Joseph Robinson Nicholson (born 4 June 1898 in

Ryhope Ryhope ( ) is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, measured at 10.484 in the 2011 census, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of S ...

, died 1974) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

professional footballer. He is most famous for playing for

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...

in the

1925 FA Cup Final The 1925 FA Cup Final was an association football match contested by Sheffield United and Cardiff City on 25 April 1925 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The final was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the ...

Career

After playing for local sides in his hometown of

, Nicholson began his

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

career in 1919 when he joined

Clapton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profess ...

, where he went on to play in nearly 150 games for the club. In 1924, Nicholson joined

, competing with

Harry Wake Henry Williamson Wake (born 21 January 1901 — 1981) was an English people, English professional footballer. He is most famous for playing for Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City in the 1925 FA Cup Final and being part of the team that won the 1927 ...

for the right-half position before being moved to centre-forward, in place of the injured

Len Davies Leonard Stephen Davies (28 April 1899 – 1945) was a Welsh professional footballer. Born in Cardiff, he trained as a marine engineer before becoming a footballer, making his senior debut for his hometown club Cardiff City in 1919 in the South ...

, and his performances in attack helped the club reach the

, Nicholson scoring against

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...

in the semi-final. At the end of the following season, Nicholson left Cardiff in a swap deal to sign for

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...

which saw George Blackburn move 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 ...

in return. However his spell at Aston Villa was cut short due to injury and he moved into non-league football.

References

; Sources *

External links

Joe Nicholson profile
at Aston Villa Player Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Joe 1898 births 1974 deaths English men's footballers Leyton Orient F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Aston Villa F.C. players English Football League players Date of death missing Men's association football wing halves Men's association football forwards People from the City of Sunderland