Joe Wright

Life and career Wright was born in Gateshead in 1907. He was playing North-Eastern League football for Birtley when signed by Leicester City in 1929. He played 15 First Division matches for Leicester as backup to Jim McLaren, the last of which was a 6–6 draw with Arsenal, before joining Torquay United in 1930 as a replacement for the retired Harold Gough and Archie Bayes. He missed just one match in the 1930–31 season and was an ever-present for the first 28 league fixtures of the following season, after which time Laurie Millsom took over as first choice. Wright joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 1932 as backup for Stan Webb, but his career was curtailed by ill-health and he retired in 1934 after 14 appearances in two seasons.

He returned to Torquay where he bought a hotel, but his health worsened and he died in Newton Abbot, Devon, in 1936 at the age of 29.