Fred Boxley Player Profile

Biography

A highly capable custodian, Boxley began his career with Cradley Heath St.Luke's. After a short spell with Newton Rovers, he rejoined his home town club in January 1906 where his impressive form brought him to the attention of Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Jack Addenbrooke. Boxley duly signed for Wolves in April 1909, gaining his first representative honour later that same month when playing for a Birmingham & District FA side against their Scottish Junior FA counterparts at Celtic Park, Scotland beating 'England' 2-0 before a crowd of some 12,000.

His senior debut for the Molineux side came at home to Fulham the following November after first choice keeper Tommy Lunn had been injured in a 7-1 defeat at Barnsley. Despite conceding a goal four minutes in, Boxley made some fine saves to help Wolves draw 1-1. The surprise sale of Lunn to First Division Tottenham Hotspur in April 1910 saw Boxley establish himself in the starting line-up, making over 70 first-team appearances before losing his place to future Welsh international stopper Ted Peers in March 1912.

Eager to play, Boxley moved to Shrewsbury Town that summer teaming up with his younger brother Harry, a striker of some promise who latterly played league football for Derby, Bristol Rovers and Bournemouth. Fred quickly enhanced his reputation as 'the cleverest custodian' in the Birmingham & District League whilst also patrolling the beat as a member of the local Police Force. At nearly 14 stones, Boxley cut quite an imposing figure and in an FA Cup game against London Caledonians he famously came out of goal to play centre-half as the Shrews scrambled a late equaliser at the Gay Meadow.

On leaving the Police, he took up a position at Lowcock's Iron Foundry in Shrewsbury where he sustained a serious hand injury in November 1913, his left hand being badly crushed in the pulleys of a crane. The outbreak of war saw many clubs 'mothballed' and, although Boxley did rejoin St.Luke's in Sepetmber 1915, it wasn't until the summer of 1919 that he returned to 'senior' football with Wrexham. An ever-present during his solitary season at the Racecourse, he gained a Welsh Cup runners-up medal before opting to return to Shrewsbury in August 1920. Boxley's distinguished playing career effectively came to an end after he suffered a broken leg against Burton All Saints in November 1921.