Joe Taylor

DOB: 28th April 1991

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 2008/09

Season of last appearance: 2025/26

Full Appearances: 30

Substitute: 14

Goals: 9

Also played for:

Ramsgate, Sittingbourne, Farnborough, Folkestone Invicta, Cray Wanderers, Welling United, Ebbsfleet United, Lewes, Hornchurch, Billericay Town, AFC Greenwich Borough

Player Profile:

Burly locally-born striker who progressed through Margate's youth ranks. Joe was the Under-12's leading scorer during 2002/03 and he continued to be prolific as he rose through the age groups before graduating to the reserves for the 2007/08 season.

Joe played in a first-team friendly at Whitstable on 22.7.08 and on 13.9.08 he made his competitive debut as Margate were thrashed 5-1 at Worthing in the FA Cup. He was substituted after 65 minutes and manager Barry Ashby told the Thanet Times "Joe Taylor worked his socks off".

After a lengthy spell back in the reserves, Joe returned to the senior side on 7.2.09 when he came on as a substitute in a 2-0 win over Tooting & Mitcham at Hartsdown Park in the Isthmian League Premier Division. He also featured as a sub in Margate's next two matches before wearing the number ten shirt in a 2-0 defeat at Wealdstone on 28.2.09. Joe then missed six games altogether before coming on in a 3-2 defeat at Heybridge on 11.4.09 and he played twice more as a sub in the last three matches of the 2008/09 campaign. The Thanet Times said he "proved a handful for Staines' centre-halves who'd had a quiet day" in his last outing on 25.4.09 as Margate lost 4-1 in Surrey. Joe finished the season having made a total of eight appearances (six as sub) without scoring.

He was given a contract on the eve of the 2009/10 campaign and manager Terry Yorath told the Isle of Thanet Gazette: "Joe has all the ability going but he's so laid back."

He made his first appearance of the new season as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Ramsgate on 28.7.09 - the first leg of a tie played for the Isle of Thanet Gazette Cup - but Joe didn't feature again until 5.9.09 when he came on as a sub in a 2-2 draw at Ashford (Middlesex) in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

After sitting out another five matches, Joe came off the bench in a 2-1 win over Kingstonian at Hartsdown Park on 3.10.09 and his next outing saw him start for the first time as Margate won 1-0 at VCD in an Isthmian League Cup tie on 10.11.09. Joe featured once more as a sub in the next seven games before wearing the number nine shirt in a 1-1 home draw with Ashford (Middlesex) on 16.1.10. He played once more as a substitute - in a 1-0 win over visitors Chatham in the Kent Senior Cup on 26.1.10 - before being released at the start of February 2010. In all, Joe had made seven appearances (five as sub) without scoring during 2009/10.

He then signed for Ramsgate and their manager Jimmy Ward told the Isle of Thanet Gazette: "It's a great signing for the club, now let's see if we can get the boy right. I've seen him a few times and been quite impressed." Joe scored his first goal for the Rams in a 3-1 defeat at Leatherhead in the Isthmian League Division 1 South on 6.3.10 and by the end of the season he'd managed two goals from 11 league outings (three as sub).

Joe started the 2010/11 campaign at Ramsgate too but in November 2010 he returned to Margate and spent the next few weeks playing in the reserves.

Early in 2011, Joe rejoined Ramsgate and he finished the 2010/11 season having scored once from 14 Division 1 South appearances (ten as sub) in his two spells at Southwood.

He really established himself in the Ramsgate side during the 2011/12 campaign and, in March 2012, Joe told the Isle of Thanet Gazette: "I've found a bit of form and am scoring a few goals. I've started eight games in a row - which is the best run I've had - and I'm happy to play. I was playing for Margate Reserves and was top scorer in the league at 16 or 17. I got pushed into the first team but didn't get a lot of games and lost fitness. Jim gave me a chance at Ramsgate and I'm still grateful for that. I've got a lot to learn but as long as I keep playing I will only improve."

He won the Ramsgate's 'Young Player of the Year' award for 2011/12 and Joe scored nine goals from 38 Division 1 South outings (11 as sub) during the season.

