Joseph ‘Joe’ Lea is a 26-year old football coach serving as the Manager of Gosport Borough Football Club . He has previously been associated with Bognor Regis Town, Dorchester Town and Yeovil Town during his career.
Lea began his football journey with Portsmouth’s youth system before moving to Southampton at age nine, where he spent nine years. After his two-year scholarship ended, he joined Yeovil Town in July 2016, making his professional debut as a substitute in a League Cup match against Everton in August 2016. He had loan spells at Dorchester Town and Gosport Borough during the 2016-17 season and was released by Yeovil at the end of the season after making only two appearances.
Following his release from Yeovil, Lea joined Bognor Regis Town in July 2017 after a successful trial. In January 2018, he signed with Gosport Borough. In April 2022, Lea transitioned into coaching, becoming co-manager of Petersfield Town with Pat Suraci. While at Petersfield, Lea decided to retire from playing in January 2023 to focus entirely on his coaching career. In May 2023, Lea and Suraci returned to Gosport Borough as joint first-team managers.
Lea’s early playing career was marked by his time in various youth academies and lower league clubs, and he has since shifted his focus to coaching, where he continues to contribute to football through his managerial roles.