Joe Powell

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Joseph Joshua "Joe" Powell (1870 – November 30, 1896) was an English footballer, who was captain of Woolwich Arsenal in their first season of League football. He is also notable for being one of the few footballers who died as a result of an injury incurred whilst playing.

Born in Bristol, Powell had joined the Army as a young man, and was serving in The Staffordshire Regiment. He played football for the regimental team, and impressed enough in a match against Woolwich Arsenal in October 1892 that Arsenal bought him out of his army contract and signed him as a professional that December. A strong and purposeful right back, he immediately became a regular in the Arsenal side; at the time, having turned professional, Arsenal had been shunned by many other clubs and county associations, and only competed in FA Cup matches and friendlies.

In 1893 Royal Arsenal were accepted into the Football League, and joined the Second Division; Powell captained the side in its inaugural match, against Newcastle United, on September 2, 1893. Powell went on to play in all but two of the Gunners' League matches that season, and was a near ever-present for the next two seasons as well (missing three and five games respectively). He scored his one and only League goal for Arsenal in a 5-0 victory over Loughborough Town on January 4, 1896.

Powell started the 1896-97 season well; he played in eight of the club's first ten Second Division matches that season, but in a United League match against Kettering Town on November 23, he fell awkwardly and badly broke his arm. He soon contracted blood poisoning and tetanus, and despite having the arm amputated, he died a week later, at the age of 26. He had played 92 League and Cup matches for the club, and a further 35 senior matches in other competitions.