In the 1895 close season, when St Mary’s executed their second raid in what would become known as the “Stoke invasion” (as more fully explained in Jack Farrell’s profile), the club’s secretary, Charles Robson, managed to pick up, on the side, a 23 year-old playing in local Potteries football.

Which is how Joe Turner came to join the Saints for 30 shillings [£1.50] a week.

He soon made an impact with his electrifying runs down the left wing, in a successful partnership with Watty Keay.

Joe scored an unusually high number of goals for a winger – especially in 1896-97, with 18 in 26 FA Cup and Southern League games. Watty was the ideal provider, but many of Joe’s tally were of his own making. In 1898, Joe returned to the Potteries for a two seasons of fairly regular First Division football with Stoke.

Next came a season, still in Division I, with Everton, during which he capped an impressive return to The Dell by scoring Everton’s third goal in their 3-1 FA Cup-win. He was soon back in Southampton, full-time, for three seasons in which he played in the 1902 FA Cup Final, chipping in three goals along the way; missed very few games, and scored frequently, for the side that won the Southern League in 1903; and made a more modest contribution to the retention of that title in 1904. He remained in the Southern League for a couple of seasons – first with New Brompton and then with Northampton – before finishing his career in Hampshire football, latterly playing a few times with the Turner brothers, Archie and Harry, for South Farnborough Athletic.

During WW1 he was a labourer at Thornycrofts. After which, he worked at a Stoke brewery, although he later returned to live in Southampton. In 1939 he was registered as a commission agent in the town.