Joe Lane

Who was Joe Lane?

James Charles "Joe" Lane was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward.

After spells with Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC and English side Sunderland, Lane signed for another English club, Blackpool, in 1913 for ₤400. He made his debut for the club on November 22, 1913, in a 2–2 draw at home to Leeds City, scoring one of Blackpool's goals. He went on to make a further 25 appearances during the 1913–14 campaign, scoring ten more goals.

The following season, 1914–15, he was an ever-present in Blackpool's 38 league games and one FA Cup tie. He scored 28 goals, including two hat-tricks: one in the second league game of the season, a 3–1 victory at Hull City on September 5, 1914, and all of the goals in Blackpool's victory against Glossop at Bloomfield Road on November 21. Despite Lane's goal haul, Blackpool still only managed a tenth-placed finish after losing almost as many games as they won.

In 1915–16, World War I intervened, leading to the implementation of regional competitions. Lane served in Egypt with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry during the conflict.

When the Football League resumed in 1919–20, with Blackpool's new manager, Bill Norman, in his second season in charge, Lane continued where he had left off, netting 26 goals in 30 league appearances. He scored one hat-trick, in a 6–0 whitewash of Lincoln City at Bloomfield Road on September 8, 1919. He left Blackpool with two months of the season remaining, joining Birmingham City for a Blackpool club-record fee of ₤3,600.