{{Short description|English footballer (1880–1960)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Joe Bache | image = Joe_Bache.jpg | caption = | fullname = Joseph William Bache | height = | birth_date = {{birth date|1880|2|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Stourbridge, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1960|11|10|1880|2|8|df=y}} | death_place = | position = Inside Forward | youthyears1 = 1898–1899 | youthclubs1 = Bewdley Victoria | youthyears2 = 1899–1900 | youthclubs2 = Stourbridge Football Club | years1 = 1900–1914 | years2 = 1919–1920 | years3 = 1920 | clubs1 = Aston Villa | clubs2 = Mid Rhondda | clubs3 = Grimsby Town | caps1 = 431 | caps2 = | caps3 = 5 | goals1 = 167 | goals2 = | goals3 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 1903–1911 | nationalteam1 = England | nationalcaps1 = 7 | nationalgoals1 = 4 }}
'''Joseph William Bache''' (8 February 1880 – 10 November 1960),<ref>{{cite web |title=England players: Joe Bache |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersB/BioBacheJW.html |website=englandfootballonline| date= 19 February 2016 |accessdate=25 September 2018}}</ref> was an English footballer who was a prolific centre forward for Aston Villa between 1900 and 1919. He was one of the Club's all-time greatest forwards, winning an FA Cup winners medal in both 1905 and 1913, and was also a vital part of the Villa team that won the League Championship in the 1909-10 season. Bache appeared for the team 474 times and had scored a total of 185 goals at the end of his career. He played for the England national team seven times, and during that period scored four goals for his country, one in each of his first four appearances.<ref>{{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=25 September 2018}}</ref>
Bache joined the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War and went on to serve on the Western Front, where he rose to the rank of Lance-Corporal. Despite being involved in a number of actions, Bache survived the war and returned home after the 1918 armistice to resume his playing career.<ref>{{cite web |title=England players: Joe Bache |url=http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/joe-bache/ |website=Football and the First World War| date= 22 December 2021 |accessdate=22 December 2021}}</ref>
After spending 1919–20 in South Wales with Mid Rhondda,<ref>{{cite book | title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing|last= Betts|first= Graham | year=2006| isbn=1-905009-63-1|page=19}}</ref> Bache made a brief comeback as player/coach for Grimsby Town in 1920, playing five games, scoring once.
His son, David Bache became a famous car designer, producing many designs, mainly for Rover. David was born in Mannheim, Germany, where Joe was coaching following his retirement.<ref name = TT65147>Obituary, David Bache. ''The Times'', Monday, 26 December 1994; p. 15; Issue 65147</ref>
==Honours== '''Aston Villa''' *FA Cup winners 1905, 1913 *League Champions 1909–10
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/54.html Player profile] at [http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/ Aston Villa Players Database] *[https://archive.today/20140624152655/http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.com/wiki/joe-bache/ Player Profile] at [http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.com/ Football and the First World War] *{{Englandstats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bache, Joseph}} Category:Aston Villa F.C. players Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players Category:English men's footballers Category:England men's international footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Footballers from Stourbridge Category:1880 births Category:1960 deaths Category:English Football League players Category:Mid Rhondda F.C. players Category:Military personnel from the West Midlands (county) Category:English Football League representative players Category:Royal Garrison Artillery soldiers Category:British Army personnel of World War I