Joe Nibloe
Encyclopedia
Joe Nibloe was a professional footballer who played for Kilmarnock
, Aston Villa
and Sheffield Wednesday
in a 15 year career between 1924 and 1939 during which time he made 459 club appearances including cup games. He also made 11 appearances for Scotland
. Nibloe was a full back who could play on either flank, initially starting his career as a left back then switching to the right later in his career. He is one of a select group of players who won FA cup winners medals in both England and Scotland, he played in three cup finals in the space of six years.
just to the SW of Glasgow
on 23 November 1903. He was a late developer as a footballer, playing as a part time amateur until the age of 20. In his youth he played for Shawfield Juniors, Rutherglen Glencairn and Glencairn Green while working at the Harland and Wolff
shipyard in Govan
as a brass moulder. Initially he was a centre forward
once scoring five goals in a game for Shawfield but his career took off when he converted into a left back and was offered a professional contract by Kilmarnock in June 1924.
Nibloe he made 279 appearances for the Killies, he helped them win the Scottish Cup
in March 1929, defeating Celtic 1-0. Shortly after the final he was called up for the first of his eleven appearances for Scotland on 13 April 1929, featuring in a 1-0 victory over England
at Hampden Park
. All his 11 Scottish caps came while he was with Kilmarnock and he is still today the clubs most capped player, his last appearance for his country came in May 1932 against France
. Nibloe also played twice for the Scottish League representative side in his time at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock reached the Scottish Cup final again in April 1932 but this time Nibloe had to settle for a runners up medal as the Killies lost to Rangers
in a replay. Soon after this he signed for Aston Villa for the 1932-33 season for a fee of £1800 after a disagreement with Kilmarnock over a benefit match.
in Division One
being kept out of the side by the near veteran Tommy Mort. However the following season (1933–34) Nibloe dislodged Mort from the team and displayed excellent form and it caused something of an uproar when he signed for Sheffield Wednesday in the Summer of 1934 in a part exchange deal which saw George Beeson going to Villa Park along with £2,500.
made a difference as Walker had been a team mate of Nibloe’s at Villa the previous season. Competition for the left back spot was keen even though Wednesday had lost Ernie Blenkinsop
to Liverpool
the previous season, Ted Catlin
had stepped into Blenkinsop’s boots and Nibloe was forced to switch to right back to secure a place in the team. He made his Wednesday debut in the opening fixture of the 1934-35 season on 25 August 1934, in a 4-1 home victory over Stoke City
.
Nibloe played in five out the six FA Cup
ties in 1935 as Wednesday won the trophy, missing just the 3rd round home tie against Oldham Athletic in January. Nibloe made his final appearance for Wednesday in the final game of the 1937-38, in his final two seasons he was more of a squad player as his place was challenged by Jack Ashley. He retired from playing competitive football at the outbreak of World War II
at the age of 35.
during the war. After the conflict he continued to live in Stocksbridge and work in the Samuel Fox steelworks. He died on 25 October 1976 in Doncaster
, aged 72.
Joe had a son John who also played professional football for Sheffield United, Stoke City, Doncaster Rovers and Stockport County between 1958 and 1964. He was killed in a road accident on the Woodhead Pass in November 1964.
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in a 15 year career between 1924 and 1939 during which time he made 459 club appearances including cup games. He also made 11 appearances for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. Nibloe was a full back who could play on either flank, initially starting his career as a left back then switching to the right later in his career. He is one of a select group of players who won FA cup winners medals in both England and Scotland, he played in three cup finals in the space of six years.
