Giuseppe Wilson
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Pini" Wilson (born 27 October 1945 in Darlington
, England
, UK) is a former British-Italian
footballer. Although born in Northern England
, Wilson played the majority of his football career in Italy
.
At club level he played as a defender for Internapoli
and Lazio
, as well as representing the Italian national football team three times in 1974.
to a Neapolitan
woman Lina Di Francesca and Dennis Wilson, a Briton who worked as an iron and steel worker at the local factory, but had met Lina while serving with the British Army
. When Joseph Wilson was just six months old, his family moved to Naples
, his mother's hometown as she found it hard to settle in the UK due to the cold winters.
in 1964-65 and he played for the side more than 150 times.
He joined SS Lazio in 1969. At Lazio he would enjoy his most notable spell as a footballer, staying with them for a decade playing over 300 games for them. This was a successful period for the club who won their first ever Serie A
title in 1973–74
as well as the Coppa delle Alpi
in 1971.
The time he spent at Lazio gained him a place in the Italian national football team, and he was in the squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
. As his career wound down, Wilson spent a season in the United States
, playing in the NASL
league with the New York Cosmos
during 1979.
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK) is a former British-Italian
Britalian
Italians in the United Kingdom also known as British Italians or Britalians are British citizens or residents of Italian ethnic or national origin. The phrase may refer to someone born in the United Kingdom of Italian descent, someone who has themselves emigrated from Italy to the United Kingdom or...
footballer. Although born in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, Wilson played the majority of his football career in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
At club level he played as a defender for Internapoli
Internapoli Camaldoli S.S.D.
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Internapoli Città di Marano is an Italian association football club based in the Vomero area of Naples, Campania. Founded as S.C.Vomero in 1909, the club has been re-founded several times, first under the Cral Cirio in 1935 and Internapoli dominion in 1964...
and Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, as well as representing the Italian national football team three times in 1974.
Biography
He was born in DarlingtonDarlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
to a Neapolitan
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
woman Lina Di Francesca and Dennis Wilson, a Briton who worked as an iron and steel worker at the local factory, but had met Lina while serving with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. When Joseph Wilson was just six months old, his family moved to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, his mother's hometown as she found it hard to settle in the UK due to the cold winters.
Internapoli and Lazio
He started his career with InternapoliInternapoli Camaldoli S.S.D.
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Internapoli Città di Marano is an Italian association football club based in the Vomero area of Naples, Campania. Founded as S.C.Vomero in 1909, the club has been re-founded several times, first under the Cral Cirio in 1935 and Internapoli dominion in 1964...
in 1964-65 and he played for the side more than 150 times.
He joined SS Lazio in 1969. At Lazio he would enjoy his most notable spell as a footballer, staying with them for a decade playing over 300 games for them. This was a successful period for the club who won their first ever Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
title in 1973–74
Serie A 1973-74
The 1973/1974 Serie A season was won by S.S. Lazio.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
as well as the Coppa delle Alpi
Coppa delle Alpi
Coppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...
in 1971.
The time he spent at Lazio gained him a place in the Italian national football team, and he was in the squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
. As his career wound down, Wilson spent a season in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, playing in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
league with the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
during 1979.