Joe Cockroft

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Joe Cockroft (born June 20, 1911 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, died 1994) was an English footballer.

Cockroft first played for Rotherham United and then Gainsborough Trinity as well as playing for Yorkshire Paper Mills, Barnsley Old Boys, Ardsley Athletic and Wombwell before moving to West Ham United, then of Division Two, in 1933.

Signed after a months trial from Gainsborough by Charlie Paynter, Cockroft made his West Ham debut on April 14, 1933, having made just four reserve appearances for the club. Drafted in after injuries to first-choice left-halves Albert Cadwell and Joe Musgrave, he made the position his own and rarely missed a game up to the outbreak of World War II. He was an ever-present in the team for the 1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36 and 1936-37 seasons.

Cockroft played as a left-half, but often switched positions with Len Goulden during matches to dumbfound oppositions.

He played in the Football League War Cup winning side of 1940.

During the war, he guested for Sheffield Wednesday as direction of labour laws compelled his employment at Edgar Allen's Steelworks in Sheffield. He went on to join the club after hostilities ended. He joined First Division side Sheffield United in 1949, but left a year later to take on the manager's role at Wisbech Town

Cockroft was a footballer with many other interests, he was a keen golfer, swimmer, motorist and was also very interested in anatomy.