John Brian Walsh (26 March 1932 – January 2001) was an English professional footballer.
Career
Walsh began his career playing non-league football before joining
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
as an amateur in March 1949 before signing professional for the club five months later. He played a handful of friendlies for Arsenal before being called up for
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
in 1950. He returned to
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was situ ...
in 1952 and played regularly for the reserve side before making his debut on 26 September 1953 against
Cardiff City. He went on to make just seventeen league appearances for the club before leaving as part of a deal which saw Cardiff City players
Mike Tiddy
Michael Douglas Tiddy (4 April 1929 – 25 November 2009) was an English professional footballer and manager.
Career
Born in Cadgwith, Cornwall, Tiddy, the older of two footballing brothers joined Torquay United at the end of World War II but w ...
and
Gordon Nutt
Gordon Nutt (8 November 1932 – 25 February 2014) was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. Nutt played in the Football League for Coventry City, Cardiff City, Arsenal and Southend United, in the Netherlands for PSV Ei ...
move to London and Walsh move the other way to
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixture ...
.
He made his Cardiff debut in a 2–1 win over
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
and his performances on the wing saw him become popular with the Cardiff fans. He helped the club to two
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most ...
's, including scoring twice against Cardiff's archrivals
Swansea City in a
South Wales derby
The South Wales derby is a local derby between Welsh association football clubs Cardiff City and Swansea City. The fixture has been described by ''The Independent'' as one of the fiercest rivalries in British football. Although based in Wales, ...
final which ended 3–2 to the Bluebirds. In November 1961 he left Cardiff for £2,000 to sign for
Newport County and spent two years at
Somerton Park
Somerton Park was a football, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Newport, South Wales.
Football
In April 1912 Newport County had been accepted to play in the Southern League for the 1912–13 season. Shortly afterwards, the site ...
before retiring. He later went on to become an accountant, a profession he qualified for while playing in Cardiff.
Following his retirement from football he returned to live in South East England. Walsh died in Epsom on 19 December 2001.
Honors
;Cardiff City
*
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup ( cy, Cwpan Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most ...
Winner: 2
:: 1955–56, 1958–59
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Brian
1932 births
English footballers
Arsenal F.C. players
Cardiff City F.C. players
Newport County A.F.C. players
English Football League players
2001 deaths
Sportspeople from Aldershot
Men's association football wingers
Footballers from Hampshire