Remembering Joe Willmott (1992 - 2023)

The England Amputee Football Association is devastated to learn of the passing of Chelsea and former National Team player Joe Willmott.

Joe was a huge character on and off the pitch and an ever-present figure in amputee football. The pain of his untimely passing is felt by everyone at The EAFA and he will be sadly missed by us all.

A strong and technical player, Joe represented The England Amputee Football Association National Team over 40 times and had an extensive league CV, most recently representing Chelsea.

During pre-match warm up at Peterborough United

The EAFA chairman Steve Johnson reflected on Joe’s career in amputee football and his own memories.

“Joe was very competitive as a footballer, I always knew I was in for a tough game when playing against him,

“Off the pitch he loved the social side with his teammates and was very popular amongst players and staff,” said Steve Johnson

“Everyone at The EAFA will miss him, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends,” he added.

Born in Birmingham in 1992, Joe was a proud Birmingham City supporter and wore his city on his sleeve. He was a prominent and vocal figure, his charismatic nature echoed across the changing room.

Joe (2nd left) representing his country alongside his teammates

The 2011 IWAS World Games in the United Arab Emirates saw Joe earn his first of many caps for the country against Russia. This was an extremely proud moment for him and his family.

In 2012, he would travel to Russia to represent his country for the first time at a World Cup in an extremely competitive Group B. Earlier that year, he won the inaugural Amp Futbol in Poland with the national team.

Joe represented England at the 2014 World Cup in Mexico, winning Group F but losing out to Turkey in the Last 16. His last international tournament was at the 2016 Amp Futbol Cup in Poland.

Joe watches England from the stands during the 2017 European Championship Final in Istanbul

His league career began at Oxford United in 2011, before joining Peterborough United in 2016 and winning The FA Disability Cup. Joe also had spells at West Brom and Super League Panthers. He joined Chelsea at the beginning of the 2023 EAFL season and played in April’s league games against Portsmouth and Everton.

In action for Chelsea in 2023

Joe will be sorely missed by his teammates and formed lasting friendships in the sport. He was particularly close with Gary Marheineke, Martin Heald, Ben Houghton, Ray Westbrook, Michael Masters amongst many others in amputee football.

Everyone at The England Amputee Football Association sends our deepest condolences to Joe’s family and friends. We would also like to ask that the privacy of Joe’s family and friends is respected at this incredibly difficult time.