Joe James

Joseph James (13 January 1910 – January 1993) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford as a centre half.

In 2013, James placed third in a Football League 125th Anniversary poll of Brentford's best ever captains. He is a member of the Brentford Hall of Fame and made over 250 appearances for the club.

Career Early years Born in Battersea, James began playing football as a youth for local club Battersea Church. Though not awarded a contract, James became the assistant groundsman at the club's Griffin Park stadium. James averaged just over 41 appearances a season in the First Division (many of them as captain) and was part of the team which finished fifth in 1935–36 (Brentford's highest-ever finish in the pyramid) and which topped the table for nearly half of the 1937–38 season. James' final professional appearance for the Bees came on 19 August 1939, in a 5–1 Football League Jubilee Fund defeat to Chelsea.

The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 saw competitive football suspended for the duration of hostilities. James remained with Brentford during the war and captained the team to the 1941–42 London War Cup, winning the trophy at the second time of asking. James played on until February 1944, when he retired after suffering a broken wrist in a 5–3 defeat to Charlton Athletic. In a Football League 125th anniversary poll, James was ranked by the Bees supporters as the club's third best-ever captain and was one of the first inductees to the Brentford Hall of Fame in 1991.

Colchester United After the war, James, now in his mid-thirties, signed for Colchester United of the Southern League. an 8–0 defeat at the hands of Bath City. He made a total of 9 appearances for Colchester.

Personal life James died in January 1993. Third Division South

1932–33 0 40 0 1938–39 First Division 39 0 1 0

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240!!2!!12!!0!!1!!0!!253!!2 Colchester United 1945–46 Southern League 9 0

9 0

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Honours Brentford London Combination: 1931–32, 1932–33 Football League Second Division: 1934–35 London Challenge Cup: 1934–35 London War Cup: 1941–42

Individual Brentford Hall of Fame