Leon Joseph was a winger who started his career as an amateur at Leytonstone FC and moved to Spurs in the 1950s.
While playing at Leytonstone, he also ran a men's outfitters at the time to supplement his earnings and when offered the opportunity to turn professional at £20 a week.
Despite suffering a shrapnel wound in the top of his leg, he was an effective and skilful winger, who became a legend of the amateur game. He went on to be scouted by Spurs and West Ham United, signing for Tottenham in 1947 as an amateur. Brought in as cover for winger Les Stevens, Leon only got to play one game before Stevens recovered from injury and returned to his first club.
He left Leytonstone after a long career in the game to
concentrate on his other interests of playing cricket,
snooker, playing banjo and singing. His
testimonial match was attended by about an 8,000 crowd,
which was about 24 times the usual attendance at
Leytonstone matches at the time.
There was a memorial display about Joseph in the Walnut
Tree pub on Leytonstone High Road.
Leon Joseph died of stomach cancer in 1983.