About Bill Joyce
Born 1877. Bill Joyce was a British association football player.
William Joyce (born 8 April 1877) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre-forward in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers and Burton United. He played in Thames Ironworks' final season before reforming as West Ham United, and also played for Morton, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and Motherwell.
Joyce started his career at Morton before moving to England and Bolton Wanderers in early 1895. He suffered a broken leg while with the club in 1896. He signed for Thames Ironworks for the 1899–1900 season (the club's last season before becoming West Ham United), along with Spurs colleagues Harry Bradshaw and Kenny McKay, and made 27 Southern League appearances for the club, scoring 8 goals. He also averaged a goal a game in seven FA Cup appearances that season. His three goals in a 5–1 test match victory, against Fulham at White Hart Lane on 30 April 1900, assured a league place for the successor club the following season.
Joyce went on to join Portsmouth as a replacement for Sandy Brown. At the time of the 1901 UK census he was living in the city with his wife, daughter and a boarder – fellow Pompey player Tom Wilkie. A year later, he moved to Burton United and made 29 appearances over two seasons. He later returned to Morton and played for Motherwell.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Bill Joyce?
Scottish footballer
When was Bill Joyce born?
Bill Joyce was born on 8 April 1877 in Prestonpans.
What was Bill Joyce's occupation?
Bill Joyce was an association football player.
What nationality was Bill Joyce?
Bill Joyce was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bill Joyce. https://biography.guide/bill-joyce/
MLA: "Bill Joyce." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bill-joyce/.
Chicago: "Bill Joyce." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bill-joyce/.
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