Joe joined Norwich on loan from Brighton in September 1984 following an injury to first choice Norwich keeper Chris Woods. Joe played for Norwich against Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Sunderland in the league and Against Preston North End in the 6-1 Milk Cup 2nd Round victory.

Joe made his name at Manchester City where he occupied the Number One shirt from 1966 to 1983. In that time, he gained a European Cup Winners and two League Cup medals and 9 England caps. This figure would have been higher was it not for the fact that Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence also had claim to England's goalkeeper jersey. Sold to Seattle Sounders for £30,000 in April 1983, he returned to English football in the September of that year with Brighton. Loan spells at Norwich and Stoke suggested the continuing demand for his services but he was forced into retirement in May 1985 following a shoulder/neck injury suffered on QPR's artificial pitch. He was on the coaching staff at Liverpool but has also coached goalkeepers at Tranmere, Celtic, Huddersfield and Stoke.

On 21st September 2004, he joined the coaching team at Chester City but by 5th October 2004, he had moved to become goalkeeping coach at Stockport. By February 2005, Joe had left Stockport to take up a similar role at West Bromwich Albion.

Originally retiring at the end of the 2008/09 season, he joined Hull City as goalkeeping coach in late January 2011, replacing Mark Prudhoe who had moved to Sunderland's academy. Corrigan left Hull in the summer of 2011 after a falling out with Jimmy Bullard.