Joe Bailey (English footballer)

Walter George Bailey DSO, MC and two Bars (9 February 1890 – 20 July 1974), known as Joe Bailey, was an English professional football inside forward who made over 180 appearances in the Southern League and the Football League for Reading.[4][5][6][7] He represented England at amateur level and was an all-round sportsman,[8] playing cricket for Berkshire and Oxfordshire, hockey for Oxfordshire and later coaching cricket.[9][10]

Joe Bailey
Personal information
Full name Walter George Bailey[1]
Date of birth (1890-02-09)9 February 1890
Place of birth Thame, England
Date of death 20 July 1974(1974-07-20) (aged 84)[2]
Place of death Dorset, England[3]
Playing position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1910 Thame United
1910–1911 Nottingham Forest 4 (1)
1911 Oxford City
1911–1921 Reading 186 (77)
1921–1922 Boscombe
Sittingbourne
National team
1912 England Amateurs 2 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Personal life

Bailey attended Lord Williams's Grammar School and prior to becoming a professional footballer, he worked as a draper's assistant.[3] In 1921, Bailey retired from professional football to coach cricket at Warwick School.[10] He also became a freemason and later served as a company commander in the Dorset Home Guard during the Second World War.[3][10]

First World War

In December 1914, four months after the outbreak of the First World War, Bailey enlisted as a lance corporal in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.[11] The battalion arrived on the Western Front in November 1915 and he was lightly wounded in the face by a rifle grenade in trenches near Calonne-sur-la-Lys in February 1916.[12] In June 1916, Bailey was evacuated back to Britain after a hand, which he had cut on barbed wire,[13] turned septic.[4] After recovering,[13] Bailey was commissioned into the Norfolk Regiment in August 1917 and returned to the front.[11] Bailey was serving as a temporary second lieutenant, attached to the Suffolk Regiment, when he was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on 28 March 1918:[14]

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the line had to be reformed under heavy machine-gun fire, this officer moved about, placing the men in the best positions. He then made several journeys to an ammunition dump in front of the line, bringing back ammunition which was much needed. He also brought back a man who was lying wounded in the open.

Bailey was awarded a bar to his Military Cross for his actions on 21 August 1918:[14]

For conspicuous gallantry during an advance. Accompanied by one orderly he rushed a machine-gun post which was holding up the advance of the battalion, and captured 1 officer, 23 men, and 2 machine guns. Later in the day he made a reconnaissance under very heavy fire, and brought back information as to the position of the battalion. Two days later, accompanied by his orderly and two other men, he went forward and attacked two enemy machine guns, scattering the crews and killing several. His utter disregard of danger was magnificent.

He was awarded a second bar to his Military Cross for his actions on 8 October 1918:[14]

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Seranvillers on October 8th, 1918. He assembled the troops, and afterwards with a few scouts moved forward with the attack, He cleared the village and, with four men, captured prisoners and machine guns. He reorganised men of the battalion who had lost their companies and then went out and ascertained the enemy's dispositions under very heavy machine-gun and shell fire. Greatly owing to his gallant and determined leadership all objectives were gained.

On 3 October 1919, Bailey would receive the Distinguished Service Order for his actions on 23 October 1918:

For conspicuous gallantry and able leadership as Battalion Intelligence Officer at Romeries, Escarmain and Beaudignies on 23 October 1918. He went forward and found that a company had become disorganised owing to the loss of all its officers, and was hesitating to go forward. He immediately took command, rallied the men, and succeeded in getting them to their objective under heavy shell fire. Later, he led them in the assault on the final objective. He showed great skill in consolidating the positions gained and in the disposal of his force.

After the armistice, Bailey was held in such high regard by his regiment that he was sent back to Britain to collect his battalion's Colours and bring them to Germany.[10] He was promoted to a lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment in February 1919 and later an acting captain in March 1919.[11] Bailey was mentioned in dispatches on 8 July 1919.[14]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nottingham Forest 1910–11[2] First Division 4 1 0 0 4 1
Reading 1920–21[15] Third Division 41 17 0 0 41 17
Total 186 77 0 5 186 82
Career total 190 78 0 5 190 83

Honours
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References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 14. ISBN 190589161X.
  2. "The City Ground". www.thecityground.com. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  3. "Walter George Bailey". Old Tamensians Association. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. "Reading | Club | History | History | Our World War One heroes". Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  5. "Bailey Walter George "Joe" Image 1 Reading 1921". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  6. "OUR HER-O's: Introducing the Orient players and staff that saw action in WWI". www.leytonorient.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  7. BucksRoyal (11 November 2018). "The Story Of Joe "Bubbles" Bailey". The Tilehurst End. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  8. "England Matches – The Amateurs 1906–1939". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  9. Riddoch, Andrew; Kemp, John; Holmes, Richard (20 November 2008). When the Whistle Blows: The Story of the Footballers' Battalion in the Great War (1st ed.). Sparkford: Haynes Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 9781844256563.
  10. Riddoch, Kemp & Holmes 2008, p. 259.
  11. "Military Cross & MC". www.iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  12. Riddoch, Kemp & Holmes 2008, p. 90.
  13. Riddoch, Kemp & Holmes 2008, p. 106.
  14. "Walter George Bailey | Service Record | Football and the First World War". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  15. "Top Scorers". www.royalsrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  16. Low, Jonathan (8 April 2017). "STAR induct 13 new names into Reading FC's Hall of Fame". getreading. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
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