On This Day – 9th May
Bernard Joy made his one and only appearance for England on this day in 1936. England lost in Brussels 3-2 but it is Joy’s appearance for England that made this end of season friendly go down in history.
At the time, Bernard Joy was registered at Casuals FC but had signed for Arsenal the year before. He had made his first-team debut for Arsenal in April 1936, a month before his England debut.
As he was still registered as a player for Casuals FC, Joy was the last amateur player to play for England!
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Joy’s playing career was to be cut short. He played for a few years after the War ended, retiring in December 1946. He kept playing for Casuals (who had now become Corinthian Casuals) until 1948.
After retiring, Joy moved into journalism, specifically as a football and tennis writer for The Star, Evening Standard and Sunday Express. He also wrote several football books.
It is almost certain that there never will be another semi-professional player who will play for England again. Because of this, Bernard Joy’s name will forever be in the history books!
About Author
