Joe Mallett
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Mallett was an English professional footballer who spent much of his early playing career at Queens Park Rangers
and subsequently at Southampton
(playing as a wing half
). He later became a coach
, manager and scout
.
, Mallett was spotted playing for the Dunston
Colliery works team by a London scout, and was signed at the age of seventeen by Charlton Athletic
to serve his apprenticeship under manager Jimmy Seed
. He had not made any first team appearances before Charlton (then in the First Division
) loaned him to Third Division South
team Queens Park Rangers
to gain experience in April 1937. He remained at QPR until May 1938, making 31 appearances before returning to Charlton, where he appeared twice in the 1938–39 season. In February 1939 Rangers persuaded Charlton to sell him; he was becoming a first-team regular at QPR before his career was interrupted by conscription
into the RAF in World War II
. During the war he guested for Fulham
and West Ham
, returning to QPR after the cessation of hostilities.
In February 1947 Bill Dodgin
signed him for Southampton
for a club record £5000. Although now aged 31, Mallett proved to be a bargain purchase – he was "a strong link between the defence and attack, and was particularly sound in his positional play." He made his debut away to Plymouth Argyle
on 1 March 1947, scoring one of Saints’ goals and making the other in a 3-2 defeat. He soon became the team’s captain and had "forthright views on how the game should be played". Team-mate Alf Ramsey
described him as "having one of the finest of all soccer brains".
When Dodgin left the Saints in August 1949 to be replaced by Sid Cann
, Mallett became restless and in January 1950 he put in a transfer request in the hope of receiving a coaching position. The board persuaded him to stay and he remained loyal to Southampton, playing regularly until his last game, away to Nottingham Forest
on 29 April 1953. During his Southampton career he made 223 appearances, scoring three goals.
as player-coach, where he was re-united with former QPR team-mate Alec Stock
. In 1959, he was reserve team coach at Nottingham Forest
under Billy Walker
and then Andy Beattie
, where he brought on a succession of young players, including Ian Storey-Moore
and David Pleat
.
In June 1964 he joined Birmingham City
as coach, and a month later accepted the vacant managerial position. Although he was a proven technical coach with sound judgment of a player – he signed Geoff Vowden
and Ron Wylie
and gave Malcolm Page
his debut – under his management Birmingham won only 13 out of 64 matches and were relegated from the First Division
. He remained at the club as assistant manager under Stan Cullis
from December 1965 to 1970.
When Cullis retired, Mallett went on to manage Panionios and coach at Apollon
in the Greek Super League
. From 1975 he coached under Gordon Bradley
at New York Cosmos
in the NASL
where he worked with players such as Pele
, Johan Cruyff
and Franz Beckenbauer
, rejoining Bradley at the Washington Diplomats
in 1978, and later coached at San Jose Earthquakes
. He also scouted for former club Southampton.
on 8 February 2004 with his family around him.
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and subsequently at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
(playing as a wing half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
). He later became a coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, manager and scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
.
Playing career
Born in GatesheadGateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, Mallett was spotted playing for the Dunston
Dunston, Tyne and Wear
Dunston was originally an independent village on the south bank of the River Tyne. It has now been absorbed into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in the English county of Tyne and Wear...
Colliery works team by a London scout, and was signed at the age of seventeen by Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
to serve his apprenticeship under manager Jimmy Seed
Jimmy Seed
James Marshall "Jimmy" Seed was an English footballer and football manager.Despite being born in Blackhill, Seed was brought up in the village of Whitburn on the coast just to the north of Sunderland...
. He had not made any first team appearances before Charlton (then in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
) loaned him to Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
team Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
to gain experience in April 1937. He remained at QPR until May 1938, making 31 appearances before returning to Charlton, where he appeared twice in the 1938–39 season. In February 1939 Rangers persuaded Charlton to sell him; he was becoming a first-team regular at QPR before his career was interrupted by conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the RAF in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war he guested for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, returning to QPR after the cessation of hostilities.
In February 1947 Bill Dodgin
Bill Dodgin, Sr.