Early in September 2012, Joe was released by the Rams having only featured once as a substitute in the opening weeks of the new campaign and he had a brief spell playing in the Thanet Sunday Football League before signing for Sittingbourne who were managed by former Ramsgate boss Jimmy Ward.

Joe made his debut for the Brickies as a first half substitute in a 1-1 home draw with Leatherhead on 11.9.12 and on 6.10.12 he scored a hat-trick as Sittingbourne beat visitors Walton & Hersham 3-2 in Division 1 South. By the end of the 2012/13 season Joe had managed 18 goals from 38 league appearances for the Brickies and he stayed with the club for the start of the 2013/14 campaign too.

At the end of January 2014, Joe started a week-long trial with professional Swedish outfit Ostersunds KF who played in Sweden's Superettan - the second tier of Swedish football - but he wasn't signed by the club and returned to Sittingbourne. Joe finished 2013/14 with a tally of 27 goals for the Brickies and in June 2014 he was signed by Conference South club Farnborough. Sittingbourne's joint-manager Matt Wyatt said: "Joe has been superb for us but the lad is young and ambitious and wants to try and prove himself at Conference/Ryman League level. We understand that and there are no ill feelings."

However, Joe quickly found himself back in Kent, signing for Folkestone Invicta in September 2014. He scored at Hartsdown for his new club on 16.10.14 in an FA Cup replay, which Folkestone lost 3-1.

Joe went back to Ramsgate and in 2015/16 finished the season with 33 goals in the Isthmian South Division.

Joe then returned to Invicta and was their top goalscorer with 27 goals in 2016/17 but returned to Hartsdown for 2018/19 after turning down a new deal at Cheriton Road.

His first goal of the season came on 18.8.18 in a 3-0 win at Brightlingsea. He then scored twice in a 3-2 FA Cup win at Hartsdown over Horndean on 8.9.18. There was a further brace in a 2-1 home win over Enfield Town on 13.10.18.

Joe then appeared to fall out of favour with the management and, despite being the team's top goal scorer, left for Cray Wanderers, who were a division lower, in November 2018 having been released upon his own request. Despite this, he still finished the season as Margate's joint top scorer with Frannie Collin with 8 goals from 18 appearances (plus two as sub) in all competitions. Cray went on to win the South East Division title.

Joe finished 2019/20 as the Isthmian Premier's top scorer with 26 goals.

In September 2020, Joe seemed certain to move on from Cray and manager Tony Russell said in an interview that Joe had offers from 17 clubs.

“There were clubs from below our level offering silly money up to the National League offering full-time football.

“Joe said his phone was on fire with clubs interested in him so could he have a week to think about it. I said no problem as we couldn’t do any more financially. Then it became 10 days and Joe got it down to two or three clubs.

“One club offered him a 52-week contract in the middle of Covid, which was an amazing offer when you think about it, and it was a local team in Kent. I thought he was gone as there was no way he was going to stay with that on offer.

“Then I got a text saying his wife had said he’d always come home from football with the hump but since he’d been at Cray he’s never moaned once. So, for the sake of harmony in house, he’s decided to stay!

“We’re delighted to have him, not only is he a brilliant player but he’s a brilliant bloke too. When I signed him, I was told that he wouldn’t work hard off the ball – and I told him that at the time – but I can’t stress how hard he works."

He stayed with Cray but loan spells at Welling United and Ebbsfleet followed in 2020/21.

Joe joined Lewes in the summer of 2021 from Cray Wanderers and scored 70 goals for Lewes over two seasons.

Ahead of 2023/24, Joe signed for Ramsgate. He scored more than 100 goals for the Rams over the next two seasons, helping them to the Isthmian South East title in 2024/25.

Joe signed for National League South club Hornchurch in summer 2025 but quickly left. Another brief spell followed at Isthmian Premier side Billericay Town. Joe scored one goal for Billericay - ironically in a 2-2 draw at home to Ramsgate on 6.9.25. Joe then returned to Southwood.

In December 2025, Joe started his fourth spell with Margate. On 3.1.26, Joe scored his first goal for the club following his return in a 4-2 home defeat against Ashford United.

That, however, was Joe's only goal after his return. He eventually was dropped from the team and, in March 2026, went on loan to SCEFL Division One club AFC Greenwich Borough until the end of the season.