 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Joshua Powell[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1870 | ||
| Place of birth | Bristol, England | ||
| Date of death | (aged 26) | ||
| Place of death | Plumstead, London, England | ||
| Position | Right back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| South Staffordshire Regiment | |||
| 1892–1896 | Woolwich Arsenal | 86 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Joseph Joshua Powell (1870 – 29 November 1896) was an Englishfootballer who was captain ofWoolwich Arsenal in their first season of League football. He is one of the earliest footballers to die as a result of an injury incurred while playing.
Born inBristol in 1870,[2] Powell had joined theArmy as a young man, and served for six years in theSouth Staffordshire Regiment.[3] He played football for the regimental team, and impressed enough in a match against the thenRoyal Arsenal in October 1892 that the club bought him out of the Army and signed him as a professional that December.[2] Having turned professional, Arsenal had been shunned by many other clubs and county associations, and only competed inFA Cup matches and friendlies. A strong and purposefulright back, Powell immediately became a regular in the Arsenal side.
In 1893 Royal Arsenal were accepted into theFootball League and joined theSecond Division under the new name of Woolwich Arsenal. Powell captained the side in its inaugural match againstNewcastle United on 2 September 1893.[2] He went on to play in all but two of the club's League matches that season, and was a near ever-present for the next two seasons as well (missing three and five games respectively).[4] He scored his first and only League goal for Arsenal in a 5–0 victory overLoughborough on 4 January 1896.[4]
In aUnited League match againstKettering on 23 November 1896, Powell broke his arm/wrist, subsequently contractingblood poisoning andtetanus. Powell was too ill to travel toGuy's Hospital, so the surgeons had to come to his home to remove his arm. Despite having the armamputated, he died six days after his injury at hisPlumstead home at the age of 26.[3][4] An inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death, with no blame attached to anyone involved.[1] He had played 92 League andFA Cup matches for the club.[4]
