Joseph Marsden

Joe was born in Darwen in 1868, He became one of the first football stars in the early days of the game. Joe was the second of five brothers, three of them went on to play the game at the top level, Joe winning caps for Lancashire and England during a career lasting just 8 years.
Joe started his football career with the Royal Blues a youth team from the Whitehall area of the town. He later joined Padiham before moving to the Darwen Old Wanderers in 1885 along with his elder brother Tom. The two brothers were members of the Old Wanderers team that beat Burnley football Club 11-0 in the first round of the F. A. cup in 1885, this score still stands as the heaviest defeat in Burnley Football Club's history. The game was played on the Pothouse football field (across from the Punch Inn).
In 1888 Joe and Tom along with younger brother William signed on with Darwen FC. Joe reverted to the right full back position with Darwen FC and captained the Darreners in the final of the Lancashire cup in 1891against Bolton Wanderers played at Anfield Liverpool the home (then) of Everton football club. Darwen lost 3-1. It was during his spell with Darwen Football Club that Joe represented his County captaining Lancashire for almost two years, and on the 7th March 1891 he won his one and only cap for England in the Home international match against Ireland which England won 6-1.
It was well expected that he would win many more caps for England but after captaining the Darreners in the Lancashire Senior cup-final of 1891 Joseph signed on for Everton, he played the first Football League game of the 1891/92 season for Everton against West Bromwich Albion then mysteriously quit the game, sadly Joe died at the young age of 28 on the 17th January1897.
For more on Joe as captain of the 1891 final team click.... here

Notes:
1. Josephs son Richard himself a promising footballer was killed at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. # below is taken from the Darwen Advertiser 1916
MARSDEN Richard Thomas Rank: Private 16922. Regiment: 6th Bn., King's Own Scottish Borderers. Died: Friday 7th July 1916. Memorial: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Panel number: Pier and Face 4 A and 4 D. Notes: of 166 Marsh House Lane, Darwen; son of Mr Joseph Marsden, "the famous footballers" (Darwen Advertiser, 28.7.1916); mother lives at 59 Tockholes Road, Darwen.
2. Much was made at the time of Joe's decision to quit football in 1891, but neither he or his family ever told of the reason.
3. The Darwen Old Wanderers that Joe played for started life as the Chaples Sunday School Team (1879) they held their meetings at the "Dog Inn" Chaples, they disbanded in 1888, their last FA cup game being against Burnley at Turf Moor on the 15th October 1887 (Burnley won 4-0). In total they played 9 FA cup games in 4 years. but they had the distintion of being knocked out by the eventual winners (Blackburn Rovers 5th Decenber 1885 score 1-6)