Joe Cockroft was an English

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...

 footballer.

Cockroft played for Yorkshire Paper Mills, Barnsley Old Boys, Ardsley Athletic, Wombwell, Rotherham United

Rotherham United F.C.

Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

 and then Gainsborough Trinity before moving to West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

, then of Division Two

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

, in 1933.

Signed after a months trial from Gainsborough by Charlie Paynter

Charlie Paynter

Charlie Paynter was the manager of West Ham United from 1932-1950.He moved to Plaistow with his family as a child. He played for the football team Victoria Swifts, but while still a teenager he also developed an interest in physiotherapy. Paynter first became involved with West Ham as unpaid help...

, 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

Albert Cadwell

Albert Cadwell was an English footballer who played for West Ham United as a left-half.Cadwell was born in Edmonton, London and joined West Ham from Nunhead during the 1923-24 season, the east London club's first season in Division One.He played his first game for West Ham against Chelsea on 20...

 and Joe Musgrave, he made the position his own and rarely missed a game up to the outbreak of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He was an ever-present in the team for the 1933-34

1933-34 in English football

The 1933–34 season was the 59th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...

, 1934-35

1934-35 in English football

The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Arsenal become only the second team to win the League three consecutive times.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...

, 1935-36

1935-36 in English football

The 1935–36 season was the 61st season of competitive football in England.-Events:Sunderland AFC won the league, and in doing so they remain the last team to win the English League while wearing striped jerseys...

 and 1936-37

1936-37 in English football

The 1936–37 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...

 seasons.

Cockroft played as a left-half, but often switched positions with Len Goulden

Len Goulden

Leonard Arthur Goulden was an English footballer. His son Roy was also a footballer.-Playing career:Born in Hackney, London, Goulden began his career with Chelmsford City, before moving to Leyton and then West Ham United in 1933...

 during matches to dumbfound oppositions.

He played in the Football League War Cup

Football League War Cup

The Football League War Cup was an association football tournament held between 1939 and 1945 which aimed to fill the gaping hole left in English Football by the cancellation of the FA Cup.- Background:...

 winning side of 1940.

During the war, he guested for Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

 as direction of labour laws compelled his employment at a steelworks]] in Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

. He went on to join the club after hostilities ended. Cockroft spent almost three years at Hillsborough

Hillsborough Stadium

Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...

 after the war, making a total of 96 appearances in all competitions. His debut came on 5 January 1946 in a goalless FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 3rd round first leg game against Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town F.C.

Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...

. He went on to play in all of the Owls FA Cup games in the 1945–46 season; the club were eventually knocked out by Stoke City

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 in the 5th round following comprehensive wins over York City

York City F.C.

York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

 and Mansfield.

He joined First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 side Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

 in 1949, but left a year later to take on the manager's role at Wisbech Town

Wisbech Town F.C.

Wisbech Town F.C. is an English football club currently based in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at the Fenland Stadium.-History:...

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