Early days
Nibloe was born in the small hamlet of CorkerhillCorkerhill
Corkerhill was originally a farm and a few houses to the southwest of Glasgow, on the Paisley Canal Line from Glasgow, and still houses engine sheds and sidings, although Corkerhill signal box was demolished in the late 1970s Corkerhill was originally a farm and a few houses to the southwest of...
just to the SW of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 23 November 1903. He was a late developer as a footballer, playing as a part time amateur until the age of 20. In his youth he played for Shawfield Juniors, Rutherglen Glencairn and Glencairn Green while working at the Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
shipyard in Govan
Govan
Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....
as a brass moulder. Initially he was a centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
once scoring five goals in a game for Shawfield but his career took off when he converted into a left back and was offered a professional contract by Kilmarnock in June 1924.
Kilmarnock
In his eight years at Rugby ParkRugby Park
Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C..It underwent a major redevelopment in 1994–95, becoming an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 18,128...
Nibloe he made 279 appearances for the Killies, he helped them win the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup 1928-29
The 1928–29 Scottish Cup was the 51st staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Kilmarnock who defeated Rangers in the final.-Semi-finals:-----Final:-See also:*1928-29 in Scottish football...
in March 1929, defeating Celtic 1-0. Shortly after the final he was called up for the first of his eleven appearances for Scotland on 13 April 1929, featuring in a 1-0 victory over England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. All his 11 Scottish caps came while he was with Kilmarnock and he is still today the clubs most capped player, his last appearance for his country came in May 1932 against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Nibloe also played twice for the Scottish League representative side in his time at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock reached the Scottish Cup final again in April 1932 but this time Nibloe had to settle for a runners up medal as the Killies lost to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in a replay. Soon after this he signed for Aston Villa for the 1932-33 season for a fee of £1800 after a disagreement with Kilmarnock over a benefit match.
Aston Villa
Nibloe struggled to find a regular place in the Villa team in that first season as the team finished runners up to ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in Division One
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....
being kept out of the side by the near veteran Tommy Mort. However the following season (1933–34) Nibloe dislodged Mort from the team and displayed excellent form and it caused something of an uproar when he signed for Sheffield Wednesday in the Summer of 1934 in a part exchange deal which saw George Beeson going to Villa Park along with £2,500.
Sheffield Wednesday
Wednesday’s signing of the experienced 30 year old Nibloe was seen as something of a coup by the club, no doubt the influence of manager Billy WalkerBilly 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:...
made a difference as Walker had been a team mate of Nibloe’s at Villa the previous season. Competition for the left back spot was keen even though Wednesday had lost Ernie Blenkinsop
Ernie Blenkinsop
Ernie Blenkinsop was an English footballer who played as a defender at left back. He spent the majority of his career at Sheffield Wednesday, where he won two Football League titles. He also attained 26 caps playing for England....
to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
the previous season, Ted Catlin
Ted Catlin
Arthur Edward "Ted" Catlin was a footballer who played his entire professional career for Sheffield Wednesday. He was a strong tackling left back who made 230 appearances for Wednesday between 1931 and 1939. He also played for the England national football team on five occasions...
had stepped into Blenkinsop’s boots and Nibloe was forced to switch to right back to secure a place in the team. He made his Wednesday debut in the opening fixture of the 1934-35 season on 25 August 1934, in a 4-1 home victory over Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Nibloe played in five out the six FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
ties in 1935 as Wednesday won the trophy, missing just the 3rd round home tie against Oldham Athletic in January. Nibloe made his final appearance for Wednesday in the final game of the 1937-38, in his final two seasons he was more of a squad player as his place was challenged by Jack Ashley. He retired from playing competitive football at the outbreak of 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...
at the age of 35.
After football
Joe Nibloe worked in a munitions factory in StocksbridgeStocksbridge
Stocksbridge is a small town and civil parish in the City of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 13,663. It lies just to the east of the Peak District....
during the war. After the conflict he continued to live in Stocksbridge and work in the Samuel Fox steelworks. He died on 25 October 1976 in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, aged 72.
Joe had a son John who also played professional football for Sheffield United, Stoke City, Doncaster Rovers and Stockport County between 1958 and 1964. He was killed in a road accident on the Woodhead Pass in November 1964.