[10]	Southern League First Division	33	0	2	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	36	0
	1908–09[11]	Southern League First Division	39	0	3	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	43	0
	1909–10[12]	Southern League First Division	39	0	7	0	5[lower-alpha 3]	0	51	0
	1910–11[13]	Southern League First Division	36	0	1	0	2[lower-alpha 4]	0	39	0
	1911–12[14]	Southern League First Division	7	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	8	0
	1912–13[15]	Southern League First Division	5	0	2	0	0	0	7	0
	Total		177	0	15	0	10	0	202	0
Woolwich Arsenal	1912–13[16]	First Division	13	0	—		—		13	0
	1913–14[16]	Second Division	12	0	0	0	—		12	0
	Total		25	0	0	0	—		25	0
Port Vale	1914–15[5]	Central League	5	0	0	0	—		5	0
Career total			209	0	15	0	10	0	234	0

1. Appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup.
2. Appearance in London Challenge Cup.
3. 3 appearances in London Challenge Cup, 1 appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup, 1 appearance in London Professional Charity Fund.
4. 1 appearance in Southern Professional Charity Cup, 1 appearance in London Challenge Cup.

References

1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 97. ISBN 978-1905891610.
2. "The coming of the big ball: the Second Division: Woolwich Arsenal". Athletic News. Manchester. 18 August 1913. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Joe Fidler". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
4. Matthews, Tony (2007). Who's who of Arsenal. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 9781845962326. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
5. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 100. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
6. "Pitching into the battle". Sheffield Telegraph. 16 January 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
7. "Cult Hero 60: Joe Fidler". onevalefan.co.uk. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
8. Joe Fidler at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
9. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1906–07". Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
10. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1907–08". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
11. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1908–09". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
12. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1909–10". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
13. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1910–11". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
14. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1911–12". Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
15. "QPRnet – Seasonal Stats – Files – 1912–13". Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
16. "Joseph Edward Fidler". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017.