William "Bill" Dodgin was an English football player.Born in Gateshead, Dodgin played for Huddersfield Town, Lincoln City, Charlton Athletic, Bristol Rovers, Clapton Orient and Southampton, although his career was curtailed by the Second World War.After retiring as a player, he became coach and...
signed him for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for a club record £5000. Although now aged 31, Mallett proved to be a bargain purchase – he was "a strong link between the defence and attack, and was particularly sound in his positional play." He made his debut away to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on 1 March 1947, scoring one of Saints’ goals and making the other in a 3-2 defeat. He soon became the team’s captain and had "forthright views on how the game should be played". Team-mate Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
described him as "having one of the finest of all soccer brains".
When Dodgin left the Saints in August 1949 to be replaced by Sid Cann
Sid Cann
Sydney Thomas Cann was an English professional football defender and football manager. He was capped twice by England at Schools level.-Playing career:...
, Mallett became restless and in January 1950 he put in a transfer request in the hope of receiving a coaching position. The board persuaded him to stay and he remained loyal to Southampton, playing regularly until his last game, away to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 29 April 1953. During his Southampton career he made 223 appearances, scoring three goals.
Coaching career
In July 1953, now aged 37, he moved on to Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
as player-coach, where he was re-united with former QPR team-mate Alec Stock
Alec Stock
Alec William Alfred Stock was an English footballer and manager.-Career:Alec Stock was born in Peasedown St John and played as an inside-forward for Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic and QPR before the Second World War and guested for several other clubs during the hostilities...
. In 1959, he was reserve team coach at Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
under Billy Walker
Billy Walker
William Henry "Billy" Walker was a prominent English footballer of the 1920s and 1930s. He is considered by many to be the greatest footballer to ever play for Aston Villa Football Club-Biography:...
and then Andy Beattie
Andy Beattie
Andrew "Andy" Beattie was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He was the first manager of the Scottish national team.- Playing days :...
, where he brought on a succession of young players, including Ian Storey-Moore
Ian Storey-Moore
Ian Storey-Moore is a former English football player, and former chief scout at Aston Villa, having been added to Martin O'Neill's backroom staff in September 2006. He left this role when Martin O'Neill resigned as Aston Villa managerStorey-Moore was playing in Scunthorpe when he was discovered by...
and David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
.
In June 1964 he joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as coach, and a month later accepted the vacant managerial position. Although he was a proven technical coach with sound judgment of a player – he signed Geoff Vowden
Geoff Vowden
Geoffrey Alan "Geoff" Vowden is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League for Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Aston Villa, and in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmos.-Career:Vowden was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire and raised...
and Ron Wylie
Ron Wylie
Ronald M. Wylie is a Scottish former football player, coach and manager. He played as a right half or inside forward for Notts County, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, making more than 550 appearances in the Football League, and more than 700 in all competitions...
and gave Malcolm Page
Malcolm Page (footballer)
Malcolm Edward Page is a Welsh former professional footballer born in Knucklas, Radnorshire who played as a defender or midfielder. He made 391 appearances for Birmingham City in all competitions over a 17-year career, and also played for Oxford United...
his debut – under his management Birmingham won only 13 out of 64 matches and were relegated from the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. He remained at the club as assistant manager under Stan Cullis
Stan Cullis
Stanley Cullis was a professional footballer and manager, most notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile...
from December 1965 to 1970.
When Cullis retired, Mallett went on to manage Panionios and coach at Apollon
Apollon Smyrnis
Apollon Smyrnis, officially known as GS Apollon Smyrnis , the Gymnastic Club Apollon of Smyrna, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece.The club currently compete in the Football League 2, the 3rd tier of Greek football.- History :Apollon Smyrnis is...
in the Greek Super League
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
. From 1975 he coached under Gordon Bradley
Gordon Bradley
Gordon Bradley was an English-American football midfielder born and raised on Wearside who played several seasons with lower division English clubs before moving to play in Canada at the age of 30. During the Canadian off-season, he played and coached in the U.S. based German American Soccer...
at New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
where he worked with players such as Pele
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
and Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
, rejoining Bradley at the Washington Diplomats
Washington Diplomats
The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club based in Washington, D.C.. Throughout their existence, the club played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium...
in 1978, and later coached at San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)
San Jose Earthquakes was a professional soccer club that played from 1974 to 1984. The team began as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League. From 1983 to 1984, the team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes...
. He also scouted for former club Southampton.
Personal life
He was married to Bertha, whom he first met whilst at Charlton Athletic. They had three sons, Alan, Brian and Francis, and one daughter Julia. Mallett died at his home in HastingsHastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
on 8 February 2004 with his family around him.