Joe Raby

William "Joe" Raby (3 July 1873 – 18 December 1954) was an English footballer who scored 44 goals from 156 appearances in the Football League playing for Lincoln City (in two spells), Gainsborough Trinity (in three spells), Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers. He played as an inside forward.[2] He also played in the Midland League for Gainsborough and Wellingborough, and in the Southern League for Tottenham Hotspur.

Joe Raby
Personal information
Full name William Raby[1]
Date of birth (1873-07-03)3 July 1873[1]
Place of birth Heighington, Lincolnshire, England
Date of death 18 December 1954(1954-12-18) (aged 81)[1]
Place of death Gainsborough, England
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– St Catherine's (Lincoln)
1892–1894 Lincoln City 23 (7)
1894–1897 Gainsborough Trinity 5 (1)
1897 Lincoln City 3 (0)
1897–1898 Gainsborough Trinity 11 (4)
1898–1899 Wellingborough
1899–1900 Tottenham Hotspur
1900–1902 Gainsborough Trinity 60 (20)
1902–1904 Stockport County 52 (12)
1904–1905 Doncaster Rovers 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Raby was born in Heighington, Lincolnshire, in 1873,[1] the son of Charles Raby, a gardener, and his wife Catherine.[3] He played local football in Lincoln before joining the city's professional club, Lincoln City. He made his first-team debut towards the end of the 1891–92 Football Alliance season, and was to play infrequently over Lincoln's first two seasons in the Football League.[1] He moved on to Gainsborough Trinity, then playing in the Midland League.[4] Raby was short of stature, and in the early part of his career was noted for his pace.[5][6]

In 1895, Raby scored twice for Gainsborough to defeat his former club Lincoln City in the final of the Lincolnshire Challenge Cup.[7] When he joined Gainsborough, Lincoln had retained his Football League registration, which caused problems when Gainsborough were elected to that league ahead of the 1896–97 season. Raby made it clear that he intended to stay with Gainsborough, and his transfer was approved in time for him to begin the season with that club.[5][8] He made a brief return to Lincoln, before leaving Gainsborough for Midland League club Wellingborough[9] in 1898.

Raby had scored for Wellingborough against Tottenham Hotspur in a United League match late in the 1898–99 season,[10] and went on to sign for that club for the coming season. He made only five first-team appearances, three in the Southern Combination and two in the Southern League, without scoring,[11] and signed on for his third spell with Gainsborough ahead of the 1900–01 Football League season.[12] After two seasons, in which he scored at a rate of one goal every three games, Raby signed for Stockport County.

He scored Stockport's first goal at their new Edgeley Park ground in a 1–1 draw with former club Gainsborough Trinity in September 1902.[13] After two seasons, Stockport were unsuccessful in their application for re-election to the league,[14] and Raby left the club to finish his career at Doncaster Rovers.[2]

Raby died in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, in 1954 at the age of 81.[1]

References
  1. "Joe Raby". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Retrieved 13 April 2013. Appearances per season are sourced via the Season Stats dropdown menu at the bottom right of this page. The site is partly subscription-based, but only free-access sections are used for reference. If pop-up login dialogue boxes appear, press the "Cancel" button to proceed.
  2. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  3. 1891 England and Wales Census Piece: RG12/2589, Folio: 147, Page: 56. Accessed via FreeCEN.
  4. "Football. The Midland League". The Standard. London. 29 October 1894. p. 8. The visitors scored very early, but Raby quickly equalised
  5. "Gainsbro' Trinity Football Club". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent. 8 June 1896. p. 3. With reference to next season, they had retained the very pick of their players, ... and their diminutive inside right, Raby. [The Chairman] was sorry to say that certain complications had arisen with Lincoln City with regard to some other players, notably Raby who was on their retained list, even though he had been a player for Trinity for two seasons, but under no circumstances whatever should they allow Raby to sever a connection which he desired to continue.
  6. "Football. Lincoln City v. Gainsbro' Trinity". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent. 12 September 1895. p. 7. Raby next made one of his fast sprints
  7. "Lincolnshire Challenge Cup". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent. 18 April 1895. p. 8. Raby scored a second goal after a splendid run, and won the cup for Gainsbro'.
  8. "The Football League". Nottinghamshire Guardian. 12 September 1896. p. 3.
  9. "Football. The Midland League". The Yorkshire Herald. 16 January 1899. p. 7.
  10. "Football. United League". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent. 18 April 1899. p. 10.
  11. "Joseph William Raby". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  12. "Football. The Coming Season. Gainsbro' Trinity". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent. 28 August 1900. p. 10. Raby, a Gainsbro' player who went to Lincoln and Tottenham Hotspurs, has returned, and will be [John Hamilton's] partner
  13. "Edgeley Park history". Stockport County F.C. 28 June 2007. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007.
  14. "Stockport County". Football Club History Archive. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
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