After a career as an amateur footballer and schoolmaster, Bernard Joy turned his attentions to journalism. During this period he wrote a number of books and newspaper supplements:

First edition dates unless otherwise stated
- 1949: Improve Your Soccer, with pictures posed by Archie Macauley, published by Findon
- 1950: Play Better Football, published by The Star publications Department
- 1952: Forward Arsenal: A History of Arsenal Football Club, published by Phoenix House
- 1954: Forward Arsenal: A History of Arsenal Football Club, published by Phoenix House - a revised edition containing additional plates (in the same year the first Sportsmans Book Club edition was also published)
- 1956: Soccer Tactics, published by Phoenic Sports Books (also published in 1959 by the Sportsmans Book Club
- 1966: World Cup Football Championship, 1966 Evening Standard World Cup Special, published by Beaverbrook Newspapers