Josiah Barratt (21 February 1895 – April 1968) was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a winger for various clubs in the 1920s.

Playing career

Barratt was born in

Bulkington Bulkington is a large village and former civil parish near Bedworth, in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : In the 2011 census the ward had a population of 6,146 d ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

and played his early football with local side

Nuneaton Town Nuneaton Town Football Club is an English football club that was based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It withdrew from Southern League Premier Division Central on 18 January 2024 due to financial problems and faces liquidation. In 1889, Nuneaton S ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served with the

Royal Berkshire Regiment The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), by ...

and was a guest player for

Leicester Fosse Leicester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in the city of Leicester, East Midlands, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English f ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

. At the end of the war, he signed for Southampton in time for the first post-war season. Playing on the

right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...

, he only missed one game in Southampton's final season in the Southern League as he provided the crosses for the forwards,

Arthur Dominy Arthur Albert Dominy (11 February 1893 – 23 September 1974) was an English professional footballer, who played as an inside-forward, and football manager, spending most of his career with Southampton. Playing career Southampton He played h ...

and

Bill Rawlings William Ernest Rawlings (3 January 1896 – 25 September 1972) was an English footballer. A centre-forward, he scored more than 196 goals in 367 league games in a 15-year career. He began his career with Southampton in 1918, who were elevated f ...

to score. In 1920 Southampton, along with most Southern League clubs, joined the inaugural

Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 Football League, 1920–21 and again from 1958–59 Football League, 1958 until 1991–92 Football League, 1992. When the FA Premier League ...

. According to Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints", "his creative, storming runs down the right flank were most effective as Saints made the successful transition between the Southern League and Division Three". Barratt had the unusual habit of always playing with a piece of straw in his mouth. In March 1921, he was injured (to be replaced by

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the Protagonist, principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily newspaper, daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser", Charlie Brown ...

) and was unable to help in the run-in to the end of the season when Saints finished second, missing out on the only available promotion spot. For the following season, he reclaimed his place in the starting line-up from Brown and missed only a few games before he was suddenly transferred to

in March. At the time Southampton were leading the

Third Division South The Third Division South of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...

table and their fans were confident of gaining promotion. Manager

Jimmy McIntyre James Alfred McIntyre (31 October 1881 – 1954) was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham. Playing career McIntyre was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire. He was a journeyman player of some reput ...

shocked them by announcing a four player transfer, with wingers

Fred Foxall Frederick Howard Foxall (2 April 1898 – 17 June 1926) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left for various clubs in the 1920s. Playing career Foxall was born in Stourbridge, and signed for Aston Villa in 1914, but ...

and Barratt moving to Birmingham in exchange for

Jack Elkes Albert John "Jack" Elkes (31 December 1894 – 22 January 1972) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside left for various clubs between the two world wars. Playing career Elkes was born in Snedshill, Oakengates, Shropshir ...

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

) and

George Getgood George Getgood (15 November 1892 – 22 July 1970), also known as George Goodman, was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for various clubs in the 1920s. Playing career Getgood was born in Coylton, Ayrshire. He joi ...

(a half-back). In his three years at The Dell Barratt made 101 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals. Barratt played in 26 consecutive

First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...

games from his arrival at Birmingham until injury intervened in November 1922. He failed to regain a regular place, and in June 1923 joined

Pontypridd Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre. Geography Pontypridd comprises the ...

for one season, during which he helped the club to the championship of the

Welsh Football League The Welsh Football League (also known as the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) was a club football league in Wales. For its final season in 2019–20 season it operated at levels 3 and 4 of the Welsh football leag ...

. He returned to

the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...

with Lincoln City for two years, before spending 1926–27 with

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

. He then went back to his first club Nuneaton Town and also played for Coventry Colliery. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he joined

Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...

as a youth team coach. He died in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

in April 1968, aged 73.

Personal life

He was the father of

Harry Barratt Harold Barratt (25 December 1918 – 23 September 1989) was an English football player and manager. Barratt played in the Football League for Coventry City as a utility player, making 170 appearances between 1938 and 1952. He managed Footbal ...

, who played for

before becoming Gillingham manager.

Honours

Southampton *

Football League Third Division South The Third Division South of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...

champions: 1921–22

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barratt, Joe 1895 births 1968 deaths Military personnel from Warwickshire People from Nuneaton and Bedworth (district) English men's footballers Men's association football outside forwards Nuneaton Town F.C. players Southampton F.C. players Birmingham City F.C. players Pontypridd F.C. players Lincoln City F.C. players Bristol Rovers F.C. players Southern Football League players English Football League players British Army personnel of World War I Royal Berkshire Regiment soldiers Footballers from Warwickshire 20th-century English sportsmen