Background
Joseph Lofthouse was born in Blackburn on 14 April 1865.
Joseph Lofthouse was born in Blackburn on 14 April 1865.
A talented football player he joined. The FA carried out an investigation into the case discovered that Inglis was working as a mechanic in Glasgow and was not earning a living playing football for Blackburn. Blackburn faced Queens Park in the final at the Oval.
Lofthouse played at left-half.
Once again they had to play Queens Park in the final. was now a team full of internationals, including Jimmy Douglas, Hugh McIntyre, James Forrest, Herbie Arthur, Lofthouse and Jimmy Brown. A crowd in excess of 12,000 arrived at the Oval to see the what most people believed were the best two clubs in England and Scotland.
Over the next five years Lofthouse played scored three goals in seven internationals. He played against Ireland (3), Wales (2) and Scotland (2).
The first season of the Football League began in September, 1888.
, who had lost most of their best players to retirement, finished in 4th place, 14 points behind Preston. At the beginning of the 1889-1890 season Tom Mitchell, the club secretary, recruited four top players from Scotland: Tom Brandon, Johnny Forbes, George Dewar and Harry Campbell. A local lad, Nathan Walton was also drafted into the side.
Other key players that season included Lofthouse and Jack Southworth.
Blackburn did slightly better in the league, finishing in 3rd place, six points behind Preston. Other goals came from Lofthouse, Nathan Walton and Jack Southworth.
Joe Lofthouse scored 18 goals in 51 games for in the Football League. He left in 1891 to join Darwen.
He also played for Walsall Town before retiring from playing in 1894.
He also worked as coach of Magyar Athletic Club in Budapest and a trainer at Everton. Joe Lofthouse died in 1919. England Stats can be found here.
Although only 18 years old he was a member of the team in the 1883-1884 season.
