Joe Bacuzzi

Club career

Bacuzzi began his career with Tufnell Park before having trials with Arsenal. However, he failed to impress the Gunners and was subsequently signed as an amateur by Fulham in 1935. He turned professional in 1936 and in January 1937 he made his first team debut for Fulham, playing as a right-back, in a 4–1 defeat away to Chesterfield. However, he only made one other senior appearance that season, playing as a left-back against Barnsley. Bacuzzi scored just two goals during his career and he netted his first during the 1938–39 season when Fulham defeated Luton Town 4–1. He was an ever-present during the same season and went on to make 70 appearances for the club before the start of the Second World War. During the war Bacuzzi made 104 appearances for Fulham in regional leagues. He was also an active guest player and made a further 14 league appearances for several other clubs, most notably Bury and Notts County. Between 1943 and 1944 he also served with the military in North Africa and Italy. His most notable guest appearances came in November 1945 when Bacuzzi played for both Chelsea and Arsenal in their prestige friendlies against a touring FC Dynamo Moscow. On 13 November at Stamford Bridge he helped Chelsea hold Dynamo to a 3–3 draw. Then on 21 November at White Hart Lane, together with Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen, he was a member of an Arsenal XI that lost 4–3 to Dynamo. After the war Bacuzzi remained Fulham's first choice right-back and he…

After retiring as a player in 1956, he was appointed reserve team trainer at Fulham and stayed in that post until 1965 when he was sacked by Vic Buckingham.

Bacuzzi was born in Clerkenwell, London, England into an Anglo-Italian family that had settled in London. His father, Camillo, came from Sorisole (Bergamo), and his mother, Natalina Clerici, from Precotto, a neighbourhood of Milan. His son, Dave Bacuzzi, was also a notable footballer, playing as a defender for both Arsenal and Manchester City. Bacuzzi Sr. lived in the Clerkenwell area until he died, aged 78 in 1995.

Fulham

Second Division Winners 1948–49: 1